East Africa Tourist visa
Going on an exotic tour in Africa? Three East African countries - Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya - in 2014 introduced the joint visa system - The East African Tourist Visa ("EATV"), which gives the right to visit any of these countries (or all three at once).
Table of contents
- East Africa Tourist visa requirements
- Documents required for East Africa Tourist visa application
- East Africa Tourist visa photo requirements
- East Africa Tourist visa cost
- East African Tourist visa length of stay
You can apply for an EATV online shortly before your trip. We tell you how to do it and what rules you need to follow.
East Africa Tourist visa requirements
The East Africa Tourist visa can only be issued for tourist purposes. It does not allow you to study or to be employed.
To obtain the EATV, you need to fill out a simple electronic form and pay the visa fee. The approved East Africa Tourist Visa will be mailed to you within several business days.
The EATV must be issued by the first country of entry. In all three cases, the application process is slightly different:
- Rwanda. If your journey begins in Rwanda, you can apply for a visa through the Rwanda Online Visa Application System. In addition, Rwanda is the only country on the list that issues East Africa Tourist Visa on arrival. The cost of fees in all cases remains the same.
- Kenya. If your trip starts in Kenya, you can get the East African Tourist Visa online at this link.
- Uganda. If the first country of entry is Uganda, use this link to apply.
Documents required for East Africa Tourist visa application
The document package differs slightly depending on the country issuing the visa. Here is a complete list for all cases:
Documents required for Uganda visa:
- Passport valid for at least 6 months from the planned date of entry;
- Yellow fever vaccination card certificate;
- Travel itinerary (e.g., hotel booking or invitation letter);
- Return ticket or ticket to the third country;
- Digital Uganda visa photo.
Documents required for Rwanda visa:
- Passport valid for at least six months from the planned date of entry;
- Digital Rwanda visa photo (the list of requirements is below);
- Return ticket or ticket to the third country;
- Some applicants may be asked to provide proof of sufficient funds for travel.
Documents required for Kenya visa:
- Passport valid for at least six months from the planned date of entry;
- Return ticket or ticket to the third country;
- Hotel booking or an invitation letter from your host;
- Digital visa photo.
Note that if any of your passport data changes after the visa is issued, it will become invalid. If you lose or change your passport, you will need to obtain a new visa.
East Africa Tourist visa photo requirements
The specified requirements are applicable for Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda online visa photos:
- Photo must be in color;
- Photo must be in good quality; scans are not suitable;
- East Africa Tourist visa photo size must be 500x500 pixels;
- The photo must be taken on a solid white off-white background;
- The applicant must look directly into the camera with a neutral facial expression;
- Tinted glasses are not allowed unless worn for medical reasons (in this case, you may need to provide a medical certificate).
Here is an example:
To instantly get a 500x500 pixels photo for your East Africa Tourist visa application, simply upload here any portrait of yourself, taken in full-face with good, even lighting.
Source
Result
Visafoto will instantly adjust the size, background, and quality of the photo.
East Africa Tourist visa cost
Whichever country you use to process your travel permit, the East Africa Tourist visa price will be the same: $100 + $1 of processing fee. It is three times cheaper than applying for visas to Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda separately, in which case you have to pay about $50 each time.
You can pay East Africa Tourist visa fees online with MasterCard, Visa, or any other credit card. The price is non-refundable.
East African Tourist visa length of stay
The EATV allows travelers to stay in the countries for up to 90 days per six-month period.
The validity period for the East Africa visa begins on the planned date of entry indicated in your application form and not on the date of issue.
The EATV allows you to cross the borders of Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda more than once. However, if you decide to travel to a country not on the list (for example, Tanzania), the visa will expire.
Please note that you cannot extend the East African Tourist visa.
