Tanzania
Regulations on entry, stay, residence, and treatment access for people living with HIV
The categories of restriction are:
- No restrictions on entry or staying.
The types of restriction are:
- No restrictions.
Restrictions on entry to Tanzania
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on entry to Tanzania based on HIV status.
According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Tanzania does not have any HIV-related restrictions on entry.
Nothing in the list of documents required to request a visa, available on the website of the Tanzania High Commission in the United Kingdom suggests an HIV-related restriction on entry. More detailed information is available on Visa Guidelines.
Article 30 of The HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act 2008, prohibits travel restrictions on people living with HIV: ‘A person shall not (…) (b) deny or restrict any person to travel within or outside Tanzania.’
Restrictions on short-term stay in Tanzania
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on short-term stay in Tanzania based on HIV status.
According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Tanzania does not have any HIV-related restrictions on short-term stay.
The Online Work Permit Application and Issuance System, run by the Immigration Department, provides a list of supporting documents that should be included with a visa application and none of those documents makes reference to HIV or the general health of the applicant.
Restrictions on long-term stay in Tanzania
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on long-term stay in Tanzania based on HIV status.
The Immigration Service Department provides a list of supporting documents that should be included with a residence permit application and none of those documents makes reference to HIV or the general health of the applicant. More detailed information is available on Residence Permit Guidelines.
Article 30 of The HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act 2008, prohibits travel restrictions on people living with HIV: ‘A person shall not (…) (e) deny or restrict the right of any person to residence, on the grounds of the person’s actual, perceived or suspected HIV and AIDS status.’
Treatment access in Tanzania
The following summarises available information on access to healthcare for people living with HIV in Tanzania. There is some evidence that non-nationals are restricted from accessing treatment in the same way as nationals.
Non-nationals in Tanzania have access primarily to private healthcare rather than the country’s public system. Although the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) is the foundation of public health for Tanzanian citizens, non-nationals are not eligible for the same benefits as citizens. Instead, expatriates, digital nomads, and other non-national residents use private facilities, which provide higher-quality care and faster service but come at a much higher cost. Health insurance is recommended to manage the expense of private healthcare, which can be costly compared to public options.
Services at private hospitals in major cities, such as Dar es Salaam’s Aga Khan Hospital, are well-equipped for general and emergency needs. In more rural areas, healthcare can be limited in both the private and public sectors, leading some residents to travel to urban centers for specialised care.
Other areas in Tanzania with a good selection of medical specialists include Mwanza, Tanga, and Zanzibar.
For more detailed guidance, sources like Expat Exchange provide an overview of Tanzania’s healthcare system and health insurance option.
Sources
The HIV Justice Network's Global HIV Criminalisation Database
People living with HIV are criminalised in Tanzania. There are HIV-specific criminal laws in force which target alleged HIV ‘exposure’, non-disclosure, and/or transmission. We are not aware of any reported prosecutions under these or other laws.
Visit the Tanzania page on the Global HIV Criminalisation Database to see more information about known HIV criminalisation laws in this country, an overview of how the laws are used, and any significant advocacy developments.
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