Guidelines on COVID-19 for travelers arriving in Uganda from highly affected countries

To ensure safety and minimize the spread of COVID-19, Uganda’s Ministry of Health has set guidelines to govern every person in the country and especially travelers coming into the country. The latest guidelines on COVID-19 for travelers arriving in Uganda from highly affected countries were released on 5th May 2020.

Based on the current global trend of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Ministry of Health categorized countries in relation to the COVID-19 risk they pose. The countries have been categorized according to the presence and trends of variants of concern, high rate of transmission of the disease, and the number of deaths reported in the past 3 months.

Category 1

The only country in category 1, at the moment, is, India. All flights from India and all passengers originating from India were suspended effective 1^st May 2021. The following flights and travelers from India are exempted from the suspension;

Cargo flights where crew do not disembark
Technical stops where travelers do not disembark
Aircraft in a state of emergency
Operations related to humanitarian aid, medical evacuation, and diplomatic flights approved by the Appropriate Authority
National returning home after medical treatment in India

Category 2

Travelers from the USA, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey, South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Tanzania should consider postponing non-essential travel to Uganda.

Any traveler from these countries including Ugandan nationals and residents will be subjected to a PCR COVID-19 test at the points of Entry include Entebbe International Airport.

Category 3

Countries not in Category 1 and 2 are exempt from the above measures.

NOTE: Individuals in categories 2 and 3 who have received their full COVID-19 vaccination and are asymptomatic will be allowed into the country without the need for testing on arrival.

Testing of incoming travelers – guidelines on COVID-19 for travelers to Uganda

Testing of all incoming travelers including children from countries in categories 1 and 2 will be carried out upon arrival at the Airport without causing congestion, disruption, or stagnation of activities.

Additionally, the Ministry of Health has harmonized the cost for testing and agreed with the private laboratories not to charge more than USD 65 (Sixty five dollars only) for testing of all incoming travelers from Category 1 and 2 countries arriving through Entebbe International Airport.

With support from the airport officials and the airlines, travelers from Category 1 and 2 countries will be identified, cleared by immigration, and evacuated from the airport to the testing site to avoid congestion and disruption of services.

The travelers will be transported to an identified withholding area within 5km to 10km from the airport where their samples will be removed for testing. Results will be released every four (4) hours.

The travelers will have an option of waiting in a comfortable area for their results or checking into a designated hotel at their own cost until they receive their test result.

Any traveler who tests negative for COVID-19 will be permitted to leave and proceed with his/her onward journey.
Any traveler (national or non-national) who tests positive for COVID-19 will be evacuated by the Ministry of Health to a designated COVID-19 isolation facility.
Children who test positive for COVID-19 will also be evacuated to a designated COVID-19 isolation facility with their parent or guardian.

The ongoing testing of individuals arriving through the land points of Entry without test certificates from recognized laboratories shall continue.

All travelers planning to tour Uganda with Acacia Safaris should follow the guidelines set by the Ministry of Health. Adhere to the guidelines and have a successful and safe travel experience.

Acacia safaris currently have customized packages for Uganda gorilla safaris, chimpanzee trekking, birding, and wildlife viewing packages.