What wonderful plans. You are planning to go to Uganda, or maybe you have already booked! The trip is standing, the tickets have been arranged and the preparations can begin. Before you actually board the plane, you must still have arranged a visa. Below we give you as much information as possible to help you on your way to applying for this visa.
Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months upon departure from Uganda. You must apply for a visa online before arriving in Uganda. If you have completed this procedure online, you will receive a ‘letter of approval’, with which the visa can be stamped in your passport upon arrival at Entebbe Airport. This visa is single-entry and valid for 30 days and costs US$50 p.p. Are you also visiting Kenya and/or Rwanda? Then an East Africa visa is recommended. Press the button below for more information.
ONLINE VISA APPLICATION
It is mandatory for every traveler to Uganda to submit a visa application online before arrival in Uganda. With this online application it is also necessary to pay the visa fee by credit card, US$ 50 p.p. + 3% commission fee. If you have completed the entire procedure online and made the payment, you will receive a ‘letter of approval’, with which the visa will be stamped in your passport upon arrival at Entebbe Airport. You apply for the visa per person.
Please note, this Approval Letter itself is usually only valid for 3 months. This is the period in which you then have to travel into the country. So don’t request it earlier than three months before arrival in Uganda! For example, if you leave on 1 September, apply for the visa only from 1 June. Do not wait until a few days before departure, because experience shows that the confirmation sometimes takes some time; 1 month in advance is usually well on time!
The validity of the visa itself, i.e. the number of days you are allowed to stay in the country, starts the moment you enter the country. For example, if you have a visa for 30 days, those 30 days will count when you arrive in Uganda!
>Go directly to the online visa application for Uganda here! (the official website)
TYPE OF VISA
UGANDA ONLY VISA
Are you only going to Uganda and are you not visiting other countries? Then you can apply for a single-entry visa online. It is valid for 30 days. Once you have completed the procedure, paid and the application has been approved, you will receive a Letter of Approval, which will give you the visa in your passport upon arrival in Uganda.
Required for visa purchase:
> Accommodation details (e.g., your hotel or host)
> Passport details and contact information
> Credit or debit card for payment
VISA FOR EAST AFRICA WITH START IN UGANDA
Start your trip in Uganda, but then travel to Rwanda and/or Kenya, you can apply for an East Africa visa online. This visa is valid for 90 days. Once you have completed the procedure, paid and the application has been approved, you will receive a Letter of Approval, which will give you the East Africa visa in your passport upon arrival in Uganda.
> Apply for your visa no earlier than 3 months before departure! You fill in such a form per person.
> You apply for the visa in the country where your trip starts, so if your trip starts in Kenya or Rwanda and you want to apply for an East Africa visa, it will be done via Kenyan or Rwandan immigration respectively.
>The East Africa visa is only valid if you continue to travel within these three countries and expires as soon as you leave one of these countries. If you go to Tanzania in between, for example, you must apply for a new visa to be able to return!
>Nb: people with a Belgian nationality do not need a visa for Rwanda.
VISA FEES
Single Entry Uganda, US$ 50 p.p. + 3% commission fee, valid for 30 days.
East Africa visa, US$ 100 p.p. + 3% commission fee, valid for 90 days. This visa is multiple entry – as long as you travel within the countries covered by the East Africa visa
VALID PASSPORT
For travel to Uganda, you must have a valid passport that is valid for at least 6 months after arrival in Uganda. Also, consider at least 2 blank visa pages in your passport for the necessary stamps.
OTHER LIABILITIES
> You must have a return or transit ticket.
> You must be able to provide proof of sufficient financial resources (cash/credit card) if requested.
TRAVELLING WITH UNDERAGE CHILDREN
Children have needed their own travel documents since 2012. An entry in a parent’s passport is no longer valid. Outside the Schengen area, the rules are often extensive and strict when traveling with minor children. The rules are even stricter if only one parent, or both parents, do not travel with them. Think also of the countries you travel through on your way to the destination. More information about this can be found on the Official website of the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control of Uganda.