Park fees, permits, visas and levies across East Africa

Every park entry fee, permit price, visa charge, bed levy and tourism surcharge we track across the five markets, with the authority it came from and the date it takes effect. Prices change by gazette notice and rarely with much warning, so anything we have not re-confirmed inside the review window is marked for re-checking rather than left looking current.

Updated 17 September 202640 entries8 jurisdictionsFree to republish with attribution

Source-market rules (EU)

Rule, fee or levy	Amount	Who it applies to	Effective	Source
EU green-claims rules — Directive (EU) 2024/825 (EmpCo) Bans generic environmental claims — 'eco-friendly', 'green', 'sustainable', 'responsible' — unless a recognised certification directly covers the claim. Bans generic environmental claims — 'eco-friendly', 'green', 'sustainable', 'responsible' — unless a recognised certification directly covers the claim. Bans 'carbon neutral' and 'climate compensated' where the claim rests on offsets outside the value chain. Bans self-created labels and badges. Broad claims survive only under an EU Ecolabel or an EN ISO 14024 Type I ecolabel. Schemes named as meeting the third-party verification bar include Travelife, Green Key, Green Globe, EarthCheck and Green Destinations. PRACTICAL POINT: the penalty exposure sits with the EU trader — the tour operator, package organiser or OTA reselling you — under the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive that EmpCo amends, which carries maximum fines of at least 4% of annual turnover in the member states concerned. Expect substantiation requests to arrive contractually from European agents rather than from a regulator.	No fee — a marketing compliance obligation	Any hotel, lodge, camp, resort or operator making environmental claims to consumers in the EU, regardless of where the business is based	Applies from 27 September 2026 (member-state transposition was due 27 March 2026)	Directive (EU) 2024/825 (EUR-Lex); European Commission; Sustainable Travel International guide, 5 Aug 2026 Verified

