Uganda visa and entry requirements

Uganda's immigration service says tourist visas are available online through the immigration portal; the single-entry tourist visa costs USD 50. It lists the countries and regions whose nationals do not require a visa under visa abolition agreements.

Every fact on this page verified on or after: Oct 2, 2026· How this site works

Check requirements for your passport

Requirements differ by nationality. Select your passport above, or scan the full table below.

Visas & entry authorisations

Tourist visa (single entry)

Fee
50 USD
Processing
—
Validity
90 days
Stay per entry
90 days
Entries
single

Paid online, non-refundable and subject to a bank charge. The approval authorisation is valid for 90 days from the day of approval, after which a new application is needed.

Documents the application asks for

  • Passport bio-data page — passport valid for at least 6 months; every upload JPEG, PNG, BMP or PDF of 5–250 KB
  • Recent passport-size photograph
  • Return ticket — for tourism and family visits
  • Invitation letter — for a family visit
  • Your host's immigration status — for a family visit

East Africa Tourist Visa

Fee
100 USD
Processing
—
Validity
90 days
Entries
multiple

Covers Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda only. The issuing country should be your first point of entry. Non-refundable and subject to a bank charge.

Documents the application asks for

  • Travel itinerary — a detailed tour plan
  • Recent passport-size photograph
  • Copy of the passport bio-data page — every upload JPEG, PNG, BMP or PDF of 5–250 KB
  • Return ticket

Multiple-Entry Visa (6, 12 or 24 months)

Fee
100 USD
Processing
—
Entries
multiple

The 2021 Fees Regulations set USD 100 for 6 to 12 months and USD 150 for 24 months.

Documents the application asks for

  • Passport bio-data page — every upload JPEG, PNG, BMP or PDF of 5–250 KB
  • Recent passport-size photograph
  • Police clearance — from Interpol or your home country
  • Recommendation letters from two referees in Uganda
  • Cover letter — giving the reasons for multiple entry
  • Proof of your entries into and exits from Uganda in the last year

Entry requirements

Passport validity

Uganda's immigration service asks visa applicants for a passport with at least 6 months' validity, and the UK government says your passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the date you arrive.

Vaccinations

Conditional
  • Yellow fever — No longer required for entry: Uganda's immigration service announced on 2 October 2026 that travellers do not need a yellow fever vaccination certificate for entry. The US CDC recommends the vaccine for all travellers aged 9 months or older, and the East African Tourist Visa and multiple-entry visa pages still list the certificate among the attachments.
  • Malaria prophylaxis — Not an entry requirement. The US CDC recommends that travellers going to Uganda take prescription medicine to prevent malaria.
Verified Oct 2, 2026 · Source: immigration.go.ug (opens in a new tab) · cdn.who.int (opens in a new tab) says Certificate required from all arriving travellers aged 1 year and over. We follow the source above: it ranks higher (law, then the authority running the procedure, then the destination's ministry, then international compilations, then other governments' advice).

Travel insurance

Not officially stated

No official source we could read makes insurance a condition of entry. The UK government says medical facilities are limited, especially outside Kampala, that many popular tourist attractions have poor medical facilities, and that if you are seriously ill or have an accident you may need an air ambulance; it advises appropriate travel insurance.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Onward or return ticket

Required

Uganda's immigration service lists a return ticket among the attachments for the East African Tourist Visa, and a travel itinerary or booking for a single-entry tourism visa. No official source we could read states a rule for visa-exempt visitors.

Verified Oct 7, 2026 · Source: visas.immigration.go.ug (opens in a new tab) · official portal · immigration.go.ug (opens in a new tab) says Tourism attachments: tour plan and travel itinerary / booking, no return ticket. We follow the stricter version: the sources carry the same weight, their dates do not settle which is current, and this one cannot leave you stranded at the border.

Proof of funds

Not officially stated

No official source we could read sets a proof-of-funds requirement or amount for visitors; Uganda's tourist visa page lists the documents to upload, and money is not among them.

Staying past your permitted stay

Fine: 20 USD per day

The Uganda Citizenship and Immigration Control (Fees) Regulations, 2021 list a charge of US$20 per day for illegal stay. Under the Uganda Citizenship and Immigration Control Act, a person who remains in Uganda after a permit, pass (including a visitor's pass) or other authority has expired or been cancelled commits an offence. On conviction, the person is liable to a fine of up to one hundred currency points or imprisonment of up to three years, or both, and may also be deported. One currency point is equal to twenty thousand shillings.

Verified Oct 12, 2026 · Source: immigration.go.ug (opens in a new tab) · Uganda Citizenship and Immigration Control (Fees) Regulations, item 6(b)Compare every country: What staying past your permitted stay costs, country by country

Customs & currency

Uganda's Financial Intelligence Authority says anyone carrying domestic cash, foreign currency or negotiable bearer instruments equivalent to or exceeding UGX 30,000,000 into or out of Uganda must notify the Uganda Revenue Authority.

  • The UK government says there are strict rules about goods that can be taken into and out of Uganda, and you must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
  • The UK government says electronic cigarettes and shisha are illegal, and that buying or trading parts of protected wild animals without a licence can lead to prosecution and a prison sentence or a fine.
  • Canada's travel advice says you must obtain a permit from the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority to import and operate a drone in Uganda.

