Travel Documents, Visas, Vehicle Crossing in East Africa Countries - Frequently asked questions

Questions about Visa and Travel Document Requirements when travelling between Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi. do I need a visa when crossing from one country to another? How do I cross borders with my own vehicle?

a) Do I need a visa to travel from one EAC country to the next?If you are a citizen of any one of the five EAC Partner States of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, you won't need a visa to travel to any of the countries within the EAC bloc. For visitors from without East Africa, please check individual EAC Partner State Immigration/Home Affairs websites for visa information. Otherwise the basic rule is a visa acquired from one country does not apply to another and once you exit one country, you shall need to apply for another visa when re-entering it.
b) Which documents do I need to carry along with me when travelling to any EAC state?
Standard travel documents such as national passports apply for East Africans and non-East Africans alike, although East Africans may use the East African Passport or temporary travel documents in place of either national or East African passports.
c) I would like to use my vehicle in another EAC country; what should I do?East Africans are allowed to drive private cars across borders and across the entire EAC region, free of charge, for visits no longer than seven (7) days.  All you have to do is fill a form, obtainable at border crossing points, which grants you the free access. Generally speaking, you need to have a COMESA Insurance which can be purchased from any major insurance companies or even at most border crossing points, your original driver’s license, and original copies of your vehicles owner’s logbook.
d) Do I need to acquire a local driver's license to drive my car in another EAC state?Citizens of EAC states need not acquire a new license to drive in another EAC country. Driver’s licenses from any of the Partner States apply anywhere in the EAC region. Suffice it to say that your license must be valid.
e) As a resident of East Africa, can I use my current mobile phone number when I travel through the region?Yes. Thanks to a series of inter-operator roaming agreements, East African residents may continue to use their local mobile phone numbers, sometimes without incurring roaming charges. *Please check the availability of this service with your operator.
f) What should I do if I lose my travel documents while visiting another country?
If you lose your travel documents, report to the nearest police station as soon as possible. With the Police's help you should be able to access temporary travel documents from your country's diplomatic mission.
g) I am a citizen of Tanzania living in the United Kingdom, I have UK  right of abode in my United Republic of Tanzania passport, do I need a visa to visit Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi or Uganda? - Carlos Montana
A citizen of any of the East African Community Partner States (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda) does not require a visa to travel to or through East Africa. Also note that East African citizens pay the same rates as locals in a given EAC country to access any tourist or accommodation facilities.

Related posts

Common Tourist Visa A Top Priority for East Africa Community for 2013

Indifference among States Puts Single East Africa Community Tourist visa Plans in Balance

Who Needs and How to Apply for Rwanda Visa– Tourist Visa Entry Requirements

---

j) My question is not addressed here; what should I do?If your query is not addressed on this page, please send us an email on info@gorillasandwildlifesafaris.com . We will be happy to provide an answer, and your question shall then be added to this page as well.

Uganda Launches e-Visa application

All those who have guests, friends or relatives visiting Uganda, kindly advise them to apply for the Visas online. Soon they will be no issuance at the point of entry.
It is not yet however known if Uganda will continue for the time being with a  parallel process of Visa on arrival as has been the case all along and clarification is sought on this crucial issue.

If your visa or permit application is approved, it establishes that you are eligible for the approved visa or permit, but does not establish that your application is definitely approved.

Upon arrival to Uganda (at the selected point of entry) or to the Immigration Office Headquarters, you will be inspected by an Immigration Officer who may determine if your application is finally approved. All information provided by you, or on your behalf by a designated third party, must be true and correct. A visa or permit application approval may be revoked at any time and for any reason, such as new information influencing eligibility. You may be subject to administrative or criminal penalties if you knowingly and willfully make a materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation in an electronic visa or permit application submitted by you or on your behalf.

Please indicate you have read and understand the information provided above.

The process would work as follows:

1) Anyone arriving from 01st June 2016 who require Visas must have applied online and on completion and submitting the application intending travelers are to receive a bar coded email notification.
2) On arrival at any border post, airport or land borders, that email must be presented and the bar code will be scanned into the immigration system. A Visa sticker will then be printed, including a scanned in picture and will be inserted into the passport on payment of the respective Visa fee.
3) For any Visa extensions, again the process is due to be completed on line though it is thought that anyone in Kampala may apply in person at the Immigration Headquarters at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
4) These applications will be for regular single entry Visa, the common East African Tourist Visa (covering besides Uganda also Kenya and Rwanda), multiple entry Visa and Business Visa.
5) Access to the application platform can be found at www.visas.immigration.go.ug

In a related development will applications for special passes and work permits also from 01st of June onwards be done online.