Kenya

Rule, fee or levy	Amount	Who it applies to	Effective	Source
Reduced 8% VAT on petrol, diesel and kerosene — EXPIRES 14 OCTOBER 2026 A DIARISED COST CLIFF, NOT A RUMOUR. The rate was halved from 16% to 8% in April and rolled over once. A DIARISED COST CLIFF, NOT A RUMOUR. The rate was halved from 16% to 8% in April and rolled over once. It now runs only to 14 OCTOBER 2026 and reverts to 16% on 15 October unless a further Order is made. The same date ends EPRA’s frozen 15 Sep–14 Oct pump cycle, so two cost events land on one day. OUR ARITHMETIC, ILLUSTRATIVE AND LABELLED AS SUCH: gross EPRA’s published Nairobi diesel cap of KSh 217.86 back from 8% to 16% with nothing else changing and you get roughly KSh 234 — about KSh 16 a litre, ~7.4%. That is BEFORE any Platts pass-through. SUPPLY SIDE, SAME WEEK: Saudi Arabia shut the 1,200km East-West pipeline (the Hormuz bypass) after drone strikes, Hormuz is at roughly 6–9m bpd against 20m+ pre-war, Brent closed at US$107 on 14 Sep, and an unnamed oil-industry executive told Business Daily that nine days of Platts show super up ~US$87/m3 and diesel ~US$57/m3. OPERATOR ACTION: put a fuel-adjustment clause in anything signed now, and do not quote a transfer, generator or laundry surcharge beyond 14 October against today’s pump price.	8% instead of 16%	All buyers of motor spirit (petrol), gas oil (diesel) and illuminating kerosene in Kenya	15 July – 14 October 2026, under the Value Added Tax (Amendment of Rate of Tax) Order 2026 published by KRA on 14 July 2026; a first relief period ran from 15 April 2026	KRA, Value Added Tax (Amendment of Rate of Tax) Order 2026, published 14 July 2026; EPRA price schedule effective 15 Sep 2026; Business Daily, 14 September 2026 Verified
Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)Online only; typically 24–72h. Apply before travel — there is no visa on arrival.	US$30	All non-EAC visitors, including infants	In force since Jan 2024	Kenya eTA portal Verified
Maasai Mara park fee Peak pricing bites during migration — build it into quoted rates. Peak pricing bites during migration — build it into quoted rates. Operator schedules for 2026 also describe a 12-hour ticket validity, meaning an overnight inside the reserve triggers a second entry charge, and fees no longer varying by camp location. We have not seen the Narok County gazette — CONFIRM before quoting.	US$100 low / US$200 peak	Non-resident adult, per person per day	Current 2026 season	Narok County / operator schedules Re-check
KWS park fees (Amboseli, Nakuru, Tsavo)Paid via kwspay.ecitizen.go.ke. Nairobi NP US$80.	US$80–90 per day	Non-resident adult	Current	Kenya Wildlife Service Verified
Tourism levy on short-term rentals Extends the existing 2% Tourism Fund levy to short-term rentals, collected at source by platforms, with host registration required by the Tourism Regulatory Authority. Extends the existing 2% Tourism Fund levy to short-term rentals, collected at source by platforms, with host registration required by the Tourism Regulatory Authority. Trade-press reported; we have not yet seen the gazette notice.	2% of booking value	Airbnb, Booking.com and other STR platform listings	Reported for June 2026 — CONFIRM before quoting	Tourism Fund / trade press Re-check
Tourism (Amendment) Bill 2026 — institutional restructuring WATCH ITEM, NOT A RULE CHANGE YET. The Bill would transfer the functions, assets, liabilities, pending legal proceedings, licences and approvals of the TOURISM RESEARCH INSTITUTE (TRI) to the Kenya… WATCH ITEM, NOT A RULE CHANGE YET. The Bill would transfer the functions, assets, liabilities, pending legal proceedings, licences and approvals of the TOURISM RESEARCH INSTITUTE (TRI) to the Kenya Tourism Board, ending TRI as a separate institution, with staff deployed to the Public Service Commission. The Tourism Finance Corporation is dissolved on the same terms. The Tourism Fund retains