Entry rules in response to coronavirus
All arriving passengers are required to provide a negative COVID-19 test certificate issued no more than 72 hours before boarding the aircraft to Uganda or crossing land borders. Foreign nationals without a valid negative test certificate will be denied entry. Children aged three and under are exempt when accompanying parents arrive with a negative test certificate.
From 27 October 2021 all travellers arriving at Entebbe International Airport will be subjected to a COVID PCR test on arrival before immigration. The only exemptions are children below 6 years old and airline crew with evidence of full COVID-19 vaccinations.
You should register your details for the on arrival PCR test in advance of your travel using the online registration system. The test costs $30, payment can be made via credit/debit card, mobile money or online at covidpay.
From 5 November passengers will be allowed to continue to their home/hotel and wait for their test results there. Arriving tourists who test positive, but are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms, will be permitted to isolate in their hotel. Other travellers who test positive will be contacted by the Ministry of Health and taken from their home to one of the designated COVID-19 treatment facilities. Treatment in a public hospital is free of charge, if travellers opt for a private hospital they will need to pay.
Passengers arriving or departing from Entebbe International Airport can only be picked up or dropped off by a maximum of two people, including the driver, in order to avoid crowding.
Vehicles with more than the authorised number of people will not be allowed access to the airport.
You should not use the NHS testing service to get a test in order to facilitate your travel to another country. Some airlines have refused to allow passengers who have used NHS tests to travel. You should arrange to take a private test.
Demonstrating your COVID-19 status
From 27 October 2021 only aircrew are required to provide proof of vaccination status to avoid a PCR test on arrival at Entebbe International Airport.
Uganda has not yet confirmed that it will accept the UK’s proof of COVID-19 recovery and vaccination record. You should follow the entry rules for unvaccinated people. Your NHS appointment card from vaccination centres is not designed to be used as proof of vaccination.
Testing/Screening on arrival
Arriving passengers will be subject to temperature checks and will be screened for infectious diseases by the Port Health authorities. From 27 October 2021, all travellers arriving at Entebbe International Airport will subjected to a COVID PCR test on arrival. The only exemptions are children below 6 years old and airlines crew with evidence of full COVID-19 vaccinations. If a foreign national tests positive for COVID-19 and wishes to be repatriated for treatment outside of Uganda, they will be expected to cover the costs themselves.
Testing / screening on departure
Departing passengers are required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate, issued no more than 72 hours before travel. The 72 hours begins on the day the sample is collected for testing. Children aged three and under are exempt when accompanying parents have a negative test certificate.
COVID-19 tests taken for the purpose of travel outside of Uganda have to be paid for, even if the test is taken at a government testing centre. From 23 November 2020, all COVID-19 test certificates issued in Uganda must indicate the intended purpose of the test. Only test certificates which state travel as the intended purpose will be valid for departure from Uganda. Test certificates which state contact or alert will not be valid for travel.
There are a number of public and private COVID-19 test centres in Uganda. For further information, please see the government COVID-19 Response website.
Departing passengers will be required to wear a face mask inside the terminal and will be subject to temperature checks. Social distancing will also be in place and only passengers with valid tickets and airport officials will be allowed into the terminal building. Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport at least 4 hours before departure.
Passengers travelling on flights departing during curfew hours (7pm to 5:30am) will be allowed to travel to the airport upon presentation of a valid ticket.
Regular entry requirements
Visas
You’ll need a visa to enter Uganda. Following an announcement by the Ugandan Ministry of Internal Affairs on October 14 2021, you are required to apply for a visa online before your trip as there will now be no visas issued on arrival.
You can apply for a visa at the Ugandan High Commission in your respective country or apply online for an ‘e-visa’. You can find full details of how to apply on the website. You should give yourself sufficient time to apply for a visa and make sure when applying that the start date and validity covers the period you wish to travel. You can also apply for an East African Tourist Visa. This is valid for 90 days and allows multiple entry into Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. You can apply for this visa on the ‘e-visa’ website.
For more information about entry requirements, visit the Ugandan Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control website.
Passport validity
Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into Uganda.
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