Available travel documents
Choose the visa that fits your trip. Fully online process, real-time tracking.
Visamundi service: €39 incl. VAT
Consular fee: 50 USD
Electronic visaVisamundi service: €39 incl. VAT
Consular fee: 103 USD
Electronic visaUganda requires a visa for the vast majority of foreign nationals, regardless of the length or purpose of the stay. For several years now, all procedures have taken place exclusively online: no visa sticker is affixed to the passport before boarding. The tourist e-Visa authorises you to stay up to 90 days in the country, while the East Africa Visa — with a single entry through Uganda — also opens the doors of Kenya and Rwanda in the same trip. Prepare your application in advance and allow between 5 and 10 working days to receive your document.
01 · The essentials
All procedures take place exclusively online: no visa sticker is affixed to the passport, and no visa on arrival is accepted.
Uganda offers two tourist e-Visas: the Tourist Visa for a stay in Uganda only, and the East Africa Visa (entry through Uganda) to also visit Kenya and Rwanda.
Vaccination against yellow fever is mandatory to enter Uganda, regardless of the type of visa — proof must be provided at the time of application and vaccination must be carried out at least 10 days before arrival.
Uganda has fully digitalised its visa issuance procedure. Ugandan consular authorities no longer issue stickers affixed to passports: the e-Visa is now the only legal entry route for nationals subject to a visa requirement. This reform considerably simplifies the process: everything takes place online, from assembling the file to paying consular fees, through to receiving the document in your inbox.
Two e-Visa options are available for tourism purposes. The Tourist Visa is designed for travellers who wish to explore Uganda in depth — safaris in Bwindi National Park, mountain gorillas, source of the Nile, Lake Victoria — for a period of up to 90 days. The East Africa Visa, entered through Uganda, is the ideal option for a regional itinerary combining Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda under a single authorisation.
It is important to distinguish these two visa documents from the old-style consular sticker visa: both options offered here are genuine electronic visas — and not travel authorisations reserved for nationals already exempt from a visa requirement.
02 · Eligibility
Uganda's visa policy distinguishes two main categories of travellers. Before starting any application, it is essential to determine which category you fall into, as the rules are fundamentally different.
A number of nationalities are exempt from a visa to enter Uganda. Countries exempt include in particular Angola, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Cyprus, United Arab Emirates, Eritrea, Eswatini, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Sudan, Solomon Islands, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Some of these countries benefit from an exemption for stays of up to 6 months (the countries concerned are indicated in the official list).
Nationals of countries not mentioned above — including the vast majority of Europeans, French, Belgian, Swiss, Canadian and American citizens — must obtain an e-Visa before entering Uganda. It is not possible to obtain a visa on arrival: no exemption is granted at land borders or airports. The application must be submitted online before departure.
Minors are subject to the same rules as adults: each child must have their own e-Visa, regardless of age. The fee is the same as for an adult. Minors must travel with at least one responsible adult, and their applications may be grouped in the same form.
Uganda does not allow a visa to be obtained at land borders or airports. Any attempt to enter without a valid e-Visa may result in being turned back at the airport or entry point.
The e-Visa is accepted at all official entry posts: Entebbe International Airport, land borders with Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, DRC and South Sudan.
Each traveller — adult or minor — must have their own e-Visa and their own passport. Children cannot travel on a parent's document.
The East Africa Visa (entry through Uganda) is a single entry for Uganda, then allows free travel to Kenya and Rwanda within the same stay. All nationalities are eligible for this visa.
The standard tourist e-Visa is issued for single entry. If you leave Uganda — even briefly, for example for a day trip to Rwanda or Kenya — your e-Visa will be considered used. A new application will be required to return to Uganda. The authorities may, in certain specific cases and on the basis of specific supporting documents (including two invitation letters and a clean criminal record), issue multiple-entry e-Visas (6, 12 or 24 months), but this procedure is not available as standard and involves higher consular fees.
03 · The procedure
The Uganda e-Visa application procedure is entirely online. No visit to an embassy or consulate is required. Before you begin, gather the necessary documents and make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months beyond your expected return date.
Make sure your nationality is subject to a visa requirement for Uganda (and not exempt). If so, determine which type of e-Visa matches your travel plans: Tourist Visa for a stay in Uganda only, or East Africa Visa if you also wish to visit Kenya and Rwanda.
Collect: (1) a colour digital copy of the biographical page of your passport (pages 2 and 3, personal information clearly legible), (2) a good-quality colour scan of your identity photo meeting current standards, (3) your international vaccination record with proof of yellow fever vaccination (mandatory, carried out at least 10 days before arrival), and (4) a confirmation of flights to and from Uganda.