Country in a nutshell

Currency
Ugandan shilling (UGX, USh)
Safety — High risk
The UK government says terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Uganda, including in places frequented by foreign nationals and tourists, and that there have been attacks in areas of western Uganda near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including in national parks, where you should exercise particular caution. It says criminals may target tourists who show signs of wealth. Same-sex sexual activity is illegal, and the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 introduces long prison sentences and, in some cases, the death penalty.Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab)
Power plugs
G · 240V 50Hz
Emergency numbers
General emergencies: 999
Languages
English, Swahili, Luganda
Time zone
UTC+3
Driving side
left
International Driving Permit

Uganda is a party to the 1949 Geneva and the 1968 Vienna Conventions on Road Traffic (UN Treaty Collection). The UK government says that to drive in Uganda for longer than 3 months on a UK licence you must get a Ugandan driving licence or a 1949 international driving permit (IDP). Canada's travel advice says an International Driving Permit is recommended. No official Ugandan source we could read states whether a permit is required in addition to a national licence.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: treaties.un.org (opens in a new tab) · Convention on Road Traffic · archived copy Aug 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab) Compare every country
Tap water
not for drinking. Use bottled

Best time to visit

No official source we could read gives a best time to visit Uganda. The UK government says localised flooding and landslides are common, particularly during the rainy seasons from March to May and October to November.

Tips & warnings

Uganda's immigration service announced on 2 October 2026 that a yellow fever vaccination certificate is no longer mandatory for entry. The US CDC recommends the vaccine for all travellers aged 9 months or older.

Combining Uganda with Kenya and Rwanda? The USD 100 East African Tourist Visa covers those three countries only, can be used multiple times for tourism and is valid for 90 days. The issuing country should be your first point of entry.

Uganda's immigration service says tourist visas are available online through the immigration portal, and that a visa approval is valid for 90 days from the day of approval, so travel within three months of approval.

