Before You Fly to Zanzibar: The Practical Checklist Nobody Gives You

Zanzibar is one of those places that sounds straightforward until you're actually trying to organise the trip. The flights are manageable, the beaches sell themselves. But the gap between 'I want to go' and 'I'm actually ready to get on this plane' involves a handful of things that most standard travel advice skips over entirely. These are the ones that actually matter.

*Source: Information in this guide draws on the Zanzibar travel guide at [zanzibiz.com/travel-guide](https://zanzibiz.com/travel-guide), with additional context for UK travellers.*

Visa: What You Actually Need at the Airport

UK passport holders do not need to arrange a visa before travelling to Zanzibar. You get it on arrival at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ). The process takes 15–30 minutes — you fill in a form, pay the fee (currently around USD 50, cash), and you're through.

A few things to know before you land: bring USD cash specifically for this, because the payment terminals at the visa desk are unreliable and card payments are sometimes not accepted. Your passport needs at least 6 months' validity beyond your return date. You'll also need to show an onward ticket (your return flight) and proof of accommodation for your first night — a hotel booking confirmation on your phone is fine.

Don't confuse Zanzibar's entry with Tanzania mainland entry. If you're flying Zanzibar only, the Zanzibar visa is what you need. If you're combining Zanzibar with a safari on the mainland, you need a Tanzania single-entry visa which covers both — check which applies to your itinerary before you go.

Money: The USD vs Shilling Reality

The official currency is the Tanzanian Shilling (TZS), but USD is so widely accepted in Zanzibar that you can go an entire trip without using shillings if you stay in tourist areas. Most hotels, restaurants, tours, and larger shops quote in USD and accept it without complaint.

That said, a few things work better with local currency. Dala dalas (shared minibuses), market stalls, small roadside restaurants, and tuk-tuks often deal in shillings and will round up against you if you try to pay in dollars. Change USD into shillings for anything under about $10 — you'll get fairer change and fairer prices.

The practical setup: bring a mix. USD 200–300 in mixed notes (some small bills — $1 and $5 — for tips and small payments, some $20s and $50s for bigger things). Use an ATM in Stone Town for shillings once you arrive; the rates are better than airport exchange. The Barclays and CRDB ATMs in Stone Town are the most reliable. Notify your bank before you travel that you'll be using your card in Tanzania.

The Halifax Clarity or Starling card both work well for ATM withdrawals with no foreign transaction fees. Use one specifically for Zanzibar and you'll save a noticeable amount on a week-long trip.

Connectivity: Get an eSIM Before You Leave the UK

This is the one most people leave too late and regret immediately. When you land at Zanzibar airport, you want your maps working, your hotel confirmation accessible, your WhatsApp running so your hotel transfer driver can find you. Without mobile data, none of that happens smoothly.

A local SIM swap at the airport works but it takes time, requires documentation, and the airport desk isn't always staffed for late arrivals. An eSIM sorted before you fly removes all of that friction. Airalo, Holafly, and Nomad all offer Tanzania eSIMs that activate on arrival. A 1GB eSIM for 7 days costs around £4–£8. That's about the same as one airport coffee. Buy it, install it before you leave home, and it switches on automatically when you land.

One thing to check: your phone needs to be eSIM compatible (most iPhones from XS onwards, most recent Android flagships). If your phone doesn't support eSIM, pick up a local Vodacom or Airtel Tanzania SIM at the airport — the process is slower but they're cheap and coverage is solid in the main tourist areas.

Travel Insurance: What to Check Specifically for Zanzibar

Standard travel insurance covers cancellations and lost luggage. For Zanzibar, you need to make sure yours also covers medical evacuation. The medical facilities on the island are limited — for anything serious, you're looking at an evacuation to Nairobi or Dar es Salaam, which is expensive without cover. Check that your policy has medical evacuation cover of at least £500,000 and that it covers Tanzania specifically (some cheaper policies exclude sub-Saharan Africa or have restricted medical limits for the region).

Also check the activity exclusions. If you're planning to dive (Zanzibar has some of the best diving in the Indian Ocean — Mnemba Atoll is world-class), your policy needs to cover scuba at the depth you're planning to dive to. Many standard policies cap at 18 metres or exclude diving entirely.

Compare on MoneySuperMarket or Compare the Market, but read the actual policy documents rather than just the headline summary. For Zanzibar, the medical repatriation limit and activity coverage matter more than the excess amount.

Airport Transfer: Why It's Worth Booking in Advance

Zanzibar airport to Stone Town is 15 minutes. To Nungwi on the north coast, it's about 75 minutes. From the moment you exit arrivals, you'll be approached by taxi drivers with variable prices and variable reliability.

Pre-booking a transfer costs roughly the same as a negotiated taxi — sometimes a little more — but you have a named driver waiting for you, a confirmed price, and no haggling after a long flight. For families or late arrivals especially, that's worth a few extra pounds. Your hotel can usually arrange this; if not, the ZanziBiz transfer service (linked from the travel guide at [zanzibiz.com/travel-guide](https://zanzibiz.com/travel-guide)) is one option worth checking.

If you do take an airport taxi, agree the price before you get in. The standard rate to Stone Town is around USD 15–20; to Nungwi, USD 35–50. Have the cash ready so you're not rooting through your bag after a long flight.

The Two Things Most People Forget

Yellow fever vaccination certificate — you don't need one if you're flying directly from the UK, but if your routing goes through Kenya or another yellow fever zone, you may be asked to show proof of vaccination on arrival. Check your specific route before you travel.

Malaria prevention. Zanzibar is a malaria risk area. Speak to your GP or a travel clinic about antimalarial medication before you go — ideally 4–6 weeks before departure. Doxycycline is the most commonly prescribed option for East Africa and is cheap. Also bring a good DEET mosquito repellent (50% DEET or higher). The mosquitoes are worst at dawn and dusk; eating outside in the evenings is fine, but cover your arms and legs or use repellent.

None of this is complicated. The eSIM takes five minutes. The insurance comparison takes 20. The USD cash you get from the post office or a travel money service before you fly. The visa you deal with at the airport. Do these before you leave and the first few hours in Zanzibar go smoothly. Skip them and the first few hours in Zanzibar are spent sorting problems that didn't need to exist.