Entry permit for a person employed and paid by a Ugandan government institution.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 1Report facts: 8
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Eastern Africa · Immigration
Uganda
Uganda sits in Eastern Africa. Its immigration system runs 23 distinct routes — led by short stays and visits, work and investment, each set out in official law. 22 of them cite an official government source, shown on the route with the date we last read it. Who actually qualifies depends on your full profile.
- Immigration routes
- 23across 11 route categories, each set out in official law
- Source-cited routes
- 22 of 23cite an official government source, with the date we last read it
- Largest category
- Short stays and visits5 of the 23 routes — see them under Short stays and visits below
- Region
- Eastern Africa
- Capital
- Kampala
- Population
- 51,384,894
- Official language
- English, Swahili
- Currency
- UGX
- Time zone
- UTC+03:00
Source-cited pathways
Immigration routes
All 23 routes, grouped by purpose — 22 of 23 cite an official government source directly. Any route below without one says so on the route.
Work
4 routes
Entry permit for a missionary or volunteer working in an NGO.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 1Report facts: 8
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Entry permit for a foreign expatriate employed in Uganda, including salaried NGO staff.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 1Report facts: 8
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Temporary three-month pass for a sponsored short contract.
Eligibility: 1Process & costs: 2Report facts: 7
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Investment
4 routes
Entry permit for a shareholder in an agricultural company.
Eligibility: 3Documents: 1Process & costs: 1Report facts: 5
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Entry permit for a shareholder in an agro-processing company.
Eligibility: 3Documents: 1Process & costs: 1Report facts: 5
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Entry permit for a shareholder in a qualifying mineral-prospecting or mining company.
Eligibility: 3Documents: 1Process & costs: 1Report facts: 5
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Entry permit for a shareholder of a manufacturing company.
Eligibility: 3Documents: 1Process & costs: 1Report facts: 5
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Starting a business
2 routes
Entry permit for a shareholder of a company engaged in general trade.
Eligibility: 2Documents: 1Process & costs: 1Report facts: 6
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Entry permit for a qualifying prescribed professional practising in Uganda.
Eligibility: 2Documents: 1Process & costs: 1Report facts: 6
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Talent and merit
1 route
Entry permit for a rare-skilled foreign national employed in specified agro-processing, manufacturing or mining.
Documents: 1Process & costs: 2Report facts: 7
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-08-03
Study
1 route
Pass for a foreign national over four years old enrolled in a Ugandan learning institution.
Eligibility: 3Process & costs: 2Report facts: 5
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Family
2 routes
Residence certificate for a person legally married to a Ugandan for at least three years and living lawfully in Uganda.
Documents: 1Process & costs: 2Report facts: 8
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Pass for a qualifying spouse, child or other relative of a lawful foreign resident or Ugandan citizen.
Documents: 2Process & costs: 2Report facts: 6
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Living from your own income
1 route
Entry permit for a person supported by assured foreign-source income who undertakes not to work locally.
Income from USD 36,000/yr
Eligibility: 1Documents: 1Report facts: 7
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-08-03
Long-term residence
1 route
Residence certificate for a person with ten years of continuous legal stay and socioeconomic contribution to Uganda.
Eligibility: 1Process & costs: 2Report facts: 8
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Short stays and visits
5 routes
Electronic visa for tourism across Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda under the regional visa.
Documents: 3Process & costs: 2Report facts: 4
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Temporary individual pass for medical treatment, tourism, exploring business opportunities or completing immigration formalities.
Documents: 2Process & costs: 2Report facts: 4
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Electronic visa for transit through Uganda to a destination outside Uganda.
Documents: 3Process & costs: 2Report facts: 4
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Electronic visa for repeated temporary visits during the authorised six-, twelve- or twenty-four-month period.
Documents: 3Process & costs: 2Report facts: 4
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Electronic visa for tourism, holiday, family visit, business, study or medical travel.
Documents: 3Process & costs: 2Report facts: 4
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Humanitarian protection
1 route
In-country asylum process led by Uganda's Refugee Eligibility Committee and Office of the Prime Minister, with location-specific registration.
Can bring: spouse, children
Process & costs: 2Report facts: 7
Source pending confirmation: help.unhcr.org · checked 2026-07-27
Ancestry and return
1 route
Residence certificate for a person who previously held Ugandan citizenship and acquired another citizenship.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 1Process & costs: 1Report facts: 5
Official government source: immigration.go.ug · checked 2026-07-27
Official sources
See which Uganda routes you actually qualify for.
Take the free 3-minute check for your verdict, country by country — then unlock the full report.