Uganda e-Visa: how the online application works

NCIC requires everyone travelling to Uganda for holiday, tourism, business, study, visits or medical treatment to apply for and obtain a visa online. The same portal handles the ordinary single-entry visa, the multiple-entry visa for 6, 12 or 24 months, diplomatic and official visas, the transit visa and the East African Tourist Visa, as well as passes and entry permits for people already in Uganda.

Asked whether visas are still issued on arrival, NCIC answers that applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online to allow proper processing.

Online payments are accepted only by Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card. NCIC adds 3% of the application fee to every online payment. Where online payment is mandatory, the application is not passed on for processing until payment is complete, and unpaid applications are cancelled automatically. Visa fees are non-refundable. For some permits a second, top-up payment is due after approval, before the approval letter is released.

On the home page choose to start a new application, accept the disclaimer and select the application type (visa or permit), the category and the subcategory. Fill in the electronic form and upload the attachments: typically a recent photo, the passport bio-data page and, depending on the visa, an invitation letter, police clearance or recommendation letter. The system then issues an application ID that you will need, together with your passport number and date of birth, to manage, extend or replace the application later.

An immigration officer reviews the file and may ask for more information, which you upload through the portal's check page. Decisions are sent to the email address you gave.

The emailed approval letter works as your travel authorisation, but it only shows that you are eligible: the final decision is made at the port of entry you selected, where the officer prints the visa sticker and places it in your passport. Bring the letter printed, as its barcode lets the officer find your file quickly, and travel with a passport valid for at least six months.

The approval is valid for 90 days from the day it is issued. If you do not travel within that time it is cancelled and you must apply and pay again. A yellow fever certificate is no longer required at entry under NCIC's notice of 2 October 2026.

If the system reports that you cannot apply twice with the same passport, you already have a pending application for that visa type; open it under 'Manage your application' rather than starting a new one. A forgotten application ID can be retrieved through the portal's recovery link. NCIC's public relations office can be reached on +256 417 102 600.