Relevant statements from the Ministry of Tourism, the Uganda Tourism Board and the Ugandan private sector are expected to be issued in due course further explaining the modalities of these transactions.

Try it and let us know how it works.

Who Needs and How to Apply for Rwanda Visa– Tourist Visa Entry Requirements, East Africa Tourist visa application

If you are a foreiegner visiting Rwanda, you should submit your visa application to the Rwandese embassy or diplomatic mission near you for processing.

Where this mission isn't available, you can request for a visa acceptance letter online which you will present on arrival to get your visa upon payment of the visa fee  - $30.

Citizens of the East Africa Community can get a renewable 6 months' visitor's pass upon arrival for no fee.
Nationals of all African countries traveling to or transiting through Rwanda can   obtain a entry visa upon arrival without necessarily making prior application and pay for a visa ($30) where applicable.

In view of the existing bilateral agreements, citizens of the following countries can visit Rwanda without a Visa for a period of 90 days: Hong Kong, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Phillipines, Mauritius and Singapore.

Nationals of Australia, Germany, Israel, New Zealand, Republic of South Africa, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States of America will be issued with entry visa valid for a period up to 30 days and pay for a visa ($30) upon arrival without prior application. 

Nationals of the countries mentioned above not exempted from visa may also choose to get visa at Rwanda Diplomatic Missions (except the UN Mission in New York) or online.

Use the following link to apply for visa online:Click here

Try to do it 72 hours before and record your tracking number. A return ticket is mandatory for all those jetting into Rwanda. It is advisable to check with the nearest Rwandese consulate or visit: http://www.migration.gov.rw/ for more information.

When I say you MUST fill the form, I really mean it, many visitors are actually kicked out of the border for not doing it!

APPLICATION FOR THE EAST AFRICA TOURIST VISA (1 VISA = ENTRY TO RWANDA, UGANDA, KENYA)

To qualify for the East Africa Tourist visa, you must be a foreigner who wants to visit simultaneously the Republic of Kenya, Republic of Rwanda and Republic of Uganda for tourism.

The holder of the East Africa Tourist Visa shall enter from the country that issued the visa and move within the two other countries without applying for another visa or paying another visa fee.

The holder shall also be allowed to move out of the Republic of Kenya, Republic of Rwanda and Republic of Uganda; and return without having to pay for another visa. This will only be applicable in the period of 90 days.

Applications for this visa shall be lodged at any of the diplomatic representation of the Republic of Kenya, Republic of Rwanda and Republic of Uganda, at the Immigration Offices of the respective countries or online where applicable click here to apply online in Rwanda.

REQUIREMENTS:

*      One clear colored passport size photo with white background, recently taken without glasses, caps and scurf; (the photo should be attached to the application form by use of glue stick. Stapling and clipping the photo to the application form is not advisable).

*      A complete filled application form click here to download application form

*      An application letter addressed to the issuing authority of the concerned country 

Transit single entry visas for up to 2 days are given at a cost of $30 at the same cost as the single entry tourist visa which is available for up to 90 days.
You will make the payment at the point where you enter the country. It is very important to remember that you need a confirmation letter (or a hotel confirmation, Tour operator invitation/ tour confirmation letter, copy of gorilla permit) to get a Rwanda visa and therefore you need to contact your contact in Rwanda or consulate in your country to get this document.

Please note that if you are planning to apply for resident/business or missionary multiple entry visas upon entry to Rwanda you will need to obtain police clearance from your home country. We advise you to obtain police clearance before travelling as this may often take longer than expected.

Entry Requirements - Passport Validity
You must hold a valid passport to enter Rwanda. Your passport must be valid for the proposed duration of your stay. No additional period of validity beyond this is required. However, it is always sensible to have a short period of extra validity on your passport in case of any unforeseen delays to your departure. You do not have to wait until your old passport expires to apply to renew it. Any time left on your old passport when you apply will be added to your new passport, up to a maximum of nine months. 


However, Yellow fever vaccination certificates are in theory compulsory for entry or exit, but in reality are rarely requested.

