Tanzania: currency

The Tanzanian unit of currency is the Tanzanian shilling (tsh’s) which is divided into 100 cents. Bills range from 1 to 10,000 shillings. Although you can bring any amount of foreign currency in to Tanzania, it is illegal to import or export Tanzanian currencies. There are many websites that offer a currency conversion engine and you can also check the Wall Street Journal for currency rates.

Changing money in Tanzania is not a problem in most populated areas. Hotels usually have a worse rate than banks, so you should go to the bank. You may have to wait in line for a bit. Banks in Tanzania are just like banks in the US. Main branches include NBC and Standard Chartered.

ATMs are in most all banks with 24-hour access and give the same exchange rate as the bank. They may require a Visa card. Inquire if there is any additional fee for withdrawing using a Visa debit card.

Major credits cards are accepted such as Mastercard and Visa, however American Express, Discover and Diner Club are often not.

Tips for hotels and lodge personnel are usually included in tour price, but you should still be prepared to tip the staff in smaller camps on Safaris, so carry some cash!!