Zanzibar Airport (ZNZ) Arrival Guide: Visa, Insurance, Transfers

Zanzibar's airport is Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, code ZNZ, in Kiembe Samaki, about 5 km south of Stone Town and a 15 minute drive from it. International flights use the newer Terminal 3. Once the aircraft door opens, expect four checks in this order: a health screening, the insurance check, the visa and immigration desk, then baggage and customs. On a normal day that takes 30 to 60 minutes. Then you walk out into the arrivals hall, where a pre-booked driver waits with your name on a sign. If you book one of our Zanzibar airport transfers, we track your flight, so a delay costs you nothing extra.

Checked on 2 November 2026 by Maria Majaaliwa Thomas.

I grew up in Kiembe Samaki, close enough to watch the planes come in, and I spent thirteen years in Zanzibar aviation: ten at the Coastal Aviation office in reservations, at the check-in counter and in dispatch, then three as branch manager of the Safarilink office. This guide is what I would tell a friend landing here for the first time.

ZNZ at a glance

Official name	Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, named in 2010 after Zanzibar's first president. Older signs and tickets may still say Zanzibar International Airport or Kisauni.
Codes	IATA: ZNZ. ICAO: HTZA.
Location	Kiembe Samaki, about 5 km south of Stone Town, on Unguja (the main island of Zanzibar)
Operator	Zanzibar Airports Authority
Terminal 3	International flights. Opened for traffic in 2021, built for about 1.5 million passengers a year.
Terminal 2	Domestic flights (Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Pemba, safari airstrips) and some regional flights
Runway	One runway, 3,007 m, long enough for wide-body jets from Europe and the Gulf
Traffic	About 2.69 million passengers in 2025
Time zone	East Africa Time, UTC+3, no daylight saving

Airlines that fly in include Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, KLM, Air France, Condor, Edelweiss, Neos, Oman Air, flydubai, Kenya Airways, Airlink, RwandAir and Uganda Airlines, plus seasonal and charter flights from Europe. Routes change every season, so treat that list as a guide and check your own booking.

Before you land: the five things to have on your phone

Almost every slow arrival I have seen came down to a document the traveller had to find, fill in or pay for at the airport. Sort these at home and keep them as downloaded files, not only links in your email, because the terminal Wi-Fi is not always quick.

Passport valid for six months after arrival, with at least one blank page.
Visa. An e-visa from visa.immigration.go.tz (USD 50 single entry for most nationalities, USD 100 multiple entry for US citizens), printed and on your phone. If you plan a visa on arrival instead, have USD 50 ready by card, with dollar notes as a backup.
Zanzibar inbound insurance certificate from inbound.visitzanzibar.go.tz, USD 44 per adult. Our guide to the mandatory travel insurance explains which policy you need if your trip also includes the mainland.
Health declaration if it applies to you. Zanzibar's portal is healthtravelznz.mohz.go.tz. Since October 2026 it is required for travellers arriving from or through the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or Kenya. If you are connecting in Nairobi, that means you.
Your hotel's name and address and your driver's WhatsApp number. Immigration may ask where you are staying.

Also pack a pen in your hand luggage. Forms still appear now and then, and the queue for the shared pen is a real thing.

Step by step: from the aircraft door to your driver

1. Off the aircraft and into Terminal 3

Depending on your stand, you either walk across the apron or take a bus to the terminal. Midday on the tarmac is hot even in July, so keep a hat or water handy if your hand luggage allows. Follow the signs for Arrivals.

2. Health screening

Zanzibar's Ministry of Health screens every arriving passenger, which in practice means a quick temperature check as you walk through. If you filled in the online health declaration, have the QR code or reference number ready to show. This step normally takes seconds. It exists because of the regional Ebola outbreak in 2026, and it may be relaxed or tightened as that changes.

3. The insurance check

Next, an officer scans the QR code on your insurance certificate. If you do not have one, you are directed to the insurance desk to buy it (USD 44 per adult) before you can continue. With the certificate ready, this is another short stop.

4. Visa and immigration

There are usually separate lines for travellers with an e-visa and for visa on arrival. If you need a visa on arrival, you fill in the details, pay at a payment counter and then see an immigration officer. Officers usually take fingerprints and a photo for every visitor.

The visa on arrival fee (USD 50, children included) can be paid by card or in US dollar notes, according to the German Foreign Office. Card terminals do not always work, so carry the exact amount in clean dollar notes as a backup. Many businesses in Tanzania refuse notes printed before 2009, or notes that are torn or heavily marked. A visa on arrival is not guaranteed for every traveller, which is one more reason to get the e-visa at home.
E-visa holders still queue for immigration, but the line is usually shorter and faster.
Queue times vary a lot. If one wide-body flight lands alone, you may be through in 20 minutes. When two or three big flights land within an hour, which happens most often in the afternoon in the high season (July to October and around Christmas and New Year), it can take over an hour.

