Uganda business visa, multiple-entry visa and special pass

A one-off trip for meetings, negotiations or a conference is covered by the ordinary single-entry visa, selected in its business category. If you travel to Uganda repeatedly, for example to visit a partner company or supervise a project, the multiple-entry visa saves a new application each time; NCIC grants it for 6, 12 or 24 months and it also prohibits employment.

Paid work is a different matter. Foreign nationals who come to work must meet Uganda's rules for expatriate employment. For short engagements NCIC offers the special pass, a temporary pass that covers work on a short contract, medical treatment, tourism and exploring business opportunities. Long-term employment needs an entry permit.

Single-entry business visa: passport scan with six months of validity, a photo taken in the last six months, an invitation letter that gives the host's full address and clearly describes the business in Uganda, and the immigration status of the host if the host is an individual.

Multiple-entry visa: passport bio-data page, photo, a valid police clearance from Interpol or your home country, recommendation letters from two referees in Uganda and a cover letter explaining why you need multiple entries.

Special pass sponsored by a company: passport copy, photo, the contract, a covering letter from the company giving the reason and length of stay, and your current immigration status. Individual applicants give their own covering letter with supporting documents instead of a company letter.

The single-entry visa costs USD 50. The multiple-entry visa costs USD 100 for 6 or 12 months and USD 200 for 24 months. The special pass costs USD 400 for 3 months. All fees are non-refundable, are paid online by Visa or MasterCard with a 3% surcharge, and may attract bank charges. Some permit-type applications are paid in two parts: a prepayment on submission and a top-up payment after approval, which is required before the approval letter is generated.

All three are filed on the NCIC portal. For the multiple-entry visa choose the Multiple-Entry category and the 6, 12 or 24-month subcategory. Once submitted, an immigration officer studies the file and may ask for more information through the portal. The decision is emailed; an approved visa is collected as a sticker at the port of entry after biometric capture, while passes are finalised at an immigration office.

NCIC's inspection department can prosecute, fine, detain or deport foreign nationals found working without a valid immigration facility, and company directors who employ them can also be prosecuted. If a short business trip turns into a paid assignment, apply for a special pass or entry permit before starting work.