Visa information for visitors: Getting Rwanda visa or Uganda visa is essential if you are to legally have access to Uganda or Rwanda. Exploring any of these 2 East African states has become easier than ever before whether for pleasure or business reasons. Uganda and Rwanda are blessed with the world’s mountain gorillas that are left today, wildlife, scenic water bodies, magnificent volcanoes.
How to apply for Uganda and Rwanda visas
Unlike before, applying for Uganda and Rwanda visas has been made simpler and no need for you to walk into the closest Ugandan or Rwandan embassy. In July, 2016, the government of Uganda launched electronic visas and obtaining visas has been made easier.
Visitors can now apply for visas online where you can fill in the application form and in Rwanda, you can visit www.migration.gov.rw or www.immigration.go.ug to obtain Uganda electronic visa or permit application system or respective countries’ embassies. In Rwanda, you can apply for a single-entry visa at US Dollars 30 and this is valid for at least 3 months.
What you should have to apply for a Uganda and Rwanda visa
- A valid passport; all applicants interested in obtaining Uganda or Rwanda visas should have valid passports at least for another six months from the date of your arrival in Uganda or Rwanda.
- Copies of passport’s information page
- Passport size photo and should be current
- Yellow fever certificate and while children below 5 years should be vaccinated against polio.
- The above requirements apply for travelers on Uganda safari or Rwanda safari. For a transit visa (each at $100), you may need a letter stating your transit reasons and the destination country and the East Africa visa plus itinerary and return flight ticket.
- After filling your details, you take a step to select the type of vias and processing time. Processing time exists in 3 options; standard processing taking 6 business days, rush processing time for 4 business days and super rush processing time which takes 2 business days.
- The visa type has 3 speed options. The East Africa visa usually costs a little more.
- Once you have chosen the type of visa, the next step is paying for it and you can do so by credit/debit or PayPal.
- Lastly, applicants can upload some documents.
- Note, all visa types offer a single entry apart from the East Africa visa (obtainable at US Dollars 100) that permits multiple entry of at least 2 East African Community member states. Multiple entry business visas can be secured at $50 and single-entry tourist visa at $50.
- Countries exempted from obtaining Rwanda visas include Burundi, Tanzania, Canada, Uganda, Mauritius, Kenya, USA, Australia, South Africa, Philippines, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sweden, Germany, New Zealand, Hong Kong.
- Countries exempted from obtaining visas to enter Uganda include Zambia, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Seychelles, Ghana, Antigua, Comoros, Lesotho, Barbados, Bahamas, Kenya, Jamaica, Vanuatu, Tanzania, Malawi, Rwanda, Mauritius, Grenada, Swaziland, Sierra Leone, Angola, Madagascar.