Uganda Introduces e-visa Application System

The Ugandan Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control officially announced the new e-visa online application system for concerned travelers including tourists with effect from 1st July 2016.
Anyone wishing to travel to Uganda can easily apply for the e-visa at https://visas.immigration.go.ug the official online application website. The application should made in two weeks time before you actual date of travel.

Once you enter the website and make a request, an authorization document is sent to you by email which should be printed out and then later presented to any of the Ugandan high commission embassies in foreign countries, at the overland border posts or on arrival at Entebbe International Airport Immigration Offices. The system will be very convenient for travelers; very often the long lines at immigration offices can annoy and take time which you may not be having even as we wait for the complete implementation of the system soon.
Note that the old system of applying for Uganda visas on arrival is still working normally at Entebbe airport and overland borders as we wait for the new one to start working. A single entry visa costs 100 USD per person which is valid for 3 months for tourists; multiple entry visas are valid for 6 months and cost the same amount.

You must be aware of your visa expiry date because overstaying in Uganda after you visa expires leads to a payable fine of 100 USD or where necessary imprisonment because it’s illegal. You are allowed to apply for visa extension through the Ugandan directorate of citizenship and immigration control head offices located in Kampala. The East African single tourist visa cost 100 USD and allows visitors to tour all the East African countries minus extra border entry charges.

To apply for the Uganda visa you are required to download, print and sign the visa application form for those applying online. For manual application upon arrival you must present a valid passport, two passport size photographs, and a trip itinerary, a copy of international yellow fever vaccination card is mandatory. For those visiting friends and relatives in Uganda, you must have a letter of invitation from the person inviting you with personal details such as purpose of the visit, names, gender, duration of the visit as well as details of the inviting party.

Uganda is perceived as a politically stable country and a safe destination for tourists although the country is often rated to be on a high risk of terror threats because Ugandan government established its presence in Somalia for the al-Shabab terrorists. For safety and security reasons tourists are advised to avoid illegally crossing border areas of Uganda such as eastern DRC, northern Karamoja region border with south Sudan. Recently after general elections some minor political demonstrations took place involving violence against law keepers (police) hence tourists are warned to avoid gatherings of that kind. Do not expose off your valuables like cameras, expensive phones or laptops while on the streets not to attract thieves.

Uganda is one of the best tourist destinations in Africa with many tourist attractions that can all be combined on one safari and cannot be seen elsewhere. Particularly, Uganda is a home to half of the world’s remaining gorillas and tourists come from all over the world to come for gorilla safaris in Bwindi or Mgahinga national park. Besides the gorillas, there are chimpanzees, wildlife national parks, mountains, fresh water bodies, waterfalls, source of the mighty Nile, which all offer great opportunity for tourists to enjoy nature.

The new Uganda e-visa online system performs security check for all applicants to avoid online lawbreakers. It’s clear that you will successfully be eligible for the e-visa by application but does not guarantee you of official and confidential approval because you will have to get through a personal interview by the immigration officers show proof of your identity documents such as identity cards or passports to determine originality. Any falsification found in documents or statements is liable to face charges in courts of law and termination of the visa.

Visa exemption does apply to few country nationals who can visit Uganda without one hence you should read about your country’s visa status for Uganda.