Most visitors need a visa to enter Uganda, and you apply for it online before you travel. This guide explains who needs one, what it costs, which documents to prepare and how the application works, using the information published by the National Citizenship and Immigration Control (NCIC), Uganda’s immigration authority. Rules can change, so always check the official pages before you book your flights.
Do you need a visa for Uganda?
Citizens of about 40 countries and territories do not need a visa to visit Uganda. They include Uganda’s neighbours Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and also Ireland, Malta, Cyprus, Singapore, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong SAR. See the full list of visa-exempt countries on the Immigration website.
Most other visitors need a visa, including travellers from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, the United States and Canada.
The Uganda tourist visa at a glance
- Type: single entry, for tourism, visiting family or medical treatment
- Fee: USD 50, not refundable, plus bank charges
- Length of stay: up to 3 months
- Time to travel: the approval is valid for 90 days from the day it is approved. If you do not travel within that time, it is cancelled and you must apply again.
- Extension: the period given at entry can be extended for another 60 days, in two steps, online or at an Immigration office
- Where to apply: online at visas.immigration.go.ug
Documents you need
- A copy of your passport photo page. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months.
- A recent passport-size photo
- Your tour plan and travel itinerary or booking
- Your hotel booking. If you stay with friends or family, give their address.
All documents must be in English, and Immigration may ask for more during processing. If you book a trip with us, we send you a confirmation and day-by-day itinerary that you can upload as your tour plan.
How to apply, step by step
- Go to the official portal, visas.immigration.go.ug, and choose to start a new application.
- Accept the terms, then choose the visa type: tourist visa, single entry.
- Fill in the form and upload your documents. You receive a six-digit application number. Keep it safe.
- Pay the fee online when asked.
- When your visa is approved, the approval letter arrives by email. Print it or keep it on your phone.
- When you land at Entebbe International Airport or arrive at a land border, show your passport, the approval letter and your payment receipt. Your fingerprints and photo are taken at the immigration desk.
Immigration does not publish a processing time, so apply early. Remember that the approval is valid for 90 days, so apply within three months of your travel date.
Visiting Kenya and Rwanda too? The East Africa Tourist Visa
If your trip includes Kenya or Rwanda, the East Africa Tourist Visa may suit you better. It costs USD 100 and allows several entries between Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda for tourism, for 90 days. Apply through the country you will enter first. It cannot be extended, and it is cancelled when you leave the three countries. The Immigration page lists a passport copy, a photo, a return ticket, an itinerary and a yellow fever certificate as the documents for this visa. Read the East Africa Tourist Visa page.
Yellow fever certificate
On 2 October 2026, Immigration announced that a yellow fever vaccination certificate is no longer a mandatory requirement for entry into Uganda. Yellow fever is still present in the region, and other countries on your journey may ask for the certificate, so talk to your doctor or travel clinic about the vaccine before you travel. Read the official notice.
Tips from our team in Entebbe
- Apply only on the official portal. Other websites that offer Uganda visas often charge extra fees.
- Check that the name on your application matches your passport exactly.
- Keep a printed copy of your approval letter in case your phone battery runs out on arrival.
- Gorilla and chimpanzee permits also need your passport details, so have a clear copy of your passport ready when you book.
We can help
Two Servants Tours and Safaris helps our international guests with their Uganda tourist visa: we check your documents, send the trip itinerary you need, and answer your questions on WhatsApp. Ask us about your visa or message us on WhatsApp at +256 771 643 786.
Sources
National Citizenship and Immigration Control. (n.d.-a). Uganda tourist visa: Single entry. Retrieved 22 October 2026, from https://www.immigration.go.ug/services/tourist-visa
National Citizenship and Immigration Control. (n.d.-b). Visa exempt countries or regions. Retrieved 22 October 2026, from https://www.immigration.go.ug/services/visa-exempt-countries
National Citizenship and Immigration Control. (n.d.-c). East African tourist visa. Retrieved 22 October 2026, from https://www.immigration.go.ug/services/east-african-tourist-visa
National Citizenship and Immigration Control. (2026, October 2). Official notice: Yellow fever vaccination certificate is no longer mandatory for entry into Uganda. https://www.immigration.go.ug/node/254