Health Insurance in Tanzania: NHIF, UHI and Private Cover Costs

Health insurance has been compulsory for everyone in Tanzania since 26 January 2026. If you have a formal job, you're probably already covered through payroll. If you don't, you need to buy cover yourself.

For most families, the cheapest route is a National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) package such as Fahari Afya, at TZS 150,000 a year for a household of up to six people. Private insurers like Jubilee and Strategis cost more. This guide shows what NHIF already costs you through payroll, which package fits informal work or a small business, how to register and when private cover is worth its higher price.

What is Bima ya Afya kwa Wote (Universal Health Insurance)?

Bima ya Afya kwa Wote is the government's name for Tanzania's universal health insurance drive. It rolled out nationwide on 26 January 2026, after President Samia Suluhu Hassan signed the Universal Health Insurance Act in November 2023 and the law came into force the following year (Daily News).

The rule is simple: every Tanzanian must have health cover, either through NHIF or through a private insurer. NHIF runs the main public scheme and the retail packages most people buy. The Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA) licenses and supervises every scheme, public and private, and handles complaints about how they're run.

Figures below were checked in November 2026. NHIF revises package prices from time to time, so confirm the current price before you pay.

Quick facts

How much does NHIF cost if you're employed?

If you're a government employee, you're already contributing. The NHIF Act sets the rate at 3% of your salary from your employer, matched by a further 3% deducted from your pay, 6% in total (National Health Insurance Fund Act, Cap 395). This covers you, your spouse and your registered dependants, usually without the waiting period that new retail members face.

If you work for a private company, the Universal Health Insurance Act now requires your employer to arrange cover for you too, either through NHIF or through a TIRA-registered private scheme such as Jubilee Health Insurance. There isn't one fixed payroll percentage for private employers the way there is for government staff: the price depends on which scheme your employer picks and how rich the benefits are. If your payslip doesn't show a health insurance deduction, ask your HR office which scheme you're on and whether you're registered. You can check what else comes off your pay in our guide to how PAYE is calculated in Tanzania, run your numbers through the Tanzania PAYE calculator, or check your NSSF contributions online, since both usually show up on the same payslip.

NHIF packages if you're self-employed, informal or running a business

Most Tanzanians aren't on a formal payroll, so NHIF sells retail packages you buy yourself. Pick by household size and how much cover you want:

Fahari Afya is the household package built for the universal insurance drive: it covers the household head, a spouse and up to four dependants for one combined premium (Daily News). Serengeti Afya and Ngorongoro Afya predate it and are priced per person, so they suit someone who wants more cover than Fahari Afya gives, or who's registering alone (NHIF public notice, December 2024).

Say you run a small grocery shop in Mbeya with your wife and two children. Fahari Afya at TZS 150,000 a year covers all four of you for less than any of the individual packages would cost for one person. You don't have to pay it all at once: NHIF accepts instalments from TZS 14,000, paid through an agent, a bank or a mobile money line.

You'll need your NIDA number to register; see our guide on checking your NIDA number if you don't have it handy, plus proof of relationship for any dependants (a marriage certificate, birth certificates).

Health insurance for children: Toto Afya Kadi

If you only want to insure a child under 17, NHIF runs Toto Afya Kadi separately from the family packages.

• Registered one at a time: TZS 150,000 a year, with a 3-month wait before benefits start.
• Registered as a group through school: TZS 50,400 a year per child, with no waiting period, because the whole class joins together.

Group registration through school is both cheaper and faster to activate, so it's worth asking whether your child's school already runs a group scheme before you sign up individually.

How to register for NHIF cover

1. Gather your NIDA number for yourself and proof of relationship for any dependants.
2. Choose your package (Fahari Afya, Umoja Afya, Ngorongoro Afya or Serengeti Afya) based on household size and budget.
3. Register online at selfservice.nhif.or.tz, or through the NHIF app, an NHIF agent, a participating bank, a mobile network operator, or a community health worker.
4. Pay the premium, in full or in instalments from TZS 14,000, by agent, bank or M-Pesa.
5. Collect your membership number and digital card once payment clears.

New retail members generally wait 30 days after paying before they can use their cover, so don't leave registration until you're already sick. Government employees and children registered as a school group skip this wait. Cover runs for 12 months from the date you pay, and you must renew within 30 days of expiry or you're treated as a new member and face the waiting period again (Daily News).

