Uganda e-Visa
Everything you need to apply for your Uganda e-Visa: the requirements, the documents, and the steps from start to approval.
Official Uganda government portalOverview
The Uganda e-Visa is the country's online travel authorisation for tourism, business and East African leisure visits, issued by the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control through its official portal. It is the standard route for most nationalities, including travellers from the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada and Australia, who cannot enter Uganda without a visa or an authorisation arranged in advance. A tourist e-Visa is valid for 90 days from the date of approval and allows a single entry, with each stay granted for up to 90 days, which immigration offices may extend by a further 60 days once you are in the country.
It covers leisure, family visits, business meetings and sightseeing, but it does not authorise paid employment, long-term study or residence, which need the relevant Ugandan permit. Members of the East African Community are exempt and travel without one. The e-Visa links to the passport you apply with, so you must arrive on that same document.
If your itinerary also takes in Kenya and Rwanda, the regional East Africa Tourist Visa is a separate product; this service prepares the single-country Uganda e-Visa, and gorilla-trekking permits are booked separately. Your application is completed in your own language, every answer and the supporting documents you upload are confirmed, and the e-Visa is submitted to the authority so nothing is missed before you travel.
Requirements in detail
The Uganda e-Visa asks for a clear set of documents, and each one must match your passport exactly. You need a passport valid for at least six months from your date of arrival, with at least two blank pages for the entry stamp, plus a clear scan of its photo page. A recent passport-style digital photograph is required, taken against a plain light background with your face fully visible.
You also provide a travel itinerary or tour plan and confirmed accommodation, such as a hotel booking or a host address, together with a return or onward flight reservation. The single most important health document is a valid yellow-fever vaccination certificate: Uganda requires it from every traveller, whatever their country of origin, and children under five also need a polio vaccination. We do not give medical advice, so confirm the exact health rules on the official portal or with your doctor, but a missing or expired yellow-fever certificate is the most common avoidable reason for problems at the border.
Finally, a working email address receives your approval and a payment card covers one all-inclusive price that includes the government fee and our service fee, with the government portion itemised on your receipt. Check the spelling of your name and your passport number against the passport itself, because a single mistyped character is the error we see most often.
What you'll need
Have these ready before you begin your application. Requirements can vary by nationality and trip purpose.
- Passport with at least six months validity
- Recent digital passport photograph
- Yellow fever vaccination certificate (mandatory)
- Confirmed accommodation in Uganda
- Return or onward flight booking
- Email address for e-Visa delivery
- Payment method (one all-inclusive price)
How to apply
Three steps from start to approval.
Complete the form
Answer the official questions online. Your draft is saved for 30 days, so you can finish once your documents are to hand.
Pay securely
You see the one all-inclusive price before you pay. We check your application for completeness before it reaches the government portal.
Receive by email
Your approved travel authorisation arrives by email. Bring it, or a copy, together with the passport you applied with when you travel.
On arrival
Once your Uganda e-Visa is approved you receive it by email; carry a printed copy as well as a saved digital version, because the e-Visa and your yellow-fever certificate are both checked at the border. Travel on the exact passport you applied with, since the authorisation is tied to that document. The e-Visa lets you board and request entry, but the final admission decision rests with the immigration officer at Entebbe Airport or the land crossing, who may ask about the purpose and length of your trip.
Have your accommodation details and your return or onward ticket ready to show, and keep the yellow-fever certificate with your passport rather than in your checked luggage.
Government processing time
What the issuing authority typically takes once the application is submitted.
Government processing: Ugandan Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control decides in 1 to 7 business days. VisitPass review: Standard 1-3 business days; Rush 1 business day; Super Rush less than 6 hours. The application is checked for completeness, submitted to the authority, and the confirmation issued.
When to apply: start at least two to three weeks before departure so a public holiday or a request for clarification never threatens your travel dates. Submit once your passport, accommodation and flights are confirmed, and keep a comfortable buffer if you are travelling during the gorilla-trekking high season, when both demand and permit bookings peak.
At a glance
- Validity
- 90 days
- Maximum stay
- 90 days
- Entry type
- Single
Who can apply
Required for most nationalities visiting Uganda. The e-Visa is valid for 90 days from arrival with single-entry use. East African Community (EAC) members are exempt.
The East African Tourist Visa (covering KE+RW+UG) is a separate multi-country product; this service covers single-country Uganda only.
Uganda help desk
Have questions about your e-Visa? Email the Uganda desk and we reply within 24 hours.
uganda@visitpass-online.com