Updated 19 October 2026

Uganda Entry Requirements 2026: Visas, Vaccines and Rules Entry checklist Passport valid for at least 6 months after arrival, with blank pages Approved e-visa or East Africa Tourist Visa, printed Yellow fever vaccination certificate (the yellow card) Return or onward ticket and your first night’s accommodation details Travel insurance details, including medical evacuation cover US dollars in clean notes printed in 2009 or later Visas: which one you need Most nationalities, including visitors from Europe, North America and Australia, need a visa. To enter Uganda as a tourist, most visitors need a passport valid for at least six months, a visa applied for online before travel (US$50 for a single-entry e-visa, or US$100 for the East Africa Tourist Visa), and a yellow fever vaccination certificate. Apply for the visa through the official Uganda immigration portal, visas.immigration.go.ug, at least two weeks before you fly, and carry printed copies of your approval and certificate.

Entry rules can change, especially around health events such as the 2026 Ebola outbreak, so check the official portal and your own government’s travel advice shortly before departure. Here is what you need, how to apply and what happens on arrival at Entebbe.

Uganda Entry Requirements 2026: Visas, Vaccines and Rules

Entry checklist

• Passport valid for at least 6 months after arrival, with blank pages
• Approved e-visa or East Africa Tourist Visa, printed
• Yellow fever vaccination certificate (the yellow card)
• Return or onward ticket and your first night’s accommodation details
• Travel insurance details, including medical evacuation cover
• US dollars in clean notes printed in 2009 or later

Visas: which one you need

Most nationalities, including visitors from Europe, North America and Australia, need a visa. Citizens of East African Community countries and some other nations are exempt, so check the official portal for your passport. For a gorilla trip in Uganda alone, the single-entry tourist e-visa costs US$50 and is valid for up to 90 days. Apply online, upload a passport scan, a passport photo and your yellow fever certificate, pay by card, and wait for an approval letter by email, usually within a few working days.

If you are also visiting Kenya or Rwanda, the East Africa Tourist Visa costs US$100 and allows multiple entries between Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda for 90 days, as long as you do not leave the three countries in between. Apply through the country you will enter first. It is usually the cheaper and simpler option for routes such as flying into Kigali and trekking in southern Bwindi. For the differences in detail, see Uganda’s visa options explained.

Use only the official portal. Many websites look official but charge extra fees or are scams; the genuine site ends in .go.ug. Keep a printed copy of your approval letter, as airlines often ask to see it at check-in.

Yellow fever certificate

Uganda requires proof of yellow fever vaccination for entry, and it is checked by airlines and on arrival at Entebbe. Get vaccinated at an approved travel clinic at least ten days before you travel, as the certificate becomes valid ten days after the injection, and it then lasts for life. Keep the original yellow card with your passport. If you cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, ask your doctor for an official exemption letter and check with the airline and Ugandan authorities in advance. For other recommended vaccinations, see vaccinations for Uganda.

Arriving at Entebbe

On arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you may first pass a health screening point, where staff check temperatures and, at times of disease outbreaks, ask about recent travel. Then go to the immigration desks with your passport, printed visa approval and yellow fever card. Officers take fingerprints and a photo and stamp your passport. After collecting your bags, you pass through customs, where bags may be scanned. Your driver-guide or hotel transfer will be waiting outside the arrivals hall.

It is useful to buy a local SIM card from MTN or Airtel in the arrivals area, which needs your passport for registration, and to change a small amount of money or use an ATM there. Most international flights arrive early in the morning or late at night, so book a first night in Entebbe rather than Kampala to avoid city traffic.

Customs and rules to know

A few rules catch visitors out. Thin plastic carrier bags are restricted, so pack purchases in reusable bags. Military-style camouflage clothing is not allowed for civilians and can be confiscated. Drones need advance permission to bring in and fly, and are generally not allowed in national parks without special permits. Large amounts of cash should be declared on arrival. Prescription medicines should be in their original packaging, with a copy of the prescription. For the wider picture of travel safety and laws, read our Uganda safety guide.

Health screening and disease outbreaks

During disease outbreaks, Uganda adds health checks at airports, borders and sometimes national parks. In 2026, an Ebola outbreak in Uganda and neighbouring Congo led to extra screening and stricter government travel advice; the World Health Organization declared Uganda’s outbreak over on 27 August 2026. Rules like these can return at short notice, so check official health advice before you fly. Remember too that park staff will not let anyone with signs of illness near the gorillas, to protect them from human diseases.

Leaving Uganda

Allow plenty of time for your departure from Entebbe. Vehicles and passengers go through a security check at the airport entrance before you even reach the terminal, and there are further checks inside, so arrive about three hours before an international flight. Departure taxes are normally included in your ticket. Keep some small change for snacks, and spend or change remaining Uganda shillings before you leave, as they are hard to exchange outside East Africa.

Travelling with children

Children need their own passports and visas, and the yellow fever requirement generally applies from the age of one. If a child is travelling with only one parent, or with someone other than a parent, carry a signed letter of consent and a copy of the birth certificate, as officials may ask. Remember that gorilla trekking has a minimum age of 15; see taking teenagers gorilla trekking.

Frequently asked questions