Online Uganda Visa Application

Content updated, November 2022

Apply for your Uganda Tourist eVisa: Step by step with iVisa

If you are planning a trip to Uganda, your first task will be assured you have the right travel documents to enter the country.

You will find everything you need to know about the Uganda Tourist eVisa and entering the country for tourism purposes below.

Keep reading to find out how to apply for this travel document online using a quick, hassle-free, and completely digital application form.

What is the Uganda e-Visa?

The Uganda e-Visa is the digital version of the Uganda Visa and serves as the official document permitting entry into and travel within Uganda for tourism purposes.

To travel to Uganda as a tourist most international travelers need to complete the visa application form for the tourist visa, which can be completed online through the e-visa system to obtain it in the format of a single-entry electronic visa.

If you are among the foreign nationals interested in a multiple-entry Uganda visa, it is important to note that while this option is not available for Uganda, you can opt for the East Africa Visa online, which allows you to visit Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda and also works as a multiple entry visa without the need to get separate visas. The East Africa Visa application can also be completed through iVisa.

What can I do and not do with the Uganda Tourist eVisa?

With this eVisa, you can visit Uganda to do tourist or business activities, visit your family, receive medical treatment, or study for a short period of time. You can not work or receive payment during your trip.

Who can apply for an Uganda Tourist e-Visa?

Check if you have to apply for the Uganda Tourist eVisa, in the map below or by entering your nationality in our Visa Checker Tool.

If you are eligible for this travel document, our team will help you understand what are the requirements specific to your nationality, simplify the whole process of understanding the visa application, and most importantly help you feel confident that your visa application will be successful and that you will be able to obtain your travel document.

What do I need to get the Uganda e-Visa online?

To apply for a visa to travel to Uganda as a tourist you’ll need to provide your personal, travel, and health information. In addition, you must provide other supporting documents (below), including proof of accommodation and a travel itinerary. Remember also that the applicant’s passport validity should be of at least 6 months from the time of entry into Uganda and that it should have at least one blank page.

The Uganda e-visa requirements are the following:

• Applicant Photo
• Passport Personal Details Scan (clear passport number)
• Last Page of Passport (if applicable)
• Yellow fever vaccination certificate
• Invitation Letter (if applicable)
• The immigration status of the host (Purpose of travel: Family Visit) (if applicable)
• Return flight ticket (if applicable)
• Supporting document for visit (Medical) (if applicable)
• Cover letter detailing the purpose of visit (if applicable)

HOW TO TAKE THE PERFECT PHOTO FOR YOUR UGANDA VISA: Watch our video

HOW TO TAKE THE PERFECT PHOTO FOR YOUR UGANDA ONLINE VISA: Watch our video

What is the cost and duration of the online application process for the Uganda e-Visa?

The cost for the Uganda e-Visa is USD $51.50 at this time. Additionally, when you process your Uganda e-Visa using iVisa.com there is a service fee of USD $25.49 for standard processing. For rush processing and super rush processing the service fee is USD $44.49 and USD $64.99, respectively. The total time and cost for each option are:

• Standard Processing: 6 Business Days - USD $76.99.
• Rush Processing: 4 Business Days - USD $95.99.
• Super Rush Processing: 3 Business Days - USD $116.49.

If approved, does this guarantee my admission to Uganda?

The final approval is granted at the selected point of entry by visa immigration Uganda when it comes to the Uganda e-Visa, and for those people that prefer not to apply online, the approval is granted at their local Uganda Embassy visas and consular office. Keep in mind that if you travel to Uganda, it is mandatory to present a valid visa approval letter to gain entry into the country, or to have one of the available Uganda electronic visa single entry or multiple entry visas available. No other travel documents will be accepted to enter Uganda.

Do I need to present a printout of my e-Visa when I arrive in Uganda?

Though it is not mandatory, it is recommended. The tourist visa in its digital format is electronically linked to your passport. However, the barcode on your e-Visa approval can be used to access your application at the point of entry, just in case you are asked any questions by Visa Immigration Uganda on arrival. Applicants will receive their visas via email after filling out the application form with the necessary information and making the payment.

Important instructions

• The Uganda Tourist e Visa is valid for 60 days after issued.
• The maximum stay is 45 days in Total, and it is valid for one Single Entry (it is not a multiple entry visa).
• The applicant must be outside the Republic of Uganda at the time of application.
• The applicant must not have any other current e Visa Uganda valid when applying.
• Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months upon entering Uganda.
• This visa cannot be changed to a work visa while inside the Republic of Uganda.
• It is best to print and carry this travel authorization when entering Uganda as it may help you speed up the entry process
• The applicant must travel to Uganda with the same passport used during the Visa online Uganda application process.

How does the Uganda Tourist eVisa look like?

Uganda Covid 19 restrictions

Do I need a COVID-19 vaccine or vaccination certificate to enter Uganda?

No, you don't. At this time you don't need to show your COVID vaccination status when entering Uganda. Since information changes quickly, we advise you to follow up on the latest Uganda travel updates and/or contact your local Uganda Embassy.

Do I need a negative COVID-19 test result to enter Uganda?

• COVID test before arrival: PCR within 72 hours for unvaccinated travelers.
• COVID test exemptions: Children under 5 and fully vaccinated travelers.

Will I have to quarantine upon arrival in Uganda?

• Quarantine requirements: There are no quarantine requirements to travel to Uganda.

Other vaccination requirements to travel to Uganda

A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required if traveling from a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission. More information in the following link: https://www.who.int/ith/ITH_Annex_I.pdf

What else should I keep in mind before traveling to Uganda?

Local currency, payments, and ATMs

One important recommendation we make to our fellow travelers and customers visiting Uganda is to bring cash. The country is by large a cash-based society and while more businesses are accepting credit cards nowadays, they are not accepted everywhere and people run the risk of becoming victims to credit card fraud and/or theft when using them.

Instead, you can either pay in dollars (especially at a hotel or if you are going on a safari) and/or pay in the local currency, the Uganda Shilling. Keep in mind also, that due to counterfeit bills It is also recommended your dollar notes are from 2010 onward and larger bills get more Shilling for the dollar in exchange places.

In Kampala, you may find an ATM and get the best rate for your dollar, but remember to visit it during the day when the bank is open, as there are many stories of cards stolen by the machine that can't be easily recovered. Out of the main cities or other urban areas, carrying Uganda shillings is certainly encouraged. You get a better local currency rate in Entebbe and Kampala.

Weather and best times and places to visit for tourism

Since Uganda is a tropical country, the best time for traveling is any time around the rainy season caused by the Monsoon. With that in mind, travel to Uganda during the dry season between December and February or between June and August.

One of the most popular activities in Uganda is the mountain safaris to watch gorillas and chimpanzees in their natural habitat. A couple of highlights are the Bwindi National Park and the Kibale Forest. The first one, located in southwestern Uganda, houses nearly half of the world's remaining gorillas (approximately 400), and the second one is known to be the best chimpanzee experience, with nearly 1,500 chimpanzees living in the forest.

And last, but not least, those interested in other types of adventures can travel to Jinja, a small town that used to be home to many fishing families located on the shores of Lake Victoria, the birthplace of the Nile river, and a popular destination for rafting, kayaking and bungee jumping, and birdwatching.

If you have any pending questions about your Uganda e Visa or your Uganda Visa Application status, you can contact our customer support team who are available 24/7.