collection of hotel and restaurant levies with the Cabinet Secretary overseeing management (PS Julius Bitok’s stated model: KRA collects\| CBK holds\| Treasury allocates). The Fund’s mandate widens to product development\| events\| safety and security\| research\| data collection\| tourism intelligence\| training\| innovation\| standards and county co-financing via matching grants — plus 'marketing and branding Kenya'. It would also draw proceeds from the AIR PASSENGER SERVICE CHARGE. OPERATOR EXPOSURE: TRI publishes the Annual Tourism Sector Performance Report — the most granular free arrivals series in East Africa and the one regional feasibility studies cite. Objections on record: KATO chair Fred Odek warned of a 'data vacuum' and asked for a statutory research directorate plus explicit protection for TRI databases and IP; Hospitality EQ CEO Barry Clemens raised concentration-of-power risk, noting TFC was folded into Kenya Development Corporation only five or six years ago; committee chair Kareke Mbiuki said TRI should not be lost in the merger. NO LEVY RATE CHANGE IS PROPOSED — do not requote on this. Practical action: archive locally every TRI publication your models or lender packs cite, with retrieval dates.	No fee change proposed	All Kenyan accommodation and restaurant businesses paying the tourism levy; anyone relying on Kenyan tourism statistics	PROPOSED — before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Tourism and Wildlife, in public participation as at 5 Sep 2026. NOT ENACTED.	The Kenya Times, 21 Aug 2026 (Departmental Committee sitting of 20 Aug 2026); Tourism Update, 26 Aug 2026; The Star, 12 & 14 Aug 2026 Re-check
Airport passenger levy (JKIA financing) Kenya will borrow Sh81bn of a Sh116bn JKIA package, with a bond secured against FUTURE passenger levy collections. Kenya will borrow Sh81bn of a Sh116bn JKIA package, with a bond secured against FUTURE passenger levy collections. No rate rise has been announced — but a levy pledged to bondholders is structurally very hard to cut. Do not model Kenyan air-tax relief into 2027–28 rate cards; write the cost into net-rate contracts instead.	No rate change announced	Every international and domestic air ticket sold in Kenya	In force; Sh18.5bn/yr earmarked to airport debt	Business Daily / Daily Nation, 24 Jul 2026 Verified
Mandatory travel-health insurance SUSPENDED BY COURT ORDER. The High Court at Marsabit (Justice Francis Rayola Olel) issued conservatory orders on 21 Aug 2026 halting enforcement of Gazette Notice No. SUSPENDED BY COURT ORDER. The High Court at Marsabit (Justice Francis Rayola Olel) issued conservatory orders on 21 Aug 2026 halting enforcement of Gazette Notice No. 11492 pending determination of a constitutional petition; heard inter partes 16 Sep 2026. Petitioners Edow Issack Mohammed and Zhulekha Mohamed Edin argue the Ministry of Health lacks mandate over entry conditions (Interior/Immigration under the Citizenship and Immigration Act 2011), that it encroaches on the IRA, and that uploading health data via the eTA breaches Article 31 privacy. This is the SECOND petition filed; a separate COFEK challenge (mention 29 Sep 2026) runs alongside. The gazette set minimum cover of US$50,000 — reported as US$20,000 medical plus US$25,000 emergency evacuation plus repatriation, mental-health and prescription benefits — under the Social Health Insurance Act. Quote packages without it, but retain the clause in 2027 contracts: the 16 Sep hearing can restore it.	US$50,000 minimum cover	Most international arrivals	Gazetted 30 Jul 2026 — SUSPENDED by court order 21 Aug 2026; hearing 16 Sep 2026	Kenya Gazette 30 Jul 2026 / Kahawatungu & The Standard, 24-25 Aug 2026 (order dated 21 Aug 2026) Verified
COVID-19 entry requirementsNo testing, vaccination proof or quarantine. Remove any legacy wording from your pre-arrival comms.	None	All	Fully lifted	Ministry of Health Verified

