Kilimanjaro International Airport Procedures | Kilimanjaro Sunrise
By: Kilimanjaro Sunrise
Tags: Kilimanjaro, Covid, Tanzania, Travel

So you are heading to Tanzania to climb Kilimanjaro or go on safari. You are very worried about COVID. You have your vaccinations and got a COVID test. The results were negative, but what else is required?

MY EXPERIENCE

As someone who just got back from Tanzania, let me tell you how it went.

First of all, I got a COVID test Sunday-my flight was leaving on Tuesday evening from Phoenix to Los Angeles. I received my negative COVID results right before I went to the airport. Once I landed in LAX and tried to check in with Qatar Airlines for my flight to Doha International Airport. (DOH), I was told that I needed a COVID test to board the plane for my connecting flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), even though I was going to Doha first. They don’t do testing in DOH. Yes, I already had a negative COVID test, but, the test was taken on Sunday and I wouldn’t arrive at JRO until Thursday- Outside the 72-hour window.

So with my LAX negative Rapid Test results in hand (and $199 less in my wallet), I boarded the plane to DOH. My recommendation is to have at least six hours between flights to have enough time to get your Rapid Test.

16.5 hours later, I landed in DOH. Upon entering the airport, no one asked for my COVID test results or my vaccination card. Also, few people were wearing masks in the airport.

Eight hours later, I boarded the plane to JRO.

KILIMANJARO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Kilimanjaro International Airport

Six hours later I landed at the small airport. We were all herded into a line to get our mandatory COVID test. After taking our temperature, the first thing they asked for was either the online results of your health questionnaire or the paper version. Of course, no one had either version since at no point were we told we needed or provided them. I filled mine out online and showed it to the attendant.

I was then ushered into another line to pay the $25 for another COVID test… Yes, the third one since Sunday. They made a copy of my passport.

Once I paid, I was directed to another line to receive the actual test.

I waited until I was told to enter a little 6'x6′ makeshift room where they took my passport and proof of payment. They copied the passport and swabbed my nose and sent me out.

While I waited for the results I filled out the immigration card.

After about 5 minutes, I had my negative results and was sent to the line to obtain a Visa. I filled out the form while I waited and handed the paperwork and passport to the person behind the glass. I tried to hand them the $100, but they said to pay at the next window. I went to the next window and tried to pay, they looked at my passport then sent me to a third window to pay.

Finally, after I paid for my Visa, I was allowed to go into baggage claim and pick up my bag. Keep in mind it isn’t a typical baggage claim. Everyone’s luggage is laying on the floor.

After I showed the attendant my baggage claim slip, I was finally through the chaos and took a taxi to my hotel in Arusha.

The entire trip, with layovers, took 41 hours from my door to the hotel room. JRO alone took over two hours.

Knowing this, be prepared to have long wait times and be patient. Tanzania doesn’t work at the speed of the U.S.

DEPARTURE

As a final note, I was told I needed a negative COVID test to return to the U.S. However, no one else in JRO was getting one. There was no rapid test center set up on the departure side of the airport. A JRO attendant had to take me outside the airport through a gate, get me a clearance badge, take me through security, and over to the arrival side of the airport. Luckily, she took me to the front of the sea of people who just arrived and were waiting to take their COVID Rapid Test.

I got right in and got a negative result-fourth in just over a week.

She then took me back through all that to the departure side of the airport.

I boarded my plane back to DOH, Then LAX, and finally on to Phoenix. Can you guess how many people asked for my negative COVID test results on my return journey?

If you guessed zero, you were correct.