Check Visa Policy of Uganda for your Country

Visa Policy for Uganda

Uganda’s visa policy is made up of a set of laws, regulations, and requirements that determines what a foreign citizen needs to travel to the country.

There are only around 10 visa-exempt nationalities for Uganda, as the majority of foreign citizens need a visa to travel to the East African country.

However, the majority of passport holders around the world are able to obtain an electronic visa online for Uganda, eliminating the need to obtain a visa in person at an embassy or consulate, or queue at the border to obtain a visa on arrival.

Although a visa on arrival is available for the majority of nationalities, it is only required for citizens of 11 countries who are not eligible to apply for the Uganda e-Visa.

Obtaining the eVisa is a much more efficient option for eligible citizens, as it eliminates the need to wait in long border queues to submit a visa on arrival application.

An approved Ugandan e-Visa permits passport holders from almost every nationality to enter the country for purposes of tourism, family visits, business, medical treatment, or to study.

It may be issued as either a multiple entry or single entry visa online, allowing a stay of 30 days per entry, and with a period of validity of 3, 6, 12, or 24 months depending on the needs of the applicant.

Once the visa online for Uganda is approved, a copy is sent to the traveler’s email address, which must then be printed to present upon arrival at Ugandan border control.

The visa requirements for Uganda state that all visitors, visa-free or visa-required, must travel with a passport with a minimum validity of 6 months upon entry.

The only entry ban for Uganda currently in place is against nationals of Somalia who do not have a valid biometric passport.

Below you will find a complete list of Ugandan visa regulations to travel from your country of residence.

Tourist Visa Policy for Uganda

The tourist visa policy for Uganda states that there are currently approximately 10 nationalities who do not need a visa for tourism in the country, as long as the stay does not exceed 90 days.

All other foreign passport holders are required to obtain a Ugandan tourist visa to visit the country for leisure purposes, whether a visa on arrival or an electronic visa through an online application

The tourist eVisa for Uganda is available to travelers of almost every nationality in the world and has been implemented by the Ugandan government specifically to facilitate entry to the country for tourism and gradually replace the mostly defunct visa on arrival system.

Eligible applicants are able to complete the Uganda eVisa application in a matter of minutes, to receive an approved tourist visa sent by email. They can then print a copy to present upon arrival at Ugandan border control.
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Nevertheless, a small number of nationalities, roughly 10, are still required to obtain a tourist visa on arrival for Uganda, by waiting in line at a border checkpoint to submit an application.

Find below further information about Uganda tourist visa requirements for your nationality.

Uganda e-Visa

Introduced by the Ugandan government in 2016 to expedite the process of applying for a visa for a variety of purposes, the e-Visa for Uganda can be obtained exclusively online through an online application.

The Ugandan e-Visa system allows eligible citizens to submit a simple electronic application to receive an approved online visa sent by email.

With the exception of the roughly 10 nationalities that must obtain a visa on arrival, the online visa for Uganda is available to all foreign passport holders who are not visa-free for the country.

A Uganda e-Visa may be issued as either a single or multiple entry visa online, and allows a total stay of up to 30 days per entry.

A basic online tourist visa for Uganda is valid for 3 months from approval, while a multiple entry visa type may be issued with a validity of 6, 12, or 24 months depending on the applicant’s requirements.

Applicants can complete the easy online form for the eVisa in just a few minutes. It is also necessary to upload proof of varying supporting documents, depending on nationality, in order to successfully submit an application.

An approved eVisa permits the holder to visit Uganda for purposes of tourism, business, medical treatment, to study, to visit family, or for transit to an onward destination.

To visit the country for other purposes, it will be necessary for all travelers to apply for a visa from the nearest Ugandan diplomatic government office.

Find below a comprehensive list of all nationalities eligible for an eVisa for Uganda.

Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Curacao
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Federated States of Micronesia
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kiribati
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mayotte
Mexico
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Pitcairn Islands
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Republic of Cyprus
Reunion
Romania
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Helena
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Sint Maarten
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syrian Arab Republic
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
United States Virgin Islands
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Wallis and Futuna
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Uganda e-Visa Info

Apply Online

Uganda eVisa Requirements for Somalians

The majority of nationalities are eligible to apply for an eVisa for Uganda are required to have a passport valid for at least 6 months from the intended entry date to so so. It is not specified whether this must be a biometric passport or other ordinary passport type.

However, Somalian citizens are required to have a biometric passport to submit an eVisa application, even if they are intending only to transit through Uganda and are not leaving the aircraft and proceeding to their next destination on the same flight.

This is because entry to Uganda and transit through the country is refused to Somalian nationals if they are not holders of a valid biometric passport.

Visa on Arrival

Although the eVisa for Uganda has been introduced to eventually phase out the visa on arrival facilities for the country, this visa type is still available at Ugandan border checkpoints for the time being.

There are roughly 10 nationalities who are required to obtain a visa on arrival, as they are not currently eligible to apply for a Ugandan eVisa.

Ugandan immigration laws state that visa on arrival required citizens must go directly to a border checkpoint upon arrival in the country, to wait in a queue to be handed an application by an immigration officer.

It will be necessary to complete this form and pay the Uganda visa on arrival fee before the travel document can be issued. It may also be necessary to supply supporting documentation, such as a yellow fever vaccination certificate, depending on the applicant’s nationality.

No matter the nationality of the applicant, it is necessary to hold a passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry to Uganda for a visa on arrival to be issued.

However, visa on arrival nationalities who are also eligible for the eVisa are advised to apply for this visa type instead, as applying online removes the need to stand in border lines when entering Uganda, which can involve a lengthy wait.

See the below for the list of nationalities that require a visa on arrival for Uganda.

Benin
Chad
Congo
Haiti
Indonesia
Palestinian Territory
Philippines
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
South Sudan

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Visa not Required

In accordance with Uganda’s visa policy, citizens of up to 10 countries and territories around the world are exempt from a visa for short stays.

Ugandan visa laws state that passport holders of these select nations can travel to Uganda visa-free for a maximum stay of 90 days, for purposes including tourism, business, or to transit to a third destination.

However, visa-exempt entry to Uganda is conditional on the traveler having an eligible passport with a minimum validity of 6 months from the date of arrival in the country.

It is possible that visa-exempt travelers may also be asked to present supporting documentation depending on nationality, such as proof of vaccination yellow fever, before they can gain entry at Uganda’s borders.

Nevertheless, if these travelers wish to visit Uganda traveler wants to visit the country of Uganda for a different purpose or for stays longer than 3 months, the visitor must go to an embassy or consulate to obtain a travel permit in advance of travel.

Find below a full list of the countries whose citizens do not require a visa to travel to Uganda for short visits.