Escalated Entry Requirements For Tanzania
 

1) Neg RT-PCR test required for entry as of 4th May 2021 within 72 hours of arrival to Tanzania, (very tough if flying from a non-hub US location),

2) Possible post arrival rapid test at airport from countries with high covid numbers (whatever that means), and,

3) 14 day quarantine for travelers from a country, or who have traveled through a through a country in past 14 days, with new covid variants as identified by WHO in daily updates (whatever that means)

https://www.moh.go.tz/en/announcements

No mention of vaccinations, identification of countries making the high covid numbers list or what that criteria will be, or salient details on Number 3 (aren't there always new covid variants in every country??) Got to love undefined requirements or those open to subject application.

Even assuming #1 was workable, with a great doses of stress and angst, #2 and #3 are show stoppers for me. Huge disappointment - fully vaccinated with business class award tickets in hand, I was pulling out all the stops to make my Serengeti safari happen this summer.

14 days quarantine regime without specifying to which countries/nationalities this applies - this must be close to the perfect way to scare anyone off...

From my perspective 1) is common practice these days (even for vaccinated folks), 2) might be acceptable / doable, but 3) is killing my plan to head there in June as well.

Let's see if they will specify it in the next days/weeks...

Well...Tanzania is out. Yet another trip cancelled.

I will be watching to see how this plays out over the next month or so. On several other travel/safari discussion sites this is being discussed as well. I am a lot of speculation that a change from 72 hours before arrival to either 48 or 72 hours before departure may/will happen.

There is also item #8 in their list. Here is a direct link to the PDF for download/viewing.

How will this be interpreted in practice? Will it develop into a requirement for people who have negative test and will arrive later than 48 hours have to take a rapid test on arrival for go into self financed quarantine?

I am not saying that anyone should just go to Tanzania right now. We will have to see how the situation develops over the next few weeks. It could severely restrict travel to Tanzania or there could be some subtle changes to the wording making travel to Tanzania possible.

Just think of the stress and angst the developing world has by not having access to vaccines and health care to treat covid.

Currently booked for the Serengeti late May. Concerned but I imagine this will be clarified in the next few days with peak safari season starting.

​One thing that is interesting is this article

https://www.businessinsider.co.za/ta...rantine-2021-5

It mentions that the "new variant" quarantine applies to countries which have had a variant labeled after them. I'm not sure if they are just assuming this is the definition, but under their interpretation, travelers recently in the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Japan, and most likely India will have to quarantine.

​

There has already been an update to the new policy, It specifically only identifies India as the country where citizens are required to quarantine for 14 days. Fingers crossed there will be later updates that exempt vaccinated visitors from obtaining a PCR test less than 72 hours prior to arrival which can pose a challenge for us in the USA.

Great to see this updated so quickly.

Fingers crossed regarding vaccine exemptions. In case anyone is flying from Los Angeles, clarity at LAX is the best place for a test. Results for PCR tests can now be had under 6hrs

glad to hear, getting my test done at LAX next weekend.

id be surprised if there’s any widespread use of vaccinations to allow bypass of measures as these are new vaccines with a fairly rapidly mutating virus and we’re making vaccines with different methods and efficacies across the world. Not to mention the proliferation of fake vaccine cards already (just was an arrest in SoCal of a bar owner who was selling forged ones). If you look at the variability from the main ones we know of in the US and say the Russian and Chinese ones, there’s wide range of effectiveness and even them their primary aim was serious disease mitigation, not protection.

Well now I have to get my airline award TA to rebook my flights to JRO. It will actually work out in my favor as even though I am dreading 2 back to back red eye flights on QR even in business class, the shorter layover will allow me to meet the 72 hour PCR test time for arrival into JRO. Phew. I originally had an overnight in DOH airport but not now. QR has stopped the 8am DOH to JRO flights and is only doing the red eye flights. Have to leave a day earlier too but that's okay. Just glad to be going somewhere again.

Agreed, but one can hope with some countries accepting vaccine cards now :)

If you haven't already, make sure you book ahead of time to ensure you get the quicker turnaround PCR test at LAX

https://patientsystem.claritymv.com/login

Wanted to provide some first hand experience.

We arrived at JRO today and all passengers were required to take a rapid PCR test right there in the airport.

We had a covid test already completed in the US and filled out the Tanzanian health form online before arrival. The process was a pretty big mess and many people were left waiting in the terminal as they slowly found their confirmation papers. The test itself cost $25 USD per person and they only accepted cash in USD

Once your paperwork was found and payment submitted, the actual test was a pretty straight forward nasal swab. Results came in about 5min and we were sent through immigration.

Not sure if our flight was randomly chosen, or flagged because we came on a QR, but it definitely can happen if arriving in TZ so be prepared.
​​​​​​
​​​​​​

Are you sure it was a PCR that was done in 5 minutes? Sounds more like the antigen test.

Question for FlyingFrZ?
I too am traveling on QR to TZ in September and can access the Al Mourjan lounge which has a business area. Do you recommend completing the TZ health form in the lounge and then print out the completed form to expedite what appears to be the unpleasant arrival process? Will I be able to print it at all? Or does TZ only try to find the "code" that is generated after the form is completed?
Happily I did find a company that can perform a same day RT-PCR test collected and result available which will comply with the onerous 72 hour time limit before I arrive. That is quite a time barrier when coming from the US! Although Nashville is growing(too fast!) we don't have a plethora of clinics, etc that can do that particular test the same day.
Thanks in advance for any additional tips and recommendations for navigating immigration at JRO! I hope you had a wonderful trip?

They called it PCR, but honestly who really knows