Do Zanzibar ATMs charge foreign cards a fee?

Yes. Most Tanzanian bank ATMs charge a per-transaction operator fee for foreign cards of roughly TZS 6,000 to 10,000, posted on screen before you confirm, on top of whatever your home bank charges. They dispense shillings at the interbank rate. A Charles Schwab card refunds the operator fee worldwide and a Wise card removes the FX markup, so the card you bring matters. Withdrawal limits run roughly TZS 400,000 to 1,000,000 per transaction, so withdraw a useful amount to spread the flat fee, decline DCC, and choose shillings.

Should I use US dollars or shillings in Zanzibar?

Both, and it splits cleanly. Zanzibar's beach resorts, dive operators, and many Stone Town tourist hotels and tours price in US dollars, so bring plenty of clean, post-2009 USD (torn or pre-2006 bills are refused). Tanzanian shillings handle the local half: Stone Town's smaller restaurants and cafes, the Darajani market, dala-dala minibuses, taxis, and tips. Pull a shilling float from a CRDB or NMB ATM in Stone Town and keep your USD for the resort and tour side. Decline DCC and take shillings at the ATM.

ATMs in Zanzibar: Stone Town Bank Machines, the Shilling & the USD Economy

Q: Which ATMs are best in Zanzibar?

Use a Tanzanian bank ATM in Stone Town: CRDB, NMB, People's Bank of Zanzibar (PBZ), or NBC. They give shillings at the interbank rate with a per-transaction operator fee of roughly TZS 6,000 to 10,000, shown on screen. Avoid the airport and resort exchange counters, which bury a 5 to 12 percent markup. Bank ATMs are concentrated in Stone Town and thin out on the north (Nungwi, Kendwa) and east (Paje, Jambiani) beach coasts, so withdraw before you head to the beach. There is no Bank of America Alliance partner in Tanzania, so use a no-FX-fee card such as Wise, or Schwab which refunds the operator fee. Bring clean US dollars too, since resorts price in USD. Decline DCC and choose shillings.

Q: Are there ATMs on the Zanzibar beaches?

Very few. Bank ATMs are concentrated in Stone Town and at the airport; the northern beaches (Nungwi, Kendwa) and the east coast (Paje, Jambiani, Michamvi) have only a handful of machines, some unreliable, and they run out of cash or go offline. The rule is to withdraw enough shillings in Stone Town or at the airport before heading to the beach, and to bring clean US dollars for the resorts, which price in USD anyway. Do not rely on finding a working ATM on the beach strips.

Q: Is there a Bank of America Alliance partner in Zanzibar?

No. Tanzania has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner, so a BoA card pays its 3 percent non-network fee at any Zanzibar bank ATM, on top of the TZS 6,000 to 10,000 operator fee. A no-foreign-transaction-fee card is the fix: Wise gives the interbank rate with no markup, and Charles Schwab adds no FX fee and refunds the operator fee worldwide. Use either at a CRDB, NMB, PBZ, or NBC machine in Stone Town, and bring clean US dollars for the USD-priced resorts and tours.

🇹🇿 This is the deep-dive ATM guide for Zanzibar and the anchor for the Tanzania cluster. The bank-ATM-over-exchange-counter rule, the TZS 6,000–10,000 operator fee, the no-Bank-of-America-Alliance-partner fact, the bring-clean-USD-for-the-USD-economy rule, and the always-decline-DCC rule hold across Tanzania, from Zanzibar's beaches to the mainland safari circuit. For district card acceptance, transport, and where shilling cash matters, see the Zanzibar Money Guide. For the dual-currency economy, park fees, and forex bureaux, see the Tanzania Money Guide. For brand detail, see the CRDB Bank and NMB Bank guides. Flying into the safari north? Kilimanjaro (JRO) currency guide.

🧾 Get Clean USD Before You Fly

Zanzibar resorts and tours price in US dollars. Bring plenty of clean, post-2009 USD; torn or pre-2006 bills are refused. Insured 2–5 day US delivery.

