Uganda E-Visa Application and Photo

Thinking about exploring Uganda to see its mountain gorillas, national parks, and the Nile River? Depending on your nationality, you may need a tourist visa to Uganda. Thankfully, Uganda has introduced a Uganda e-visa system, making it easy to apply for and receive your visa online.

This guide will help you navigate the process of getting a Uganda e-visa, offering useful tips for a hassle-free experience.

Table of contents

• Uganda visa policy
• Joint East African Tourist Visa scheme
• Uganda e-visa categories
• How to apply for Uganda visa online?
• Documents required for Uganda e-visa application
• Uganda visa photo requirements
• Get your Uganda visa photo online
• Uganda e-visa validity and fees
• Uganda e-visa processing time
• Uganda visa extension

Uganda visa policy

Most international visitors need a visa to enter Uganda unless their nationality is visa-exempt. The official nationality list includes the following 40 countries and regions. The permitted stay is determined by the entry permission you receive, not by an assumption that every exemption automatically gives you 90 days.

Angola is not included in this ordinary-passport exemption list. Separate exemptions can apply to certain diplomatic and official passports; do not apply those rules to an ordinary passport.

Can I get a Uganda visa online? - Yes, and as of July 2016, this is the main way to obtain a Ugandan visa. Travelers who need a visa must apply online and obtain approval before arriving in Uganda.

Is there a Uganda visa on arrival? - Previously an option, visas on arrival are no longer available. Visa-required travelers must arrange their visas in advance; visa-exempt travelers do not need to obtain an eVisa just to enter Uganda.

Joint East African Tourist Visa scheme

The Joint East African Tourist Visa (ETV) lets travelers visit Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda with just one visa. This special pass is valid for 90 days from the date it's issued and allows you to move between these three countries multiple times. It's designed specifically for tourism, so you cannot use it for work or business. The government fee is USD 100, with bank charges separate. The visa cannot be extended, and leaving the Uganda-Kenya-Rwanda bloc invalidates it; it does not cover a trip to Tanzania or another neighboring country.

Anyone from abroad can apply for the EATV if they:

• Have a passport valid for at least six more months.
• Intend to travel to Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda for tourism.
• Hold a return or onward travel ticket.
• Show proof they have enough money for their trip.

You must start your journey in the country that issued you the visa.

Uganda e-visa categories

Uganda offers a variety of e-visas to suit different travel needs:

• Tourist e-Visa: For those traveling for leisure and sightseeing.
• Business e-Visa: For individuals engaging in professional or business activities.
• East Africa e-Visa: Allows entry into Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda, using the same set of travel papers.
• Transit e-Visa: For travelers passing through Uganda. This visa can't be extended and only permits a stay of up to 7 days.

How to apply for Uganda visa online?

To get your Uganda visa online, follow these simple steps:

• Head to the Uganda Electronic Visa/Permit Application System. Make sure you're on the official site to avoid scams.
• Choose the visa that suits your travel needs.
• Fill in the online form with your accurate personal details.
• Attach the required documents to your application.
• After completing the form and uploading documents, submit your application. You will receive a confirmation with an application number to check your status.
• Pay online with a valid credit or debit card (Visa or MasterCard).
• If your application is approved, you'll get an email with an approval letter. Print this letter and bring it with your passport, payment receipt and the documents uploaded in your application to Uganda's entry point, where immigration checks and biometric capture take place.

Documents required for Uganda e-visa application

Prepare your passport bio-page copy, a separate recent passport-size portrait and a valid payment card. Your passport must have at least six months of remaining validity. The supporting documents depend on the purpose of your visit:

• Tourism: a tour plan, travel itinerary or booking, and hotel booking or reservation. If you will stay elsewhere, provide the accommodation address.
• Business meetings or conferences: an invitation letter with the address and details of the business in Uganda. If the host is an individual, provide evidence of the host's immigration status. The business checklist specifies a photograph taken within the last six months.
• Family visits: an invitation letter, evidence of your host's immigration status, and a hotel booking or another accommodation address.
• Medical visits: prepare the supporting medical documents requested for your application.
• Other categories: provide the additional documents requested for the selected route, such as a transit explanation and destination-entry permission, or the supporting letters required for multiple entry.

