Things to know before you travel to Uganda

Traveling to Uganda is a top Africa tour destination with primates and wildlife to be seen by tourists. Explore Uganda the Pearl of Africa and have an experience of the tropical jungles. Safaris to Uganda are definitely a favorite to many world travelers, however, there is a lot of relevant travel advice or things to know before you travel to Uganda that could be of great help to any first-time traveler to the country. Here are the relevant things to know before you travel to Uganda;

Tourist visa to travel to Uganda

Before you enter Uganda, you will be required to purchase a tourist visa. A tourist visa to Uganda can be purchased in advance via the embassy or consulate in your country or just upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport. It can also be bought at any overland border. A single entry visa will take you up to 90 days to stay in Uganda.

However, if you intending to take a combined East African trip including Rwanda tours, Kenya safaris, and Tanzania wildlife safaris along with an Uganda tour then it is recommended to request an East African tourist visa. This visa allows you multiple entries into Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya for 90 days. This helps tourists have a hassle-free entry into the countries during their combined trip.

Is Uganda Safe for tourists?

Uganda is safe and stable for tours in Africa as long as you work according to the guidelines and make sure you take good care of personal security. Uganda’s capital-Kampala is one of the safest cities in Africa and tourists who have visited this city before have left with almost no safety problems.

Petty theft and things like credit card scamming and overcharging can be avoided if any traveler is well prepared and has taken note of all the precautions before getting out in the city.

To ensure each tourist on Uganda safaris is safe, hotels and all forms of accommodation facilities have security personnel to ensure all residents or visitors to the hotels are safe.

Banks, shopping places like supermarkets, bars, offices, stores, all around the country also ensure these areas are safe and tourists are safe. In case you would like to visit any of your country’s embassy in Uganda, you can easily visit the embassy and inquire about any of your queries.

Vaccinations required before you travel to Uganda

For any travelers visiting Uganda, there are certain vaccinations that are needed to be received. Before taking a safari to Uganda, there are vaccines that are recommended.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend the following vaccinations for Uganda.

Recommended vaccinations include Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid, Cholera, Yellow Fever, Rabies, Meningitis, Polio, Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis), Chickenpox, Shingles, Pneumonia and Influenza.

There is a risk of yellow fever in Uganda and all travelers over the age of nine months must be vaccinated for entry.

Malaria spreads through infected mosquitoes and travelers are advised to take steps to avoid mosquito bites and take antimalarial drugs.

CDC recommends travelers planning on visiting certain parts of Uganda during the dry season (December-June) to have a meningitis vaccine.

Note: It is recommended to take these vaccines a month before your trip to Uganda.

Guidelines on COVID-19 for travelers to Uganda

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 a 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.

Things to know before you travel to Uganda

Testing of incoming travelers – Things to know before you travel 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 results.

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.