Kenya — private conservancies

Rule, fee or levy	Amount	Who it applies to	Effective	Source
Ol Pejeta Conservancy — daily conservancy entry fee CONFIRMED AGAINST THE CONSERVANCY’S OWN 2026 TARIFF. Basis: a single entrance for day trippers, 24 hours for overnight guests — so a two-night stay is two entry fees, not one. CONFIRMED AGAINST THE CONSERVANCY’S OWN 2026 TARIFF. Basis: a single entrance for day trippers, 24 hours for overnight guests — so a two-night stay is two entry fees, not one. Child rate applies to ages 3–11. Student rate requires a pre-booked group of at least 10 with a teacher or institutional letter; a group arriving without a booking reference pays the full daily rate, and two teachers per group enter free. VEHICLE ENTRY: KSh 1,000 up to 6 seats, KSh 5,000 for 7–12 seats, KSh 12,000 for 15 seats and over. School buses KSh 5,000 on weekdays and KSh 10,000 at weekends; a school guide is KSh 2,500. PROOF OF RESIDENCY IS REQUIRED — national ID or passport for EA citizens, passport with work permit or alien certificate for EA residents, so a resident rate quoted to a guest who cannot document it will be rebilled at the non-resident rate at the gate. The conservancy is CASHLESS: entry must be booked through bookings.olpejetaconservancy.org, and gates (Rongai and Serat only) operate 07:00–19:00. OPERATOR ACTION: if you quote Ol Pejeta inclusive, price 24-hour blocks rather than nights, and confirm residency documentation at the time of booking rather than at the gate.	Non-resident USD 110 adult / USD 55 child / USD 32 student · EA citizen KSh 2,000 / 1,000 / 500 · EA resident KSh 3,500 / 1,750 / 500	Every visitor entering Ol Pejeta, Laikipia — day trippers and overnight guests at any lodge on the conservancy. Accommodation rates on Ol Pejeta are quoted EXCLUSIVE of this fee, so it is a line an operator must add to a quote rather than assume is bundled.	1 January – 31 December 2026, per the Ol Pejeta Tariff Guide 2026	Ol Pejeta Conservancy Tariff Guide January–December 2026 (official PDF, read directly 17 September 2026) Verified
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy — conservation fee (day visitor rate exceeds the overnight rate) GRADED REPORTED, NOT CONFIRMED — READ BEFORE YOU QUOTE. Lewa does not publish a conservation tariff on lewa.org; the Visit Lewa and FAQ pages carry no fee schedule at all. GRADED REPORTED, NOT CONFIRMED — READ BEFORE YOU QUOTE. Lewa does not publish a conservation tariff on lewa.org; the Visit Lewa and FAQ pages carry no fee schedule at all. Every figure above traces to safari-operator listings rather than to the conservancy, and those listings agree with each other closely enough to suggest a single common origin rather than independent confirmation. Two things are worth flagging specifically. First, the STRUCTURE is the unusual and commercially important part and is consistent across every source: a day tripper pays MORE than an overnight guest, which inverts the assumption most quoting templates are built on. Second, the KSh 8,074 citizen day rate is an odd figure for a published tariff and looks like a currency conversion carried forward rather than a rate Lewa set; we have not been able to source it. OPERATOR ACTION: treat the structure as reliable and the numbers as indicative. Confirm the current fee in writing with your Lewa camp before it goes into a client quotation or a contracted rate, and do not pass the day-visitor rate to an agent without checking it.	REPORTED, NOT PUBLISHED BY THE CONSERVANCY: non-resident USD 126 overnight / USD 198 day visitor; EA citizen and resident KSh 2,800 overnight / KSh 8,074 day visitor. Children 6–12 at 50% of the adult rate.	Visitors to Lewa, Isiolo — split between guests staying at a camp or lodge inside the conservancy and day trippers entering for a game drive only.	Circulating as the 2026 rate. We could not establish an effective date from Lewa itself.	Safari-operator listings, cross-checked 17 September 2026; no tariff published on lewa.org (checked directly, page last modified 29 July 2025) Re-check
Mara North Conservancy — charged per NIGHT, not per calendar day THE BILLING BASIS IS THE POINT, AND IT IS CONFIRMED EVEN WHERE THE RATE IS NOT. THE BILLING BASIS IS THE POINT, AND IT IS CONFIRMED EVEN WHERE THE RATE IS NOT. Mara North charges PER NIGHT. The Maasai Mara National Reserve charges per CALENDAR DAY. The same three-night itinerary therefore generates a different number of chargeable fee-days depending on which side of the boundary the guest sleeps, and an arrival-day or departure-day timing that is neutral in the conservancy is not neutral in the reserve. That difference is where quoting errors and margin leakage occur on combined reserve-and-conservancy itineraries. OPERATOR ACTION: reconcile the fee basis, not just the fee, when you build a combined itinerary; and because the fee is normally inside the camp rate, check whether your contracted rate is fee-inclusive before you re-quote it to an agent. We have not sourced a conservancy-published figure and are not publishing one as fact.	Fee level not published by the conservancy — confirm with the member camp. Operator listings report in the region of USD 100 adult and USD 50 child per night.	Guests of member camps inside Mara North. Access is normally restricted to guests of the member camps, and the fee is usually bundled into the all-inclusive rate rather than billed at a gate.	Standing arrangement. No dated 2026 tariff traced to the conservancy.	Structure per Maasai Mara conservancy documentation; fee level unsourced as at 17 September 2026 Re-check
Borana Conservancy — conservation contribution billed inside the nightly rate A CORRECTION WORTH MAKING BEFORE YOU INHERIT THE ERROR. Borana and Lewa share an open border and are managed as a single rhino landscape, so a Borana guest who crosses into Lewa triggers a SEPARATE… A CORRECTION WORTH MAKING BEFORE YOU INHERIT THE ERROR. Borana and Lewa share an open border and are managed as a single rhino landscape, so a Borana guest who crosses into Lewa triggers a SEPARATE Lewa conservation fee — that part is consistent across sources and is the operational fact that matters when you build a two-property Laikipia itinerary. What we could NOT source is any Borana-published figure. Note for anyone compiling a fee sheet from web sources: the East African citizen and resident rates widely quoted for Borana are IDENTICAL to those quoted for Lewa, which is far more likely to be a copy carried between listings than two conservancies independently setting the same unusual numbers. A specific percentage contribution is also in circulation; we could not attribute it to Borana and are not publishing it. OPERATOR ACTION: get the Borana contribution in writing from the lodge, and budget the Lewa crossing as a separate line rather than assuming reciprocity.	Not separately published. Borana bills a conservation contribution within the nightly lodge rate rather than as a gate fee. Crossing into Lewa is charged separately at the Lewa rate.	Guests of lodges on Borana, Laikipia, and any Borana guest crossing the open border into Lewa.	Standing arrangement. No dated tariff traced to the conservancy.	Cross-source review 17 September 2026; no conservancy-published tariff located Re-check

