PassportSouth Africa

Trip checklist: Uganda

For South African passport holders. Last checked 5 October 2026.

Visa requirement

South Africans need to apply online for an e-visa before travel to Uganda.

Permitted stay

You can stay up to 90 days per visit, and you can apply to extend.

Before you go

  • Purpose of visit

    Single-entry visa covers tourism, medical treatment, family visits and similar; business and other purposes have their own document lists. No work on a visitor or tourist visa.

  • Passport validity

    At least 6 months validity. US advice: 6 months beyond arrival, with one blank page.

  • How to apply

    Apply on the official portal visas.immigration.go.ug. You get a six-digit application ID, and the approval letter (with barcode) is emailed to you. Print it; biometrics are taken and the visa is issued at the border or an immigration office. Fees: single entry US$50; East Africa Tourist Visa US$100; multiple entry US$100 (6 to 12 months) or US$200 (24 months); transit US$50. Fees are non-refundable and bank charges apply. Processing: 2 to 3 working days.

  • Where South Africans apply

    Online only at visas.immigration.go.ug. The High Commission of Uganda in Pretoria points applicants to the same portal.

  • Return or onward ticket

    Not listed for the single-entry tourist visa. Required for the East Africa Tourist Visa (return ticket and travel itinerary).

  • Accommodation or invitation

    Depends on purpose: tourism may need a tour plan or accommodation booking; family visits need an invitation letter.

  • Vaccinations, including yellow fever on return to South Africa

    UGANDA: On 2 October 2026 Uganda's Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control said a yellow fever certificate is no longer mandatory for entry. Older pages (EATV page, Ugandan embassy pages, UK FCDO updated 2 September 2026) still list it, so carry your certificate anyway. Uganda's Ebola outbreak was declared over on 25 August 2026. SOUTH AFRICA: Uganda is on South Africa's yellow fever risk list. Everyone over 1 year old, South Africans included, returning to South Africa from Uganda, or after an airport transit of more than 12 hours there, must show a valid yellow fever certificate on arrival in South Africa. Get vaccinated at least 10 days before travel; the certificate is valid for life. This SA rule still applies even though Uganda dropped its own entry requirement.

  • Arrival forms

    Print and carry the emailed e-Visa approval letter. No other arrival form found.

  • Extending your stay and overstaying

    Initial stay may be extended for another 60 days in 2 intervals. The East Africa Tourist Visa cannot be extended inside the country. Overstay penalties are not published on the official site.

  • Transit

    Transit visa US$50, applied for on visas.immigration.go.ug. Conditions and length not published on the pages checked.

  • Confirm with the embassy

    Rules change. Check the official source before you book.

Where to apply

Research sources

  1. 1. Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control, Uganda (Official, immigration.go.ug) https://immigration.go.ug/mandatory-online-visa-applications-all-visa-prone-travellers-uganda
  2. 2. Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control, Uganda (Official, immigration.go.ug) https://immigration.go.ug/services/tourist-visa
  3. 3. Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control, Uganda (Official, immigration.go.ug) https://www.immigration.go.ug/services/east-african-tourist-visa
  4. 4. Embassy of Uganda, Bujumbura (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) (Official, bujumbura.mofa.go.ug) https://bujumbura.mofa.go.ug/basic-page/visa-exempt-countries
  5. 5. Embassy of Uganda, Washington DC (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) (Official, washington.mofa.go.ug) https://washington.mofa.go.ug/consular/visas
  6. 6. Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control, Uganda (Official, immigration.go.ug) https://www.immigration.go.ug/faqs/immigration-control
  7. 7. Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control, Uganda (Official, immigration.go.ug) https://www.immigration.go.ug/services/multiple-entry-visa
  8. 8. High Commission of Uganda, Pretoria (Official, pretoria.mofa.go.ug) https://pretoria.mofa.go.ug/visa-consular
  9. 9. UK FCDO (Other government, gov.uk) https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/uganda/entry-requirements
  10. 10. US Department of State (Other government, travel.state.gov) https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Uganda.html
  11. 11. ECDC (Other government, ecdc.europa.eu) https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/ebola-outbreak-democratic-republic-congo-and-uganda
  12. 12. DIRCO (South African High Commission, Canberra) (Other government, dirco.gov.za) https://dirco.gov.za/canberra/yellow-fever/
  13. 13. Kenyans.co.ke (News and guides, kenyans.co.ke) https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/127535-uganda-drops-yellow-fever-card-requirement-travellers
  14. 14. Travel Trade Journal (News and guides, traveltradejournal.com) https://traveltradejournal.com/uganda-removes-mandatory-yellow-fever-vaccination-certificate-requirement-for-entry/

From doineedavisa.co.za/uganda. Always confirm with the embassy before you travel.