Visa requirements by nationality

Visa requirements by nationality. Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.
PassportsVisas & entry authorisationsMax stay
AfghanistaneVisa90 days
AlbaniaeVisa90 days
AlgeriaeVisa90 days
AndorraeVisa90 days
AngolaeVisa90 days
Antigua and BarbudaVisa-free—
ArgentinaeVisa90 days
ArmeniaeVisa90 days
AustraliaeVisa90 days
AustriaeVisa90 days
AzerbaijaneVisa90 days
BahamasVisa-free—
BahraineVisa90 days
BangladesheVisa90 days
BarbadosVisa-free—
BelaruseVisa90 days
BelgiumeVisa90 days
BelizeVisa-free—
BenineVisa90 days
BhutaneVisa90 days
BoliviaeVisa90 days
Bosnia and HerzegovinaeVisa90 days
BotswanaVisa-free—
BrazileVisa90 days
BruneieVisa90 days
BulgariaeVisa90 days
Burkina FasoeVisa90 days
BurundiVisa-free—
Cabo VerdeeVisa90 days
CambodiaeVisa90 days
CamerooneVisa90 days
CanadaeVisa90 days
Central African RepubliceVisa90 days
ChadeVisa90 days
ChileeVisa90 days
ChinaeVisa90 days
ColombiaeVisa90 days
ComorosVisa-free—
Costa RicaeVisa90 days
Côte d'IvoireeVisa90 days
CroatiaeVisa90 days
CubaeVisa90 days
CyprusVisa-free—
CzechiaeVisa90 days
Democratic Republic of the CongoVisa-free—
DenmarkeVisa90 days
DjiboutieVisa90 days
DominicaeVisa90 days
Dominican RepubliceVisa90 days
EcuadoreVisa90 days
EgypteVisa90 days
El SalvadoreVisa90 days
Equatorial GuineaeVisa90 days
EritreaVisa-free—
EstoniaeVisa90 days
EswatiniVisa-free—
EthiopiaeVisa90 days
FijiVisa-free—
FinlandeVisa90 days
FranceeVisa90 days
GaboneVisa90 days
GambiaVisa-free—
GeorgiaeVisa90 days
GermanyeVisa90 days
GhanaVisa-free—
GreeceeVisa90 days
GrenadaVisa-free—
GuatemalaeVisa90 days
GuineaeVisa90 days
Guinea-BissaueVisa90 days
GuyanaeVisa90 days
HaitieVisa90 days
HonduraseVisa90 days
Hong KongVisa-free—
HungaryeVisa90 days
IcelandeVisa90 days
IndiaeVisa90 days
IndonesiaeVisa90 days
IraneVisa90 days
IraqeVisa90 days
IrelandVisa-free—
IsraeleVisa90 days
ItalyeVisa90 days
JamaicaVisa-free—
JapaneVisa90 days
JordaneVisa90 days
KazakhstaneVisa90 days
KenyaVisa-free—
KiribatieVisa90 days
KosovoeVisa90 days
KuwaiteVisa90 days
KyrgyzstaneVisa90 days
LaoseVisa90 days
LatviaeVisa90 days
LebanoneVisa90 days
LesothoVisa-free—
LiberiaeVisa90 days
LibyaeVisa90 days
LiechtensteineVisa90 days
LithuaniaeVisa90 days
LuxembourgeVisa90 days
MacaueVisa90 days
MadagascarVisa-free—
MalawiVisa-free—
MalaysiaVisa-free—
MaldiveseVisa90 days
MalieVisa90 days
MaltaVisa-free—
Marshall IslandseVisa90 days
MauritaniaeVisa90 days
MauritiusVisa-free—
MexicoeVisa90 days
MicronesiaeVisa90 days
MoldovaeVisa90 days
MonacoeVisa90 days
MongoliaeVisa90 days
MontenegroeVisa90 days
MoroccoeVisa90 days
MozambiqueVisa-free—
MyanmareVisa90 days
NamibiaeVisa90 days
NaurueVisa90 days
NepaleVisa90 days
NetherlandseVisa90 days
New ZealandeVisa90 days
NicaraguaeVisa90 days
NigereVisa90 days
NigeriaeVisa90 days
North KoreaeVisa90 days
North MacedoniaeVisa90 days
NorwayeVisa90 days
OmaneVisa90 days
PakistaneVisa90 days
PalaueVisa90 days
PalestineeVisa90 days
PanamaeVisa90 days
Papua New GuineaeVisa90 days
ParaguayeVisa90 days
PerueVisa90 days
PhilippineseVisa90 days
PolandeVisa90 days
PortugaleVisa90 days
QatareVisa90 days
Republic of the CongoeVisa90 days
RomaniaeVisa90 days
RussiaeVisa90 days
RwandaVisa-free—
Saint Kitts and NeviseVisa90 days
Saint LuciaeVisa90 days
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesVisa-free—
SamoaeVisa90 days
San MarinoeVisa90 days
São Tomé and PríncipeeVisa90 days
Saudi ArabiaeVisa90 days
SenegaleVisa90 days
SerbiaeVisa90 days
SeychellesVisa-free—
Sierra LeoneVisa-free—
SingaporeVisa-free—
SlovakiaeVisa90 days
SloveniaeVisa90 days
Solomon IslandsVisa-free—
SomaliaeVisa90 days
South AfricaeVisa90 days
South KoreaeVisa90 days
South SudanVisa-free—
SpaineVisa90 days
Sri LankaeVisa90 days
SudaneVisa90 days
SurinameeVisa90 days
SwedeneVisa90 days
SwitzerlandeVisa90 days
SyriaeVisa90 days
TaiwaneVisa90 days
TajikistaneVisa90 days
TanzaniaVisa-free—
ThailandeVisa90 days
Timor-LesteeVisa90 days
TogoeVisa90 days
TongaVisa-free—
Trinidad and TobagoVisa-free—
TunisiaeVisa90 days
TurkeyeVisa90 days
TurkmenistaneVisa90 days
TuvalueVisa90 days
UgandaFree movement—
UkraineeVisa90 days
United Arab EmiratesVisa-free—
United KingdomeVisa90 days
United StateseVisa90 days
UruguayeVisa90 days
UzbekistaneVisa90 days
VanuatuVisa-free—
Vatican CityeVisa90 days
VenezuelaeVisa90 days
VietnameVisa90 days
YemeneVisa90 days
ZambiaVisa-free—
ZimbabweVisa-free—

Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.

Kenya78 of 199 passports visa-free · 121 eVisa/ETASouth Sudan1 of 199 passports visa-free · 194 eVisa/ETADemocratic Republic of the Congo1 of 199 passports visa-free · 198 eVisa/ETARwanda7 of 199 passports visa-freeTanzania44 of 199 passports visa-free · 151 eVisa/ETAEthiopia3 of 199 passports visa-free · 196 eVisa/ETA

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Uganda?

It depends on your passport. Nationals of the countries and regions on the immigration service's list of visa abolition agreements do not require a visa. Others apply online through the immigration portal; the single-entry tourist visa costs USD 50.

Can I get a visa on arrival in Uganda?

No official source we could read describes a visa on arrival without prior approval. Uganda's immigration service says tourist visas are available online through the immigration portal, and that a visa approval is valid for 90 days from the day of approval.

What is the East Africa Tourist Visa?

A joint USD 100 tourist visa for Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda only, usable multiple times for tourism and valid for 90 days. The issuing country should be your first point of entry; for Uganda, the immigration service says it is available online through the immigration portal.

Do I need a yellow fever certificate for Uganda?

No longer. Uganda's immigration service announced on 2 October 2026 that a yellow fever vaccination certificate is no longer a mandatory requirement for entry. The US CDC recommends the vaccine for all travellers aged 9 months or older, and the immigration service's East African Tourist Visa and multiple-entry visa pages still list the certificate among the attachments.

How long does the Uganda eVisa take?

Uganda's immigration service does not publish a processing time. For a tourism visa it lists a passport bio-data page with at least 6 months' validity, a tour plan, a travel itinerary or booking, a recent passport-size photograph and a hotel booking among the attachments.

Sources & verification

Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources:

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source