Uganda

Rule, fee or levy	Amount	Who it applies to	Effective	Source
Tourist e-VisaNO visa on arrival — e-Visa is the only route. Guests must print the approval letter.	US$50 + US$1.50 admin	Single entry, up to 90 days	Current	Uganda e-Visa portal Verified
Gorilla permit (Bwindi & Mgahinga)US$700 foreign resident · US$500 African · UGX 300,000 EAC citizens.	US$800	Foreign non-resident	Current	Uganda Wildlife Authority Verified
Gorilla HABITUATION permit (Bwindi — Rushaga/Nkuringo) NOT VERIFIED AGAINST A UWA DOCUMENT — CONFIRM BEFORE QUOTING. NOT VERIFIED AGAINST A UWA DOCUMENT — CONFIRM BEFORE QUOTING. Multiple Ugandan operator publications describe a UWA tariff revision announced on 26 Feb 2026 (Executive Director Dr James Musinguzi) raising the four-hour gorilla HABITUATION experience from US$1,500 to US$1,800 with effect from 1 Jan 2027\| with the standard one-hour trekking permit unchanged at US$800 foreign non-resident / US$700 foreign resident and the April\| May and November low-season rate at US$600 / US$500. We have not sighted the UWA tariff schedule itself and no primary source has been located. PRACTICAL POINT: habituation is the product most often sold into 2027 brochures at 2026 prices — check every forward quotation carrying a habituation leg for a US$300 per-person gap\| and write a tariff-variation clause into 2027 contracts.	US$1,800 from 1 January 2027 (up from US$1,500)	Foreign non-resident	Reported as announced 26 February 2026 in UWA's revised conservation tariffs; stated effect 1 January 2027	Ugandan tour-operator publications citing a UWA announcement of 26 Feb 2026; UWA schedule not sighted Re-check
Low-season gorilla permit discountIntroduced Feb 2026. A genuine packaging opportunity — sell the shoulder season on price.	US$600 (from US$800)	Foreign non-resident	April, May & November	Uganda Wildlife Authority Verified
Ebola outbreak status WHO confirmed on 26 Aug 2026 that Uganda cleared the 42-day monitoring period with no new transmission, announced with the Ministry of Health. WHO confirmed on 26 Aug 2026 that Uganda cleared the 42-day monitoring period with no new transmission, announced with the Ministry of Health. Uganda's outbreak totalled 20 confirmed cases and 2 deaths; last confirmed case 21 June, last patient discharged from Mulago 16 July. Kampala had declared the outbreak over on 28 July counting from its own earlier discharge date, which is why the two declarations fell a month apart. PS Diana Atwine publicly called on countries to lift restrictions. NO ENTRY REQUIREMENT HAS CHANGED AS A RESULT. The US advisory remains LEVEL 4 (Do Not Travel), date issued 4 June 2026, verified directly on travel.state.gov on 27 Aug 2026 — and State's own advisory history attributes the 17 May 2026 escalation to the Bundibugyo outbreak in ITURI PROVINCE, DRC, not to Ugandan epidemiology. Quote the WHO certification; do not tell guests restrictions have lifted.	Declared OVER — WHO-certified	All visitors	Uganda MoH 28 July 2026; WHO certification 26 August 2026	Al Jazeera, 26 Aug 2026 (WHO/MoH joint press conference); travel.state.gov Uganda advisory read directly 27 Aug 2026 Verified
US entry restrictions (CDC Title 42 / 42 CFR 71.40) CDC renewed the order on 12 Aug 2026 (signed PDF August-T42-Order_08.11.2026-signed.pdf). CDC renewed the order on 12 Aug 2026 (signed PDF August-T42-Order_08.11.2026-signed.pdf). Uganda was NOT decoupled despite the 28 Jul Ebola-free declaration. US citizens and nationals from Uganda/South Sudan are not restricted but are rerouted to Dulles (IAD), Atlanta (ATL), Houston (IAH) or JFK for public health entry screening; US lawful permanent residents are named as restricted. Anyone in the DRC within 21 days — US citizens included — cannot board a US-bound flight. Note CDC's own legal-authorities page still listed the 13 Jul order as current when checked on 13 Aug. UPDATE 16 AUG: full text now readable — FR Doc 2026-16706, filed 14 Aug 08:45, publication date 17 Aug 2026, docket CDC-2026-0892. Continues the July order WITHOUT CHANGE and expires 4:59pm EDT Fri 11 Sep 2026. The operative determination reads Ebola is “confirmed currently present in DRC and RECENTLY present in Uganda” — past tense for Uganda — yet Uganda stays on the covered list on the stated ground of “continued overland travel from DRC”. The release condition is therefore DRC-side: the order cites contact tracing at ~78% against a 95% operational threshold\| true outbreak size possibly two to four times greater than reported\| and DRC at 4\|318 confirmed / 2\|011 deaths across 53 health zones as at 9 Aug (vs 1\|873 / 672 across 41 zones at the 13 Jul order). CDC response is at Level 1\| the highest in its Graduated Response Framework. A 15-DAY COMMENT PERIOD opens on publication 17 Aug and closes on or about 1 Sep\| before the 11 Sep assessment: comments received to date were 3 (original+amended)\| 5 (June)\| and NONE on the July renewal. Uganda THN remains Level 2; Level 4 covers Ituri and North Kivu only.	Rerouting through 4 designated US airports	Travellers arriving in the US who were in Uganda or South Sudan in the past 21 days	Renewed 12 August 2026, 5:00pm EDT — in force to 4:59pm EDT Friday 11 September 2026	CDC returning-travellers page, updated 12 Aug 2026 Verified
Canada entry — 21-day arrival quarantine Materially harsher than the US rule and widely missed. Under the Quarantine Act, travellers from Uganda or South Sudan may enter Canada but must quarantine 21 days on arrival unless exempt. Materially harsher than the US rule and widely missed. Under the Quarantine Act, travellers from Uganda or South Sudan may enter Canada but must quarantine 21 days on arrival unless exempt. Anyone in the DRC within 21 days is prohibited from entering Canada or boarding a Canada-bound flight. Brief Canadian guests SEPARATELY from US guests — a single 'North America' line in pre-arrival comms is wrong for both.	21 days quarantine on arrival	Anyone (citizens, PRs and foreign nationals) who was in Uganda or South Sudan in the past 21 days	In force since 20 Jul 2026 23:59 EDT; measures stated to run to 29 Aug 2026 23:59 EDT	travel.gc.ca health notice 550, modified 23 Jul 2026 / Public Health Agency of Canada Verified
Yellow fever certificateMust be uploaded at visa application. A missing certificate stops the guest at immigration.	Required	All arrivals	Current	Ministry of Health Verified
National park entry waiver Announced by State Minister for Tourism Susan Nsambu Nakawuki during a UWA tour of Murchison Falls. Announced by State Minister for Tourism Susan Nsambu Nakawuki during a UWA tour of Murchison Falls. Covers park ENTRY fees. Whether game drives, boat cruises, guided walks and permits are included is NOT confirmed — verify with UWA before publishing a package price. Framed by officials as a counter to the 15 countries still holding advisories against Uganda.	US$0 — entry fees only	All visitors, Ugandan and foreign, no nationality restriction	25, 26 & 27 September 2026	The Independent (UG) / Ministry of Tourism Re-check
Tourism investment tax holiday Includes VAT waivers and duty-free import of hotel furniture, fittings and equipment. Includes VAT waivers and duty-free import of hotel furniture, fittings and equipment. Announced by Finance Minister Henry Musasizi. Confirm qualifying criteria with the Uganda Investment Authority before modelling it into a deal.	10-year income tax exemption	High-end tourism projects: US$10m foreign / US$5m Ugandan investors	FY2026/27 budget	Daily Monitor / Nile Post / Uganda Investment Authority Verified