Complete the application form by providing all the information required by the Ugandan authorities: purpose of trip, arrival and departure dates, name and address of your accommodation in Uganda, list of the last five countries visited, planned airport or entry point.
Pay the consular fees corresponding to the type of visa chosen (50 USD for the Tourist Visa, 103 USD for the East Africa Visa). Payment is made online by credit card through a secure platform. Note that bank charges may be added if the payment is processed through a non-European platform.
The standard processing time is 5 working days for a Tourist Visa or East Africa Visa. This period may extend to 10 working days in the event of a high volume of applications or an anomaly in the file. Avoid submitting your application at the last minute: a lead time of at least two weeks before your departure is strongly recommended.
Once your file has been approved by the Ugandan authorities, you will receive your e-Visa by email to the address you provided in your application. Print it out or save it on your phone or tablet. Although there is no legal obligation to have a paper copy, a printed copy is strongly recommended to avoid any problems on arrival.
04 · Required documents
The quality and completeness of your file are decisive factors in avoiding rejection or processing delays. The Ugandan authorities pay close attention to the legibility of the documents provided — in particular the passport copy and the identity photo. Here are the items to gather before starting your online form.
An incomplete file, a non-compliant photo or illegible documents are the main causes of rejection. In the event of refusal, the reasons are communicated by email or in the "Manage your application" section of the official website. It is possible to submit a new application after a rejection, provided your situation has changed or the original anomaly has been corrected. If the applicant's situation is unchanged, the new application will also be rejected. Allow enough time to be able to submit a new application if necessary before your departure.
05 · Fees and timelines
Consular fees are set by the Ugandan authorities and may vary slightly from week to week depending on the exchange rate. The euro amount shown is therefore an estimate: the official fee is denominated in US dollars (USD). If payment is processed through a non-European payment platform — which is common for e-Visas to African destinations — bank charges may be added to the base amount.
The average processing time is 5 working days for a Tourist Visa or East Africa Visa under normal conditions. During peak periods or if the file is incomplete, this period may extend to 10 working days. It is therefore recommended to submit your application at least two weeks before your departure date, so as to retain sufficient margin to correct any anomalies or wait for a longer-than-expected processing time.
Once issued, the e-Visa is valid for 90 days from its date of issue. You must enter Ugandan territory within this period. The maximum length of stay is also 90 days for a single entry. If you leave Uganda before the deadline and wish to return, a new application will be required.
Multiple-entry e-Visas (6 months, 12 months or 24 months) may be issued in certain specific cases, on the basis of demanding supporting documents. The corresponding consular fees are significantly higher than those for the standard tourist visa.
06 · Before you leave
Beyond obtaining the e-Visa, a trip to Uganda requires some specific preparations, particularly on the health front. Here are the key points to check before your departure, without embellishment: only what is confirmed by the official e-Visa conditions and the source data.
Vaccination against yellow fever is a legal requirement to enter Uganda. Without an up-to-date vaccination record, you risk being denied boarding or turned back at the border. Vaccination must be carried out at least 10 days before arrival to be valid.
If you plan to visit Uganda only, the Tourist Visa (50 USD) is the appropriate solution. If you are including Kenya and/or Rwanda in your itinerary, the East Africa Visa (103 USD, entry through Uganda) is more economical than obtaining three separate visas.
If you are travelling in a group or as a family, each member must have their own e-Visa. Applications can be submitted separately or grouped according to the options available on the form.
Although there is no legal obligation, a printed version of your e-Visa helps you avoid bribery attempts on arrival and cope with situations where digital terminals are unavailable or faulty.
The Uganda e-Visa is a fully digitalised procedure, accessible to all nationalities not exempt from a visa requirement. The process is clear and structured, but requires good forward planning: allow a minimum of two weeks before your departure to submit your file, receive your document and deal with any potential issue. The main point to watch is yellow fever vaccination, mandatory and to be carried out at least 10 days before arrival: without this document, no entry into Uganda is possible.
If your itinerary includes several countries in the East African region, consider comparing the standard Tourist Visa and the East Africa Visa (entry through Uganda): the latter also opens access to Kenya and Rwanda, which can represent a substantial saving compared to obtaining three separate visas. In all cases, the e-Visa is for single entry in its standard form: plan your itinerary accordingly to avoid having to renew your application mid-trip.
FAQ
Visamundi production team
Page reviewed and kept up to date by our production team.
Visa rules, fees and processing times change fast. We track official sources continuously and refresh every page as soon as something changes — so you never travel on outdated information.