All attachments must be in English. Upload any additional country-specific documents requested by the application, including the passport's last page if the portal asks an Indian applicant to provide it. Keep your portrait separate from the passport-page image.

Under Immigration's notice published on 2 October 2026, a yellow-fever vaccination certificate is no longer mandatory for entry into Uganda and is no longer required by the eVisa portal. Some older official checklists still mention it; the newer notice supersedes those entry-document instructions. This change concerns entry requirements, not personal medical advice about vaccination.

Uganda visa photo requirements

Uganda's official guidance calls for a recent passport-size photograph. The High Commission in Kigali specifies a white background. Upload a separate portrait, not the face photograph cropped out of your passport scan. For the finished photo:

• Use a recent passport-size portrait and follow the technical instructions in the selected photo-upload field.
• It must be in color.
• The finished background should be plain white with no shadows.
• Only the head and shoulders should be visible in the picture.
• You should face the camera directly with a neutral expression.
• Tinted glasses are not allowed unless needed for medical reasons, in which case a medical certificate might be necessary.
• Head coverings are only allowed for religious purposes; facial features from chin to forehead should remain visible.

The public official guidance reviewed for this article does not establish a universal 500 × 500-pixel requirement or confirm current photo file-size limits and accepted formats. Use the instructions displayed beside your selected portrait-upload field.

If the portal rejects the upload, check the actual saved file's format and size, not just its filename. Reduce unnecessary file weight while keeping the face sharp, then preview the image to make sure the full head and shoulders remain visible. Upload the downloaded file rather than a screenshot, and do not substitute the passport-page scan for the portrait.

Here's an example to guide you:

Get your Uganda visa photo online

Skip the stress of ensuring your Uganda visa photo meets the requirements by using Visafoto.com - a top-notch photo editing service with an impressive 99.7% success rate.

Just snap a photo against a plain white background using your phone or digital camera and upload it to Visafoto.com. Our service will automatically adjust the image size, format, background, and face alignment to meet Uganda e-visa requirements. If you're unhappy with the photo, we offer a free replacement. If your photo is rejected, you're entitled to a full refund.

You'll receive both a digital version for online submissions and a version ready for printing.

It should look like this:

You will get two types of photos: a digital one for electronic submission and a template for printing.

Uganda e-visa validity and fees

The single-entry tourist visa government fee is USD 50. Bank charges are separate, so the amount charged to your card can be higher than the statutory visa fee.

• Single entry, with a stay granted for up to three months: USD 50 before bank charges.
• Multiple entry, valid for six months: USD 100 before bank charges.
• Multiple entry, valid for one year: USD 100 before bank charges.
• Multiple entry, valid for two years: the current charge needs confirmation because official published sources conflict.
• East African Tourist Visa, valid for 90 days: USD 100 before bank charges.

For the two-year multiple-entry option, Immigration's service page lists USD 200, while the published 2021 fee regulations list USD 150. The live portal charge has not been verified for this guide. Confirm the amount for the selected category before paying rather than treating either figure as a confirmed current total.

Visa fees are non-refundable. Any bank or currency-conversion charges are separate from the government fee.

A single-entry Visa Approval Authorisation must be used within 90 days of approval; after that, it is cancelled and a new application is required. This entry window is different from the stay authorized when you arrive. Check the permission recorded in your passport rather than assuming the approval letter lets you remain for 90 days.

Uganda e-visa processing time

For most applications, the Uganda e-Visa is processed within 2 to 3 business days. The Uganda High Commission in Kigali recommends applying at least five working days before your intended travel date to allow time for verification requests. This is a planning buffer, not a guarantee of approval by a fixed date.

Uganda visa extension

Apply for an extension before your authorized stay expires. Immigration's single-entry tourist-visa guidance says the initial period granted at entry may be extended by another 60 days in two intervals. An extension requires permission; it is not an automatic additional three-month stay.

You can request an extension online via the Uganda Electronic Visa/Permit Application System by choosing “Extend your application” under the “Applications” section.

Alternatively, you can apply in person at Immigration Headquarters or a regional immigration office. The East African Tourist Visa and seven-day transit visa are not extendable.

Last updated: 13 October 2026.