Common Tourist Visa A Top Priority for East Africa Community for 2013

Dr. Richard Sezibera, EAC Secretary General has said the introduction of a single tourist Visa to the region, and the revival of an East African Passport across the member states, is one of the main priorities for the trade bloc in 2013 including the removal of non-tariff barriers in the aviation and tourism sectors.

These issues have been causing major disappointments among the tourism industry, which has for long been struggling with the expensive image of East Africa when travelling to several countries, where Visa fees for a family of four can run into 1.000 US Dollars if visiting all 5 member states.

This added cost is seen as an obstacle to promoting cross region safari packages and while Kenya permits the re-entry after obtaining an initial Visa when visiting other countries like Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi or Tanzania, none of the other countries in the region is offering the same option to tourists.

Stakeholders have for long blamed bureaucrats of dragging their feet over technical issues like revenue sharing, which in view of the highly advanced immigration technology in place at immigration check points today is now seen as a mere excuse by some member states to slow down integration and prolong the existence of other NTB’s in place.

The idea for a common Visa was first suggested by the Ugandan delegation in 2001 at the East African Community Committee for Tourism and Wildlife that was welcomed and shelved in bureaucracy.

Former Kenyan tourism minister Najib Balala early last year blamed dark forces from within the EAC of obstructing progress in such crucial areas, and for few was there any doubt in which direction his remarks were directed. Time will tell if during the remaining 11 ½ months of 2013 this long overdue task will be completed or dragged into yet another year.

[The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental organisation comprising five countries in East Africa: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. The geographical region encompassed by the EAC covers an area of 1.8 million square kilometres, with a combined population of about 132 million (July 2009 est.). ]

 

Related articles

Indifference among States Puts Single East Africa Community Tourist visa Plans in Balance

Who Needs and How to Apply for Rwanda Visa– Tourist Visa Entry Requirements

Indifference among States Puts Single East Africa Community Tourist visa Plans in Balance

PLANS to have an East African Community (EAC) single tourist visa remain in balance as some partner states show signs of indifference with regard to adopting common policies necessary to spearhead the project.

Although it was initially envisaged as a fundamental initiative that would help attract more foreign earnings through increased tourists, some member countries seem to be dragging their feet in implementation.

Rica Rwigamba, in charge of Tourism and Conservation at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), could not tell exactly when the regional visa will start operating.
She said that delays by other member countries have derailed progress.
“Everybody would want to have it but there are some pre-requisite factors, especially harmonising immigration policies and ICT to help ease the process. We are pushing it but we realised it requires a lot of consultations because we need to be at the same level,” she said.

Rwigamba explained that while Rwanda had made significant strides in use of ICT, there was need for the rest of the EAC partner states to move at the same pace if the trading bloc is to become a single tourist destination.

Initially, the single tourist visa had been planned to be operational by July 2012.

For instance, coming to Rwanda, one can apply for a visa online and get it, a facility that can hardly be found in other member states.

It is expected that the projected single visa would save potential tourists time and the rigorous process of having to jump from one embassy to the other to apply for different visas to travel across the East African region.

“Today travelers want to have a much wider menu. And it is easier to market the block as a single destination as opposed to one country. It means having features like the Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda, Maasai Mara in Kenya, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, among others, all on one menu,” she said.

The long procedures in acquiring visa by tourists, especially those from Europe, the Americas sometimes discourages them, forcing them to divert to other destinations.

The EAC Sectoral Council on Tourism and Wildlife Management has called on partner states to fast-track the introduction of the single EAC tourist visa, saying the process was taking unnecessarily too long.
The move to have the single EAC visa followed an appeal by tourism boards of the five partner states requesting for a common visa to accelerate promotion of the region as a single tourist destination.

Rwigamba, however, says that they expect to have hold negotiations at the ministerial level starting next year during which they will assess the recommendations and determine a way forward.

Tourism in east Africa is among the highest earners in terms of investments, with enormous employment opportunities.
In Rwanda, from January to September 2012 tourism is estimated to have generated US$210.5 million, compared to US$184.4 million it generated during the same period in 2011 – that represents an increase of 14 per cent.
The number of tourists from EAC member states and Democratic Republic of Congo also increased from 498,617 to 639,536.

The majority of the international tourists came from the United States of America, United Kingdom, Belgium and Germany, according to official figures.