Tanzania

Rule, fee or levy	Amount	Who it applies to	Effective	Source
EU Air Safety List — operating ban on Tanzanian-certified airlines THE BAN IS ON THE REGULATOR, NOT THE FLEET. The Commission lists Tanzania among 16 states whose civil aviation authority it judges to provide inadequate safety oversight — not on aircraft… THE BAN IS ON THE REGULATOR, NOT THE FLEET. The Commission lists Tanzania among 16 states whose civil aviation authority it judges to provide inadequate safety oversight — not on aircraft airworthiness findings. Domestic and regional Tanzanian flying is unaffected. Kyrgyzstan was removed entirely in the same update, so the list is a two-way door. COMMERCIAL POINT: the Eurobarometer survey published alongside the update (fieldwork 24 Feb–1 Mar 2026) found only 8% of Europeans would still book a flight with a listed airline, 70% consider the list effective and 12% check it before flying. A widely circulated trade item (ATTA library, 15 Sep 2025, sourced to Tuko) claiming the ban had been lifted is FALSE — correct it wherever your agents repeat it. TCAA published a notice headlined 'TCAA and EU reaffirm commitment to strengthen aviation safety oversight' on 4 September 2026.	No fee — an operating ban	Every airline certified in Tanzania (ATCL and all other TZ-registered operators); affects any itinerary that would place a guest on a Tanzanian-registered carrier into or within the EU	In force since 3 June 2025; RETAINED in the 48th update published 8 June 2026 (announced 9 June 2026)	European Commission DG MOVE, 48th update of the EU Air Safety List, 9 June 2026; TCAA newsroom, 4 September 2026 Verified
Tourist visaApply online ahead of travel.	US$50 standard · US$100 US citizens	US citizens receive multiple entry	Current	Tanzania Immigration Verified
Mandatory electronic payments for licence Under Electronic Transactions Act amendments and the Finance Act 2026, operators must offer a compliant digital-payment facility (mobile money, cards, POS, bank/internet transfer or govt e-payment)… Under Electronic Transactions Act amendments and the Finance Act 2026, operators must offer a compliant digital-payment facility (mobile money, cards, POS, bank/internet transfer or govt e-payment) to obtain or renew a business licence. Existing operators have ~6 months (bite ~Jan 2027); after that, no compliant rail means no renewal.	Compliant digital rail required (Lipa Namba / TANQR)	Hotels, restaurants, safari & tourism operators	Effective 1 Jul 2026 — 6-month grace for existing businesses	The Citizen / Daily News, effective 1 Jul 2026 Verified

Zanzibar

Rule, fee or levy	Amount	Who it applies to	Effective	Source
Mandatory inbound travel insurance Bought from the Zanzibar government at visitzanzibar.go.tz — private policies do not substitute. Bought from the Zanzibar government at visitzanzibar.go.tz — private policies do not substitute. Covers medical to US$50,000. PUT THIS IN YOUR PRE-ARRIVAL EMAIL: a guest discovering it at the airport is a bad review.	US$44 per adult	Every foreign visitor	Since Oct 2024	Zanzibar Insurance Corporation Verified
Infrastructure tax (bed-night levy)Hotels must collect on behalf of the Zanzibar Revenue Board. Usually folded into the rate — decide deliberately whether you absorb or show it.	US$2–5 per person per night	All in-house guests, by hotel star rating	Current	Zanzibar Revenue Board Verified
Card payment surchargeWidely applied. Material on a long stay — flag it at booking, not checkout.	3–5%	Card transactions	Current	Operator practice Verified
VisaZanzibar follows Tanzania visa rules.	US$50	Most nationalities	Current	Tanzania Immigration Verified
Tour & excursion operations reserved for citizens Zanzibar Commission for Tourism + Immigration arrested three foreign nationals (incl. Zanzibar Commission for Tourism + Immigration arrested three foreign nationals (incl. Kenyan Esther Mutheu Samuka) on 18 Aug 2026 for running excursion businesses reserved for Zanzibaris. Foreign-owned DMCs cannot directly run the ground product — excursions, spice tours, transfers — and must contract a LICENSED Zanzibari operator. Verify island partners licensing before selling packages.	Local ownership required	Tour, excursion & transfer operators on Zanzibar	Tourism Act No. 6 of 2009 — enforcement active Aug 2026	Zanzibar Commission for Tourism notice 17 Aug 2026 / Citizen Digital 21 Aug 2026 Verified