5. Baggage reclaim

Belts are just after immigration. Porters in uniform may offer to help. It is fine to accept, and fine to say no. If you accept, a tip of a few dollars is normal. If a bag is missing, report it at your airline's desk in the baggage hall before you leave, and keep the reference number. Your driver will wait.

6. Customs

Most holiday luggage goes through without a question. A few things are worth knowing:

Plastic bags are banned in Tanzania, including Zanzibar, both coming in and going out. Small zip-lock bags for toiletries and liquids in your hand luggage are allowed. Other plastic bags, including duty-free carrier bags, are taken off you at the baggage check, so pack those items in your suitcase.
Drones need a permit from the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority. Without one, expect a drone to be held at customs.
Animal skin goods should not be brought in, and taking shells, horns or similar wildlife items out of the country needs an export permit.
Cash above USD 10,000 (or the equivalent) must be declared.

7. The arrivals hall: finding your driver

Walk through the exit and you are in the arrivals area. This is where hotel staff, tour drivers and taxi drivers wait, many holding name signs. Our drivers wait inside arrivals with your name on a sign. If you cannot see your name straight away, do not accept help from someone who just reads your name off your luggage tag. Message the WhatsApp number on your booking and we will tell you exactly where your driver is standing.

Our transfer drivers track your flight number, so if you land late, they are already there and there is no extra charge for the wait.

Money, SIM cards and Wi-Fi at the airport

Cash

There are currency exchange counters and ATMs at the airport, but the exchange rate here is not the best on the island and machines can have queues or run low at busy times. I suggest arriving with some US dollars in small notes (for tips, a visa on arrival and your first day) and taking out Tanzanian shillings from an ATM in Stone Town or at a bank later. US dollars are widely accepted for tours and hotels. Shillings are better for small shops, local food and markets.

SIM cards and eSIMs

Mobile operators sell SIM cards at the airport. The main networks in Zanzibar are Vodacom, Airtel and Yas (the brand that used to be Tigo and Zantel). To buy a physical SIM you need your passport. Registration is biometric, so expect a fingerprint and a photo, and allow 15 to 30 minutes when there is a queue. If you would rather walk straight out, buy an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land. Coverage is good in Stone Town and the main beach areas and weaker in parts of the south and on the water.

Wi-Fi

There is Wi-Fi in the terminal, but do not rely on it to download your insurance certificate or e-visa at the immigration desk. Keep both saved on your phone.

Getting from the airport to your hotel

You have three practical choices: a pre-booked private transfer, a shared shuttle or a taxi from the rank outside. Self-drive is possible but rarely the easy option straight off a long flight.

Destination from ZNZ	Drive time	Distance	Private van (up to 6)	Private 4x4 Prado (up to 4)	Shared shuttle
Stone Town	About 15 min	8 km	USD 20	USD 31	No
Kiwengwa	About 50 min	45 km	USD 60	USD 93	No
Paje	About 55 min	50 km	USD 60	USD 93	USD 18 per person, 09:00 and 14:00
Bwejuu	About 55 min	53 km	USD 65	USD 101	No
Matemwe	About 60 min	52 km	USD 70	USD 109	No
Jambiani	About 60 min	55 km	USD 75	USD 116	No
Kendwa	About 70 min	60 km	USD 75	USD 116	USD 18 per person, 09:00 and 14:00
Kizimkazi	About 70 min	62 km	USD 75	USD 116	No
Michamvi	About 70 min	65 km	USD 80	USD 124	No
Nungwi	About 75 min	64 km	USD 75	USD 116	USD 18 per person, 09:00 and 14:00

Prices are per vehicle for private transfers, not per person, and include parking, fuel and luggage. They are taken from our transfer rate table on 2 November 2026. Drive times are for normal daytime traffic. Allow more at school times and on Friday afternoons near Stone Town. Every route is on our transfers page.

When the shared shuttle makes sense

The shared shuttle to Nungwi, Kendwa and Paje leaves at 09:00 and 14:00 and costs USD 18 per person. For a solo traveller or a couple whose flight lands an hour or two before a departure, it is the cheapest comfortable option. For three or more people, or for any flight landing after 14:00, a private van usually works out better.