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The Zanzibar money reality: dollars for resorts, shillings for the rest

Getting cash right in Zanzibar means holding two currencies, and three facts decide the cost.

Bank ATMs give the real shilling rate, with a fee. The Tanzanian networks (CRDB, NMB, People's Bank of Zanzibar, NBC) accept foreign Visa and Mastercard and dispense shillings at the interbank rate, with a per-transaction operator fee of roughly TZS 6,000–10,000 shown on screen. Walk past the airport and resort exchange counters, which bury a 5 to 12 percent markup in the rate.

The resorts price in US dollars. Zanzibar's beach hotels, dive shops, and many tours quote and take payment in USD, so bring plenty of clean, post-2009 dollars (torn or pre-2006 bills are refused). Shillings are for the local half: Stone Town's smaller restaurants, the Darajani market, taxis, dala-dalas, and tips.

ATMs are a Stone Town thing. Machines cluster in Stone Town and at the airport and thin out badly on the beaches, so withdraw before you go. Tanzania has no Bank of America Alliance partner, so pair a Wise or Schwab card with your USD cash; see the CRDB guide and the NMB guide.

Where to get shillings in Zanzibar, by area

Stone Town (the historic core): the UNESCO-listed old town is where the banks and ATMs actually are. CRDB, NMB, People's Bank of Zanzibar, and NBC machines sit around the main streets, near the Darajani market, and along the Forodhani seafront. This is the place to withdraw your shilling float and, if you brought USD, to use a licensed Forodhani-area forex bureau for the best cash exchange. The bazaar lanes, street food at Forodhani Gardens, and smaller restaurants want shillings.

Nungwi & Kendwa (north coast): the busy resort beaches at the island's northern tip. A few ATMs exist near Nungwi village but they are limited and sometimes out of cash, so treat them as a backup, not a plan. Resorts and dive centers here price in USD; bring dollars and a shilling float from Stone Town.

Paje, Jambiani & the east coast: the kitesurfing and beach-lodge strip on the southeast coast. ATM coverage is thin and unreliable, so withdraw in Stone Town before coming out. Lodges and kite schools quote in USD; keep clean dollars for them and shillings for village shops and local eateries.

The resorts, everywhere: Zanzibar's beach hotels take cards for room bills (with the usual DCC trap), price extras in USD, and are far from the nearest bank ATM. The practical rule is to arrive at any beach area with enough shillings and clean USD in hand.

The airports: Zanzibar's own airport (ZNZ) has bank ATMs in arrivals for your first shillings; if you are arriving on the mainland safari circuit first, see our Kilimanjaro (JRO) guide.

What it actually costs to get shillings in Zanzibar, by method

Option	Where	Markup	Cost on $100 / ~TZS 260,000
Stone Town bank ATM + Schwab (fee refunded)	Stone Town	Interbank rate, fee refunded	~$100
Clean USD spent directly at resorts/tours	Beaches, dive shops	USD is the priced currency	~$100
CRDB / NMB / PBZ ATM, standard card	Stone Town, airport	Interbank + TZS 6,000-10,000 operator fee + home-bank fee	~$96-98
Any bank ATM with a BoA card (no Alliance here)	Stone Town	Interbank + BoA 3% + operator fee	~$94-96
Airport / resort exchange counter	ZNZ, resort lobbies	5-12% off the interbank rate, plus fee	~$88-95
Accepting DCC at any machine or resort card terminal	Anywhere	+5-10% if you choose 'charge in USD'	~$90-95

Tanzanian bank ATMs charge a TZS 6,000–10,000 operator fee to foreign cards. A Schwab card refunds it; Wise removes FX markup. There is no BoA Alliance partner in Tanzania. Because resorts price in USD, clean dollars spent directly avoid conversion entirely. Indicative rate ~TZS 2,600 per USD (the shilling floats). For street USD-to-shilling exchange, the licensed Forodhani-area bureaux in the Tanzania guide beat the airport.

