Travelling to Uganda

Travelling to Uganda during Covid-19 pandemic

As of 18 June 2021, land borders are restricted to cargo and registered tourist vehicles only. Commercial flights are operating. New COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) are in place for arriving and departing passengers.

If you are travelling to Uganda, you will need to provide a negative COVID-19 test certificate, issued no more than 72 hours before boarding the aircraft or crossing land borders. Foreign nationals without a valid negative test certificate will be denied entry. Children aged three and under are exempt when accompanying parents arrive with a negative test certificate.

Kenyans are required to undergo PCR testing at the border at their own expense, including at Entebbe International Airport, unless they have received their full COVID-19 vaccination, can provide evidence of this and show no COVID-19 symptoms. The cost of the PCR test will be up $65.Test results will take up to 4 hours.

Passengers who have been in India in the previous 14 days will not be permitted entry into Uganda unless they are Ugandans returning home.

Testing / screening on departure

Departing passengers are required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate, issued no more than 72 hours before travel. The 72 hours begins on the day the sample is collected for testing. Children aged three and under are exempt when accompanying parents have a negative test certificate.

COVID-19 tests taken for the purpose of travel outside of Uganda have to be paid for, even if the test is taken at a government testing centre. From 23 November 2020, all COVID-19 test certificates issued in Uganda must indicate the intended purpose of the test. Only test certificates which state travel as the intended purpose will be valid for departure from Uganda. Test certificates which state contact or alert will not be valid for travel.

There are a number of public and private COVID-19 test centers in Uganda. For further information, please see the government COVID-19 Response website.

Departing passengers will be required to wear a face mask inside the terminal and will be subject to temperature checks. Social distancing will also be in place and only passengers with valid tickets and airport officials will be allowed into the terminal building. Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport at least 4 hours before departure.

Passengers travelling on flights departing during curfew hours (7pm to 5:30am) will be allowed to travel to the airport upon presentation of a valid ticket.