Taking a taxi from the rank

Licensed taxis wait outside. There are no meters, so agree the price in US dollars or shillings before you load your bags, and confirm whether it is for the car or per person. Ask your hotel in advance what a fair fare is to them, so you have a number in your head.

Late flights, delays and a driver you cannot find

Your flight is delayed: if you gave us your flight number, you do not need to do anything. We see the new arrival time and the driver adjusts.
You missed your connection and are on a different flight: send the new flight number to our WhatsApp, +255 656 934 091, as soon as you know it.
You arrive after dark: roads outside Stone Town have few streetlights. A pre-booked driver who knows the route is the sensible choice for the north and east coasts at night.
You cannot see your driver: stay inside the arrivals area, message us and wait. Do not go to the car park with someone who did not show you a sign with your name.
Your bag did not arrive: file the report at the airline desk first. Tell your driver; they will wait.

Connecting to a domestic or safari flight

This is where my old job comes in. If you are flying on to a safari, to Pemba or to Dar es Salaam the same day, keep these in mind:

Domestic and safari flights leave from Terminal 2, a separate building from Terminal 3. You will collect your bags, clear immigration and customs, and then check in again for the domestic flight.
Leave at least three hours between an international arrival and a domestic departure. Less than that and one slow immigration queue can cost you the flight. Most of the missed connections I saw at the counter had less than two hours.
Luggage limits on light aircraft are strict, usually 15 to 20 kg per person including hand luggage, often in soft bags only. The exact figure depends on the airline and is printed on your ticket. If you are carrying more, plan what to leave behind. Many Zanzibar hotels will store a bag for guests who are coming back after the safari; ask yours when you book.
Book both flights on one ticket where possible, or keep the domestic airline's phone number with you, so that a delay on the long-haul flight can be rebooked quickly.

Leaving ZNZ: departure tips

Arrive three hours before an international flight and at least 90 minutes before a domestic one. There is a security check at the terminal entrance, and usually only travellers go inside, so say goodbye to anyone seeing you off at the door.
Allow for the drive. From Nungwi or Michamvi, that means leaving your hotel about five hours before an international departure.
Airport charges are normally included in your ticket price, so you should not have to pay a departure tax at the airport.
Spend or change your shillings before security. Changing them back abroad is difficult.
Pack shells, sand and coral at home only if you bought them legally with a receipt. Taking wildlife items out without an export permit is not allowed.

Arriving by ferry instead?

If you are coming from Dar es Salaam by fast ferry, you land at the Stone Town ferry port, not the airport. Passport and insurance checks happen there too. We run fixed price transfers from the port to every beach, for example from the ferry port to Nungwi or the ferry port to Paje. Remember that if you entered Tanzania in Dar es Salaam, your insurance comes from the mainland insurer, NIC.

Frequently asked questions

What is the airport code for Zanzibar?

ZNZ. The ICAO code, used by pilots and air traffic control, is HTZA.

How far is Zanzibar airport from Stone Town?

About 5 km, roughly 15 minutes by car in normal traffic.

How long does it take to get through Zanzibar airport?

Usually 30 to 60 minutes from the aircraft door to the arrivals hall. With a visa on arrival during a busy afternoon, it can take longer than an hour.

Can I get a visa on arrival at Zanzibar airport?

Usually, yes. Single entry tourist visas are issued on arrival for most nationalities who can get one online, for USD 50, payable by card or in dollar notes. It is not guaranteed and the queue can be long, so an e-visa arranged before you fly is the safer choice.

Are there ATMs at Zanzibar airport?

Yes, along with exchange counters. Bring some US dollars anyway, in case a machine is out of service or has a queue.

How much is a taxi from Zanzibar airport?

Taxis have no meters, so the price is agreed before you leave. For comparison, our fixed private transfer prices run from USD 20 per vehicle to Stone Town to USD 75 to Nungwi or Kendwa.

Which terminal is for international flights?

Terminal 3. Domestic flights and some regional flights use Terminal 2.

Sources

Tanzania e-visa portal, visa types and fees: visa.immigration.go.tz
Zanzibar inbound insurance portal: inbound.visitzanzibar.go.tz
Zanzibar Ministry of Health traveller portal: healthtravelznz.mohz.go.tz
UK Foreign Office, Tanzania entry requirements and customs: gov.uk
Airport facts (terminals, runway, 2025 traffic): Zanzibar Airports Authority figures, summarised at Wikipedia
Transfer prices and drive times: V Tours and Safaris transfer rate table, 2 November 2026

Landing soon? Book your airport transfer, or send us your flight details on WhatsApp and we will check your connections, luggage and documents before you travel.