The East African tourist visa is a special type of visa that allows travelers to visit multiple countries in East Africa using a single visa.
It was introduced as a joint initiative by the governments of Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda in 2014 to promote tourism and facilitate travel within the region.
The East African visa allows tourists to explore the diverse attractions and cultural heritage of these three countries without the need for multiple visas.
The advantages for travelers visiting Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya using the East African visa include that it makes the visa application process easy by eliminating the need to apply for separate visas for each country.
Applying for the East African visa also saves time and effort for tourists who wish to explore multiple destinations within East Africa. Additionally, it reduces travel costs since only one visa fee needs to be paid instead of multiple fees for individual country visas.
How to apply for the East African Tourist Visa
To obtain an East African tourist visa, travelers can apply online. The online application process requires filling out an application form, uploading a passport-sized photo, copy of a valid passport, return ticket, yellow fever vaccination certificate and providing details such as travel itinerary and accommodation bookings.
When applying for the East African tourist visa, it is recommended that tourists apply for it from the first country of entry for example if the tourists will start the safari in Uganda, they are required to apply for the visa from Uganda.
The visa application process for the East African visa takes 2 working days on the different online platforms.
The steps to follow during the visa application process include login into the portal, accepting terms and conditions of the disclaimer, selecting the visa type, filling in the application form, uploading required documents, making payment for the visa.
After completing this process, an approval letter is emailed to the client applying for the East African visa.
Cost of the East African Tourist Visa
The visa fee for the East African tourist visa is paid online during the application process. The visa costs 100 USD and is valid for a period of 90 days from the time of entry which means that travelers can enter and exit any of the participating countries which accept the East African visa multiple times within the 90-day period or 3 months.
Visa fees are nonrefundable and bank charges apply to the fee paid for the East African visa.
When applying for the East African visa with Kenya as the entry point, evisa applications have a service charge of 1 USD.
Other visas used to enter Uganda
Apart from the East Africa visa, tourists can also apply for the single entry visa which is valid for 3 months from the day of approval. This visa costs 50 USD.
Multiple entry visas can also be used when visiting Uganda and are valid for 6 months, 12 months or 24 months. The multiple entry visa valid for 6 to 12 months costs 100 USD and for 24 months the multiple entry visa costs 200 USD.
Transit visas can also be used and are used by tourists passing through Uganda to another country. This visa is valid for a period of 7 days and costs 50 USD.
Visa exempt countries in Uganda include Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Belize, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Cyprus, Eritrea, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, The Grenadines, South Sudan, St. Vincent-Tonga, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, United Nations laissez-passer, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Other entry requirements for Uganda include valid passport and a yellow fever vaccination certificate presented by a traveler on arrival.
It is important to note that while the East African tourist visa allows travelers to visit multiple countries within the region (Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda), it does not grant permission to work or engage in any form of employment.
If a traveler intends to work or conduct business activities in any of the countries which use the East African visa, they are required to apply for the appropriate work or business visa in Uganda, Kenya or Rwanda.