By Iminza Keboge
Published August 2, 2016
Uganda has followed up its reduction of fee for its single entry visa with an online visa application system.
The country reduced the fee for its single entry visa by half in July 2016 and has a month later introduced the online application for the travel document.
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Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) says persons who require a visa to Uganda are expected to apply for and obtain the document–Transit, Single-Entry, Multiple-Entry, Diplomatic and Official, Multiple-Entry East Africa Tourist–online as the former manual system has been discontinued with effect from August 1, 2016.
The move to reduce the fee for a single entry, that saw tourists pay US$50 down from US$100 for single entry visa, was seen as an effort by Uganda aimed at attracting more travellers, business and foreign exchange to the country popularly known as the Pearl of Africa besides being in line with East Africa’s tourist visa that allows a traveller to enter Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya for US$100.
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Whereas the East Africa tourist visa is valid for three months across the region, the single entry one into Uganda expires once the bearer enters the country where he or she can remain for a maximum of 30 days.
But experts argue that Uganda’s single entry tourist visa is a better deal than the East African one; it is not only extendable to six months, but it can be also be used for both tourism and business unlike the latter that is used for tourism only and its validity cannot be extended beyond three months.