Rwanda

Rule, fee or levy	Amount	Who it applies to	Effective	Source
Denial of entry after DRC travel or transit HARD ENTRY BAR\| NOT A SCREENING INCONVENIENCE. Rwanda has reinforced health screening at DRC land points of entry and enhanced entry control at Kigali International Airport\| and DENIES ENTRY to any… HARD ENTRY BAR\| NOT A SCREENING INCONVENIENCE. Rwanda has reinforced health screening at DRC land points of entry and enhanced entry control at Kigali International Airport\| and DENIES ENTRY to any foreign national who has been in or transited the DRC within the previous 30 days. PRACTICAL POINT: this kills the combined DRC-Rwanda itinerary on a 30-day lookback — Virunga and Nyiragongo cannot be sold ahead of a Rwandan gorilla leg\| and a guest routing through Goma or Bukavu is not merely delayed but refused. Check transit history at booking\| not at check-in\| and put the 30-day rule in writing to any agent selling a multi-country Great Lakes programme. The measure is subject to short-notice change\| so re-verify before departure.	No fee — an entry prohibition	Any foreign national who has travelled to or transited through the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 30 days before intended travel to Rwanda	Rwanda Ministry of Health notice, 22 May 2026 — still in force and still referenced by the FCDO on 4 September 2026	Rwanda Ministry of Health\| Notice on Enhanced Ebola Prevention Measures (EVD updates\| 22 May 2026); Rwanda Biomedical Centre; corroborated by FCDO Rwanda entry requirements page read 8 Sep 2026 Verified
Visa on arrival — Commonwealth citizensA free 30-day visa on arrival. Worth stating plainly in UK and other Commonwealth market comms\| where guests often assume a paid e-visa is required.	Free	Citizens of Commonwealth countries	Current	FCDO Rwanda entry requirements, read 8 Sep 2026 Verified
Vapes and e-cigarettesIllegal to bring into Rwanda\| including for personal use. A small pre-arrival comms item that avoids a confiscation at Kigali.	Banned	All arrivals	Current	FCDO Rwanda travel advice, read 8 Sep 2026 Verified
Gorilla permitUS$500 foreign resident · US$200 Rwandan & EAC citizens. Nearly 2× Uganda's US$800 — the pricing gap is a live competitive dynamic for the whole gorilla circuit.	US$1,500	Foreign non-resident	Current	Rwanda Development Board Verified
Tourist visaOur most recent confirmation predates 2026 — confirm on the Irembo portal before publishing to clients.	~US$35	Most nationalities	Verify before quoting	Irembo / RDB Re-check
Yellow fever certificateMandatory, uploaded at application.	Required	All arrivals	Current	Ministry of Health Verified

Regional

Rule, fee or levy	Amount	Who it applies to	Effective	Source
US Ebola entry restrictions & airport screening UPDATE 13 SEP 2026 — RENEWED\| NOT LAPSED. The 12 Aug order expired 4:59pm EDT Fri 11 Sep and a new 30-day order was signed the same day by ASH Admiral Brian Christine\| still covering DRC\| UGANDA and… UPDATE 13 SEP 2026 — RENEWED\| NOT LAPSED. The 12 Aug order expired 4:59pm EDT Fri 11 Sep and a new 30-day order was signed the same day by ASH Admiral Brian Christine\| still covering DRC\| UGANDA and SOUTH SUDAN\| effective 5:00pm EDT 11 Sep and applying to flights departing after 4:59pm EDT that day. NOT YET IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER as at 13 Sep — the order says it "will be published". Determination: Ebola "confirmed currently present in DRC and recently present in Uganda. There is a material risk that the outbreak will spread to South Sudan and again to Uganda." Uganda is held on FORWARD RISK\| not present cases. Applies to lawful permanent residents; US citizens and nationals exempt. DRC at 6\|779 confirmed / 3\|267 deaths across 61 health zones as at 9 Sep; contact tracing ~87% vs the 95% threshold. Next decision ~11 Oct 2026. PRIOR RECORD FOLLOWS. CDC order under PHS Act ss.362/365, published at 91 FR 43636 on 16 July 2026, docket CDC-2026-0892. THE GREEN CARD EXEMPTION IS GONE: 42 CFR 71.40(f) was amended on 27 May 2026 (91 FR 31362) and the order applies expressly to lawful permanent residents. Exempt: US citizens and nationals, US military and government personnel on orders, and case-by-case CBP/CDC exceptions. DHS separately funnels affected flights to Washington Dulles (IAD) under 91 FR 29896, 21 May 2026. The order names Nairobi JKIA, Addis Ababa, Doha, Dubai, Brussels and Istanbul as transit corridors of concern — Kenya itself is NOT restricted. PUBLIC COMMENT CLOSES 31 JULY 2026 at regulations.gov under docket CDC-2026-0892; CDC has already refused, in writing, a request to assess Uganda independently of DRC. Next decision point 12 August. UPDATE 29 JUL: Uganda's Ministry of Health declared the outbreak OVER on 28 July 2026 — thirty days before the diarised ~27 August all-clear — so the 12 August renewal now falls AFTER a formal end-of-outbreak declaration, not before it. As at 08:00 EAT 29 July we can find no WHO statement endorsing the declaration and no change to the CDC order or the US Level 4 advisory. Sell 'outbreak over', not 'restrictions lifted'. UPDATE 5 AUG: WHO DON614 (1 Aug\| revised 3 Aug) reports epidemiological week 30 as the outbreak's worst week yet (567 cases\| 296 deaths) and confirms it is now the largest Ebola outbreak on record in DRC (3\|605 confirmed\| 1\|587 deaths\| 44% CFR). A WHO IHR Emergency Committee meets 18 August — six days after the 12 Aug US renewal point. UPDATE 20 AUG: the committee met on 18 Aug (its second meeting). WHO AFRO 18 Aug report: 5\|021 confirmed / 2\|378 deaths across 55 health zones in six provinces (Ituri 4\|257/1\|878; North Kivu 607/428 across 12 of 34 zones; South Kivu first 3 cases/1 death) — up from 4\|318/2\|011 on 9 Aug, and now creeping into provinces bordering Uganda and Rwanda. Advisory levels and entry orders unchanged; next US assessment 11 Sep.	No fee — screening and entry limits	Anyone who has been in DRC, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days, regardless of nationality — INCLUDING US lawful permanent residents	RENEWED — order signed 11 September 2026, effective 5:00pm EDT Friday 11 September 2026, in force 30 days to on or about 11 October 2026	CDC Order signed 11 September 2026 (September-T42-Order_clean_10Sept26.pdf) and CDC Port Health page, both read directly 13 September 2026; prior: CDC Order 13 Jul 2026 / 91 FR 43636 Verified
East Africa Tourist Visa (EATV)90-day multiple entry, free movement between the three. Apply through your FIRST country of entry. Materially cheaper than three separate visas — sell multi-country itineraries on it.	US$100	Kenya + Uganda + Rwanda	Current	EAC partner states Verified