⚠ The one thing to get right: decline DCC, and take shillings. Any machine or resort card terminal can offer to "charge in US dollars" instead of shillings. Always take Tanzanian shillings (TZS) at the ATM and let your card network convert at the interbank rate; DCC adds 5–10 percent on top of the operator fee. (Paying a resort bill that is genuinely priced in USD with USD cash is different, and fine.) See our DCC explained page.

Best money setup for Zanzibar

Clean USD for resorts, Wise + Schwab for shillings

Bring plenty of clean, post-2009 US dollars for the resorts, dive shops, and tours that price in USD. For the shilling half, a Wise debit card gives zero FX markup and the real interbank rate at Stone Town's card-friendly hotels, and a Charles Schwab card refunds Tanzania's TZS 6,000–10,000 operator fee worldwide. Because there is no BoA Alliance partner, the no-FX-fee card is what keeps ATM cash cheap. Withdraw in Stone Town before the beaches, take shillings not dollars at the machine, and decline DCC.

Get the Wise Card →

Withdraw in Stone Town before the beaches

Because ATMs are concentrated in Stone Town and thin out badly on the north and east coasts, pull a useful shilling float (withdrawal limits run TZS 400,000–1,000,000) before you head to Nungwi, Kendwa, Paje, or Jambiani. Use CRDB, NMB, or PBZ machines, withdraw a larger amount to spread the flat operator fee, and do not count on finding a working ATM at the beach.

Bring clean, post-2009 USD for the resorts and tips

Zanzibar's resorts, dive operators, and tours price in US dollars, and Tanzania refuses torn, marked, or pre-2006 bills, so bring crisp post-2009 dollars in a mix of denominations. Keep them separate from your shilling float: dollars for the resort and tour side, shillings for Stone Town markets, taxis, dala-dalas, and tips. If you need to change USD to shillings, use a licensed Forodhani-area bureau, covered in the Tanzania guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which ATMs are best in Zanzibar?

Stone Town bank machines: CRDB, NMB, People's Bank of Zanzibar, NBC, at the interbank rate with a TZS 6,000-10,000 operator fee. Avoid airport and resort counters. Withdraw in Stone Town before the beaches. No BoA Alliance partner, so use a no-FX-fee card, and bring clean USD for the resorts.

Do Zanzibar ATMs charge a fee?

Yes, a TZS 6,000-10,000 operator fee per withdrawal, plus your home bank's fee. A Schwab card refunds the operator fee; Wise removes FX markup. Withdraw a useful amount to spread the flat fee, and decline DCC.

Should I use US dollars or shillings?

Both. Resorts, dive shops, and tours price in USD, so bring clean post-2009 dollars. Shillings handle Stone Town markets, taxis, dala-dalas, and tips. Pull a shilling float from a Stone Town ATM and keep USD for the resort side.

Are there ATMs on the Zanzibar beaches?

Very few, and unreliable. Machines cluster in Stone Town and at the airport; Nungwi, Kendwa, Paje, and Jambiani have only a handful. Withdraw in Stone Town first and do not rely on a beach ATM.

Is there a Bank of America Alliance partner in Zanzibar?

No. Tanzania has no BoA Global ATM Alliance partner, so a BoA card pays 3% plus the operator fee. A no-FX-fee card (Wise, Schwab) is the fix; Schwab also refunds the operator fee.

Can I get shillings before I arrive?

Sometimes, TZS is thin. More important is to bring clean USD for the USD-priced resorts. Pull shillings from a Stone Town CRDB or NMB ATM on arrival, and change USD at a licensed Forodhani bureau if needed.

Wise + Schwab + clean USD for Zanzibar

USD for the resorts and tours; Wise zero FX markup; Schwab refunds Tanzania's TZS 6,000-10,000 operator fee. No BoA Alliance partner. Withdraw in Stone Town, take shillings.