Uganda is the one country on our East African routes where the paperwork can genuinely stop a trip. There's no visa on arrival, Entebbe doesn't bend, and the official portal is surrounded by look-alike sites. It isn't hard. It just has to be done in advance and on the right website. Here's the whole thing.
The short version. Australians need a Uganda eVisa before they fly. Apply at visas.immigration.go.ug, USD 50 single entry plus a small card fee, and allow a week. There is no visa on arrival. Since 2026 you no longer need a yellow fever certificate to enter Uganda.
Use the official site, nothing else
The Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control's portal is visas.immigration.go.ug. The address ends in .go.ug. There are at least half a dozen sites with "Uganda", "eVisa" and "immigration" in the name that take your USD 50, add a service fee and submit the same form, and some are slower than doing it yourself. Immigration's own anti-fraud notice says the government charges nothing extra to fast-track an application, so nobody can sell you a quicker lane.
Cost and timing
The single-entry tourist eVisa is USD 50, paid by card, and the bank adds a small processing charge. Immigration's notice says applications take under three working days; our experience is that most come back inside a week and the occasional one sits for two. The approval letter has to be used within 90 days of being issued, so don't apply months ahead. Four to six weeks before you fly is the window: early enough to fix a problem, late enough to stay inside the 90 days.
If your trip crosses into Rwanda and back, or into Kenya, look at the East Africa Tourist Visa: USD 100, 90 days, multiple entry across Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda. You apply for it through the first country you enter, so for an Entebbe arrival that's this same Ugandan portal. For a one-way Uganda to Rwanda trip the separate documents are cheaper, because Rwanda is free for Australians.
Before you start
- Your passport, valid for at least six months from your arrival date, and a clear scan of the photo page.
- A recent passport-style photo, plain background, as a JPG.
- Your itinerary or tour plan. Your Kingse itinerary PDF is exactly what they mean.
- Accommodation details. The form wants the name of where you're staying; use the first lodge on your itinerary.
- Your onward or return ticket.
- A credit or debit card and an email address you check.
The form, step by step
- Start a new application. Visa type is Uganda Ordinary / Tourist Visa, single entry, purpose Tourism. Pick the East Africa Tourist Visa here instead if that's the one you need.
- Personal and passport details. Name exactly as printed in the passport. One application per traveller, children included.
- Travel details. Entry point is Entebbe International Airport for almost all our guests. Arrival date is the day you land in Uganda. Duration of stay is your nights in Uganda only.
- Uploads. Passport photo page, your photo, the itinerary PDF and the accommodation booking. If it asks for a letter of invitation, upload the itinerary again; it's accepted as the tour plan from your operator.
- Pay. USD 50 by card, plus the bank charge. Keep the payment receipt email.
- Approval. The approval letter arrives by email. Print it and save it to your phone. The visa itself is issued at Entebbe when you present the letter; it goes in your passport there.
Yellow fever: the rule changed
For years Uganda asked every arriving traveller for a yellow fever certificate at the health desk, before immigration. That ended in 2026. Immigration confirmed in a letter dated 27 August 2026, made public on 2 October, that a certificate is no longer a mandatory requirement for entry, and the Australian Government's Smartraveller advice now says the same. Two things haven't changed. Health authorities still recommend the vaccine for Uganda, and the countries you fly to after Uganda, including Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa, can still ask for the certificate from anyone arriving from Uganda. So the card still travels with you. What goes in your arm is a question for a travel doctor with your itinerary, about eight weeks out. We don't give health advice.
Gorilla permits aren't the visa
Your gorilla trekking permit is a separate document, bought in your name by us from the Uganda Wildlife Authority when your trip is confirmed, and paid in full at booking. We need your passport details for it, and the name on the permit has to match the passport you trek with. You don't apply for anything; you bring the passport to the morning briefing. Our Uganda gorilla trekking cost guide covers what the permit costs.
Uganda with Rwanda
Our most common gorilla itinerary lands in Entebbe and flies home from Kigali. For that you need the Uganda eVisa before you fly and nothing at all for Rwanda, where Australians get a free 30-day visa at the border. Our Rwanda visa page has the details, and Rwanda vs Uganda compares the two treks.
Quick answers
Do Australians need a visa for Uganda?
Yes. Australians need a Uganda eVisa, applied for online at visas.immigration.go.ug before they travel. There is no visa on arrival at Entebbe or the land borders.
How much does the Uganda eVisa cost?
USD 50 for a single-entry tourist visa, plus a small bank charge on the card payment. The East Africa Tourist Visa, covering Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda, is USD 100.
How long does the Uganda eVisa take?
Immigration's notice says under three working days. Most come back inside a week; the occasional one takes two. Apply four to six weeks before you fly. The approval must be used within 90 days of being issued, so don't apply months ahead.
Do I need a yellow fever certificate to enter Uganda?
Not any more. Uganda's immigration department confirmed in 2026 that a yellow fever certificate is no longer a mandatory requirement for entry. Countries you fly to afterwards can still ask for it, and the vaccine is still recommended, so talk to a travel doctor and keep the card with you.
Does the Uganda visa cover Rwanda?
No. Rwanda issues Australians a free 30-day visa on arrival, so for a one-way Uganda to Rwanda trip you need only the Uganda eVisa. The USD 100 East Africa Tourist Visa covers both if you'll be crossing back and forth.
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