How this is maintainedevening — NO NEW OR CHANGED RULE, and no change since this morning. The evening tier-A sweep asserted complete (17 sources, exit 0) and produced no gazette, regulator or advisory instrument creating or altering an entry rule, visa/ETA fee, park or permit price, levy or surcharge. Kenya’s gazette mirror was dark to the crawler again; the mandatory three-query scan recovered the Kenya Law gazette index and surfaced no September 2026 tourism, levy, park-fee or licensing instrument — the most recent tourism instruments remain Legal Notice 127 of 2026 (the Tourism (Tourism Enterprises) Regulations) and the Tourism (Amendment) Bill 2026 of 19 June 2026, both pre-window. KCAA’s eAIP AIC index was read directly and lists no new circular for September. TANAPA and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority are unchanged: no FY2026/27 schedule announced, Tanzanian park fees still running on the 2023/24 basis, with TANAPA’s stated policy being staged increases on a minimum twelve months’ notice and changes conventionally effective 1 July. UWA unchanged — the July 2026-June 2028 conservation tariff stands, together with the 1 March 2026 rule ending the seven-day reservation hold. THE HABITUATION FLAG IS NOW COMMERCIALLY LIVE, WHICH IS WHY IT IS REPEATED HERE. Eleven Ugandan destination marketing companies spent 15-17 September at IFTM Top Resa in Paris moving French and European buyers from enquiries to contracts for 2027 AND 2028, with gorilla permit allocations for Bwindi and Mgahinga explicitly on the table (Embassy of Uganda in Paris, via UG Standard and SoftPower News, 16 September 2026). The reported rise in the four-hour gorilla HABITUATION permit from US$1,500 to US$1,800 with effect from 1 January 2027 remains UNVERIFIED against any UWA document — see the entry below — and it is exactly the product most likely to have been quoted into a 2027 brochure this week. That is a US$300 per-person gap on contracts being signed now, and it is logged as ledger call P190. Standard trekking permits are unchanged at US$800 foreign non-resident and US$700 foreign resident, with US$600 and US$500 in the April, May and November low season. TWO DIARISED COST EVENTS REMAIN FIXED TO 14 OCTOBER 2026: KRA’s reduced 8% VAT on petrol, diesel and kerosene expires, and EPRA’s frozen 15 September-14 October pump cycle ends, on the same day. MACRO CONTEXT, NOT A RULE: the US Federal Reserve raised to 3.75-4.00% on 16 September 2026, its first increase since July 2023, with a majority of policymakers expecting 4.00-4.25% before year-end — while the Bank of England HELD at 3.75% on 17 September by a majority of 6-3, with Megan Greene, Catherine Mann and Huw Pill voting for an immediate rise to 4% and UK CPI at 3.1% in August. Neither is a levy. Both change the price of the USD and GBP facilities behind the region’s refurbishment and lodge pipeline, in the same month as the 14 October cliff and the same week East African operators fixed two-year prices in Paris. Rwanda’s 30-day DRC-transit entry denial (Rwanda MoH, 22 May 2026) re-verified this evening and still unrevised.

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