Covid-19 Tests and Visa for Traveling to Uganda from Kigali, Rwanda

Rwanda-Uganda land borders of Kyanika and Katuna re-opened to all travelers. The movement resumed for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic on Monday, March 7, 2022.

You can now do gorilla trekking or a long safari in Uganda starting from Kigali, Rwanda. To cross to Uganda from Rwanda, travelers must pose a Covid-19 PCR test or a rapid antigen test certificate that is taken on arrival at Kigali International Airport. Foreign resident travelers in Kigali can obtain the rapid test from several medical facilities in Kigali city or do right on arrival at the Uganda/Rwanda land border at the cost of 5,000Rwf (US$5).

To access Uganda, travelers must have a valid Uganda tourist visa which can be applied for before departure at the Immigration Visa portal. A single entry visa to Uganda costs US$50. For travelers visiting Uganda through Rwanda and returning to Rwanda, the East Africa tourist visa is highly recommended. The East Africa tourist visa, which grants multiple entries into Uganda, Rwanda, and even Kenya, costs US$100. Tanzania is not a signatory to the East Africa tourist visa agreement.

When crossing the Uganda land border from Rwanda, Uganda doesn’t require a mandatory test on arrival. The only negative test certificate obtained in Rwanda is required.

Current Covid-19 Testing Requirements for Uganda (for tours running through Uganda only)

Regardless of vaccination status, all visitors to Uganda are expected to carry a negative PCR test taken within 72hrs before boarding the flight to Uganda.
Then, on exiting Uganda, another negative test taken within 72hrs is required before departure. The exit PCR can be taken in Entebbe, Kampala, or Mbarara city, depending on the itinerary. The PCR test results are typically available in about 12hrs at the cost of ~USD 55-65.
There are no Covid testing requirements to visit national parks, including gorilla trekking.
Mandatory Covid testing on arrival at Entebbe Airport has been suspended as of 16th February 2022.

For travelers visiting Rwanda and not crossing into Uganda, the Covid-19 PCR testing requirements are accessible here.