At the beginning of this month, October 1, 2020, Uganda publicly reopened both air and land borders and is once again permitting tourism to resume. This came in after president Museveni’s televised state address as concerns the government’s progress in curbing down the Corona Virus disease in late September.
In his speech, the President stated that: “The international airport and land borders will now be opened for tourists, coming in and going out, provided they tested negative 72 hours before arrival in Uganda.”
Following this announcement, Entebbe International Airport reopened and has since then resumed international flights to and from Uganda especially for tourism. Uganda’s extremely diverse landscapes, natural wonders, and abundant wildlife have been attracting over 1.5 million tourists per year, so the nation is very keen to finally reopen safely.
Never the less, the reopening doesn’t come usual as before the pandemic. The government of Uganda has set Standard Operating Procedures to which all airport users have to conform to. All passengers, inbound or outbound, should carefully read over the protocols below before travelling.
What countries are allowed to travel to Uganda
The government of Uganda is not restraining any countries to travel to the Pearl of Africa. All countries under normal ‘pre-covid’ visa and immigration regulations will be allowed entrance.
PCR Testing for travelers
Among the unique protocols Uganda has implemented for their reopening is having PCR testing requirements for both incoming and outgoing travelers. Actually, other nations worldwide do not have this type of requirement attached to travelers.
PCR Testing for travelers entering Uganda
As earlier announced by different government agencies, all passengers entering Uganda must have a negative PCR test, performed no longer than 72 hours before boarding any aircraft destined for Uganda.
To enforce this, Uganda’s Civil Aviation Authority of Uganda has advised all airlines not to allow the passenger to board if they cannot provide evidence of the negative test. In case an airline does board a passenger without a confirmed test, customs at the airport will deny them entry completely and demand the airline return them.
The only exception to this rule is citizens/nationals of Uganda returning home. Regardless, they are still expected to provide the negative PCR test results, but if they cannot for some reason, they can pay up to $65 to have the test done on arrival and quarantine until results are ready. Tourists do not have this option.
PCR Testing for travelers leaving Uganda
All passengers leaving Uganda are also required to present a negative PCR test, taken no longer than 120 hours prior to departure out of the country. The exception to this rule is very difficult to fulfill, as it states that the outbound passengers will not have to provide the negative PCR test, if the country they are flying to does not require it.
However, in order to prove that, Ugandan authorities want to see written clearance from the destination country, proving the passenger does not need a test to enter.
Getting that kind of document from already overwhelmed border police and consulates will be near to impossible, so every outbound passenger will likely need to have the 120-hour negative.
Quarantine Requirements
Uganda has dropped all quarantine requirements for incoming passengers, as long as they have fulfilled the PCR testing requirements and are not symptomatic.
Other Entry Rules/ Requirements into Uganda
- Face masks are required on the inbound flight and at all times in the airport terminal
- Social distancing of 1.5 metres from other passengers is mandatory in the arrival hall and baggage claim
- All passengers will be screened for high temperatures upon arrival and departure
- Fingerprints will be taken of all arriving passengers
- Any symptomatic passenger will be taken to Entebbe Referral Hospital, tested, and quarantined for 24-48 hours pending results.
Visa Requirements
All nations that normally require a visa to visit Uganda will still need one. Most countries have an online e-visa program, making the process a little easier.
Land Borders
Uganda opened all its land borders effective October 1, 2020 meaning traversing these points is now permitted by the government.
Curfew in Place
As of October 1, there is still a nation-wide curfew in place that all visitors should know about. The curfew runs daily from 9:00pm to 6:00am, restricting free movement of all persons during those hours. However, according to a recent police presser, in case one has a flight between curfew hours they are permitted to travel to/from the airport, but must carry some sort of proof of travel with them.
Flights to Uganda
Flights are just starting to resume with the announcement of Uganda reopening. Here are some direct flights that have already been rescheduled for October
Brussels on Brussels Airlines, resumed Oct 6
Istanbul on Turkish Airlines, resumed Oct 6
Doha on Qatar Airways, resumedOct 5
Qatar on FlyDubai and Emirates, already resumed
Bangui on Kenya Airines, resumed Oct 5
Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Air, already resumed
Nairobi on Kenya Airlines, already resumed
About Guide2Uganda
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