Private health insurance: when it's worth the extra cost

NHIF gets you into the system, but it only pays for care at facilities contracted to your scheme, and you generally have to follow the referral system, starting at a dispensary or health centre before a hospital will see you for anything beyond an emergency.

Private insurers sell cover with fewer restrictions: a wider choice of private hospitals, faster claims, and no referral chain for most visits. Jubilee Health Insurance is registered outright as a private scheme under the universal insurance framework, while Strategis Insurance, GA Insurance, MO Assurance and Britam are operating under a transitional compliance period that TIRA has extended to December 2026, after which they must meet the same registration standard as Jubilee (Daily News).

Private cover is worth the extra cost if you want a specific private hospital, shorter queues, or benefits NHIF doesn't offer, like dental or optical extras beyond the basics. It isn't a replacement for Fahari Afya or your employer's NHIF cover if cost is your main concern: a private family plan typically runs well above the TZS 150,000 Fahari Afya charges for the same household. Get a quote in writing before you buy, and check with TIRA or the insurer directly that the scheme is currently registered.

Who pays for households that can't afford it?

The government doesn't leave low-income households to find TZS 150,000 a year on their own. NHIF, working with the National Bureau of Statistics and the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF), identifies households that can't pay and covers their Fahari Afya contribution directly. The programme's second phase, rolling out region by region, is targeting 625,000 households nationally; Mwanza region alone was targeting 35,642 households as this phase got under way (Daily News). The elderly, children, pregnant women and persons with disabilities also continue to be financed by the government where they can't contribute themselves.

Beneficiary lists are reassessed every three years, so a household that qualifies now isn't guaranteed free cover indefinitely.

Mistakes that cost you money or leave you uncovered

• Visiting the wrong facility. NHIF and most private schemes only pay at contracted facilities. Check your scheme's facility list before an emergency, not during one.
• Skipping the referral. Walking into a referral hospital without a note from a lower-level facility often means you pay out of pocket, even with valid cover.
• Letting cover lapse. Renew within 30 days of your expiry date. Miss that window and you're back to a fresh 30-day wait as a new member, right when you might need care most.
• Registering a child individually when the school already has a group scheme. You'd pay roughly three times more and wait three months longer for no reason.
• Assuming "insured" means everything is free. Fahari Afya and similar packages list specific services and a national medicines list. Anything outside that list, or above what your facility level can provide, still comes out of your pocket.

Frequently asked questions

Is health insurance really compulsory in Tanzania now?

Yes. Since the Universal Health Insurance Act took effect and the scheme launched nationwide on 26 January 2026, every Tanzanian is required to have cover, through NHIF or a registered private insurer, rather than paying cash at the point of care.

How much is NHIF in Tanzania?

It depends on your package. A household of up to six people pays TZS 150,000 a year under Fahari Afya. An individual wanting wider cover pays TZS 240,000 to TZS 660,000 a year for Ngorongoro Afya or Serengeti Afya. Government employees pay 6% of salary through payroll, split evenly between employer and employee.

Can I pay my NHIF premium in instalments?

Yes. NHIF accepts instalments starting from TZS 14,000, paid through an agent, a participating bank or a mobile money line, instead of the full annual premium in one go.

Do I need a NIDA number to register for NHIF?

Yes, for yourself and proof of relationship for any dependants you're adding, such as a marriage or birth certificate. Registration is done at selfservice.nhif.or.tz, through the NHIF app, or through an agent, bank, mobile network operator or community health worker.

What's the difference between NHIF and private health insurance in Tanzania?

NHIF is the public scheme almost everyone joins, built around contracted facilities and a referral system, and it's the cheaper route by far. Private insurers like Jubilee, Strategis, GA Insurance, MO Assurance and Britam sell cover with more choice of hospitals and fewer referral hurdles, at a higher price, and are regulated alongside NHIF by TIRA.

Does my employer have to cover me under the new law?

If you're a government employee, you're covered automatically through the standard 6% payroll deduction. If you work for a private company, your employer is now required to arrange cover for you, through NHIF or a registered private scheme, so ask HR which scheme you're on if you're not sure.