Everything you need to know about Uganda Visa
All citizens of United Kingdom holding
full UK passports will require a visa to enter Uganda. Travellers can apply for electronically
for an evisa or for a regular visa via the Ugandan High Commission in London.
Previously
Ugandan ports of entry, i.e the Entebbe International Airport and a few land border checkpoints, allowed
Visa on Arrival.
However, it was later reported that
passengers faced different complications at the immigration office, including
waiting for hours to get their visa approved or even facing rejection.
Hence, the government of Uganda replaced
the visa on arrival alternative with an electronic visa, to make the system
more efficient, quick, and simple.
The Ugandan e-visa process can be carried
out completely online and from any location.
Tourist E-Visa
An
Ugandan tourist e-visa enables you to enter the country for leisure or
sight-seeing purposes. It is available in either single entry or multiple entry
types.
While
single entry visas offer a validity of 3 months, multiple entry visas come with
a validity of 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years. In either case, the maximum
allowable stay is 30 days per visit from your date of entry into the country.
Business E-Visa
You
can apply for a business e-visa if you are planning to enter the country for
business activities, such as attending a conference, seminar, or meeting, without
taking up employment opportunities.
It
is also available in either single entry or multiple entry types. While single
entry visas offer a validity of 3 months, multiple entry visas come with a
validity of 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years.
In
either case, the maximum allowable stay is 30 days per visit from your date of
entry into the country.
To
apply for any evisa to Uganda, you will need a scanned copy of your United
Kingdom passport (biodata pages), one recent passport size photograph, and a
copy of International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever.
When
applying for a multiple entry visa, you need additional documents such as
police clearance from Interpol or home country, recommendation letters from 2
referees in Uganda, a cover letter explaining the reasons for multiple entries,
and proof of entries and exits into Uganda for at least 5 times in the last one
year.
Once
you get your approval letter, you need to travel with a printout of the approval,
along with the original yellow fever certificate, your original passport with a
validity of 6 months and one copy, and a recent passport size photograph.
At
the point of entry, the immigration officer will verify your data, take your
biometrics and stamp the visa on your passport.
Transit E-Visa
You
need to apply for a transit e-visa of you are planning to transit via Ugandan
borders to any other country. It is also available in single and multiple entry
types, each with a validity of 3 months.
Even
here, the process is almost similar to the one explained above. However, along
with scanned passport copy, yellow fever vaccination copy, and passport size
photograph, you also need to upload a personal letter (stating the reason for transit and the country of
destination) along with your e-visa application.
The process followed at the immigration
office is similar to the one described for the other e-visa categories.
East-African
E-Visa
A multiple-entry East-African tourist
e-visa allows multiple
entries into Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. It has a validity of 3 months.
While
applying, the supporting documents you need are a scanned copy of your passport
and yellow fever vaccination certificate and a passport size photograph.
Additionally,
you need to upload a copy of
round trip tickets or confirmed itinerary. Once you get the approval letter,
follow the steps outlined above to get your visa stamped at the immigration
office after you arrive in Uganda.
Maximum Allowable
Stay in Uganda
Usually, the maximum allowable stay per
visit is 90 days. However,Ugandan immigration officers will finally confirm how long
you are permitted to stay within the country.
They
generally attach a handwritten note of this time frame just next to the entry
stamp in your passport.
Note:
if you fail to abide by the rules and overstay your visa, you may be fined or
worse, imprisoned. You can always apply for a visa extension at Ugandan
immigration headquarters on Jinja Road in Kampala.
UK Emergency Travel Documents
UK
Emergency Travel Documents or ETDs are accepted by the Ugandan government for
entry, airside transit and exit from the country. Note that your ETDs must be
valid for 6 months from your date of entry into the nation’s borders.
Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate
The
Government of Uganda, as per the rules of the Ministry of Health, is bound to
contain and prevent the spread of yellow fever virus.
Hence,
during entry as well as exit, passengers need to show a Yellow Fever
Vaccination certificate. This is especially required if anyone arrives from
countries with risk of Yellow Fever transmission or even when someone arrives
via transit through such countries.
Hence,
a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is mandatory for anyone travelling from
endemic countries to Yellow Fever free countries.
And
it is not required if the traveller agrees to receive a booster dose after the
one-time vaccination which ensures lifelong protection.
If you are not vaccinated against yellow
fever, you will be required to take vaccination when you arrive in Uganda.
Sometimes, even quarantine measures are implemented.
Where can I apply for an e-visa?
You an apply for an e-visa by visiting
the official site:https://visas.immigration.go.ug.
You can also apply via our site where we shall ensure that you have a smooth
quick process. Our 24/7 helpline shall help you in addressing any doubts that
you face during the application process.
Previously, Uganda had a facility of visa
on arrival. Is it still available?
No, currently is it not possible to avail
a visa on arrival at any Ugandan port of entry for UK citizens. The entire
system is completely online.
Even paper applications prior to your
travel are not processed by the embassy and shall result in unwanted delays.
Whether you are travelling alone or in groups, you must follow the e-visa
option.
Is there any format for entering contact
numbers?
Yes, in the contact number field, avoid
using any '+' sign while entering figures such as a telephone number. You should
omit the '+' sign and enter the complete number.
Are there any size requirements for
uploading a copy of my passport, passport size photograph and yellow fever
vaccination certificate?
Yes, there is a maximum allowable size
limit. If while uploading the documents, you get a comment like ‘file size too
big’, you must resize it via websites and computer software like microsoft
paint, to adjust it to the required size.
What is the normal processing time for
getting a visa approval?
Usually, the maximum turnaround time to
receive your visa approval letter is approximately three days for a normal
application. However, it may vary on a case to case basis. Sometimes, if you
application is incomplete, you shall need to submit further documentation. This
can increase the time. Again, if the submitted documents don’t match your
purpose of visit, you may again need to upload additional information.
Once I get the visa approval letter, can
I enter Uganda?
Your visa approval letter means that you
are eligible to get the visa stamped on your passport. It is not your actual
visa.
During your application, you choose a
location in the 'personalise' your visa tab. This can be either the immigration
office at the Entebbe border or the High Commission in London.
Visit the stated place (after arrival at
the point of entry or at the consulate section of the embassy prior to travel
on any of the working days) and get your biometrics done.
Only then, the actual visa will be stamped
on the blank page of your passport.Note
that it is mandatory to present a valid visa approval letter for entering in
Uganda. Any other permit does not allow you to enter the country.