VisaUganda’s October entry notice changes certificate checks while visa rules continue
Uganda’s immigration authority says a yellow fever certificate is no longer mandatory for entry. This follow-up distinguishes that notice from continuing visa, passport and travel-authorisation requirements.
Official source date: 2026-10-02
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
The October notice concerns a certificate rather than a visa waiver
Uganda’s National Citizenship and Immigration Control issued a notice on 2 October 2026 stating that a yellow fever vaccination certificate is no longer a mandatory entry requirement. It says the requirement is not listed on the current e-visa portal or immigration website. This report follows up that October clarification; the notice does not announce visa-free admission for all nationalities.
Travellers should distinguish an immigration-document requirement from health advice and from the rules of another country on the itinerary. The notice concerns entry into Uganda. It does not establish that an onward destination has removed its own requirements, nor that any individual should change medical arrangements. Someone encountering a conflicting request should use the dated notice and the authority’s contact route to clarify which requirement is being applied.
An older general application page still refers to the certificate
The authority’s general visa-application FAQ includes a yellow fever certificate among example attachments, alongside the passport photograph, biodata and other documents. That wording differs from the later, specific October notice. Applicants should follow the current requirements generated for their selected application and seek clarification if the portal requests evidence inconsistent with the notice.
The same general application guidance explains the continuing online process: select the visa or permit type and subcategory, complete the electronic form, attach the required evidence and submit. Immigration may ask for further information electronically. A submitted application produces a reference number; a favourable decision produces an approval letter. The reference is useful for tracking but does not by itself constitute approval to travel.
Prepare the documents for tourism or a private family visit
The current single-entry tourist service asks holiday applicants for passport biodata showing at least six months of validity, a tour plan, an itinerary or booking, a recent passport photograph and hotel arrangements or another accommodation address. For a family visit it requests an invitation and the host’s immigration status as well as the applicable identity, photograph and accommodation evidence.
The service lists a USD50 visa fee, non-refundable and subject to a bank charge, and requires attached documents in English. Use this specific checklist to prepare the application rather than assuming removal of one certificate removes the wider evidence requirement. Additional documents may be requested during assessment, and payment does not establish that the authority has accepted the purpose or duration of the proposed visit.
Travel within the approval period and carry the issued letter
The tourist service says the visa approval authorisation must be used within 90 days of approval; after that it is cancelled and a new application is needed. That deadline is separate from the period granted on entry. Check the actual approval date before moving a flight to a later month, especially where a trip has already been postponed.
The general application FAQ directs successful applicants to print the emailed approval and present it with the valid passport at entry. UK government guidance for British citizens similarly describes a barcode authorisation letter and border issuance. It also identifies the separate USD100 East African tourist visa for multiple entries into Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda over 90 days. A regional journey should be assessed against that product rather than assuming a Ugandan single-entry permission covers neighbouring countries.
Use the correct extension route if the existing stay is ending
The immigration extension FAQ distinguishes visa-required and visa-fee-exempt nationalities. For a facility obtained through the electronic visa or permit site, the extension function requests the original application ID, passport number and date of birth. For visa-fee-exempt nationalities it directs users to the separate official extension portal. Exemption from an entry-visa fee should not be treated as permission to stay indefinitely.
For illustration, a visitor with an unused approval nearing its 90-day travel deadline needs to address travel validity, while someone already admitted whose endorsed stay is ending needs the appropriate extension. The October certificate notice resolves neither issue. Keep the passport, approval and entry endorsement available, identify which date controls the next action and use the corresponding official procedure before relying on a changed itinerary. The reviewed notice supplies no automatic extension or individual admission guarantee.
