Updated
Can you still get a visa on arrival in Uganda? In practice, no. Since Uganda moved to an online system, almost every visitor who needs a visa must apply for an e-visa before travelling and carry the approval letter. Airlines check for it at check-in, and travellers who turn up at Entebbe hoping to buy a visa at the desk risk being refused boarding or entry. Here is how the system works now and what to do instead.
Why visa on arrival is no longer an option
Uganda’s Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control runs visas through an online portal (visas.immigration.go.ug). Older guides, and some websites that have not been updated, still describe paying US$50 in cash at the airport. That reflects how Entebbe worked years ago. Today the arrival desks process travellers who already hold an approved e-visa, and airlines flying into Uganda ask to see the approval letter before they let you board. Treat any advice that you can simply sort the visa out on landing as out of date.
What to apply for instead
Most gorilla trekkers need one of two visas. The single-entry tourist visa costs US$50 and covers Uganda only, which suits a trip that flies in and out of Entebbe. The East Africa Tourist Visa costs US$100 and allows travel between Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya for up to 90 days, so it is the better choice if you will cross to Rwanda for Volcanoes National Park, start in Kigali or add Kenya. It must be issued by the country you enter first.
Citizens of East African Community countries and some other nationalities are visa-exempt, so check the portal for your passport before paying.
How the e-visa process works
You apply on the official portal, upload a passport scan, a passport photo and your yellow fever vaccination certificate, and pay by card. Processing usually takes a few working days but can take longer at busy times, so apply two to three weeks before you fly. When the visa is approved you receive an approval letter by email. Print it and keep a copy on your phone: you will show it at check-in and to the immigration officer, who stamps your passport on arrival. Our step-by-step e-visa guide walks through each screen.
Avoiding look-alike visa websites
Search results for Ugandan visas are crowded with commercial sites that charge extra to submit the same form, or that look official but are not. Only the government portal issues Ugandan e-visas. If a site asks for much more than US$50 for a single-entry visa or US$100 for the East Africa Tourist Visa, you are paying an agent’s fee. That is legal, but it does not speed up approval.
Other things checked at Entebbe
Your passport must be valid for at least six months after arrival and have blank pages. Immigration and health officers can ask for your yellow fever certificate, which is required for entry, so carry the original card rather than a photo. Read our guides to vaccinations for Uganda and the full Uganda entry requirements before you book flights.
The visa is separate from your gorilla permit: you need both, and the permit is usually booked months earlier. For what happens after you land, see the Entebbe Airport arrival guide, and if you plan to cross into Rwanda or Kenya by road, our guide to border crossings explains the posts and paperwork.
Frequently asked questions
Not as a reliable option. Visitors who need a visa should apply for an e-visa online before travelling and carry the approval letter.
A single-entry tourist visa costs US$50. The East Africa Tourist Visa, covering Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya, costs US$100.
Usually a few working days, but apply two to three weeks before you travel to be safe.
Yes. Print the approval letter and keep a digital copy; airlines and immigration officers ask to see it.
