In the past, traveling to East Africa was a bit difficult, especially if you wanted to see the entire region. However, the advent of the East African tourist visa has made it feasible to travel there affordably.

As long as they have a tourist visa, visitors can now go to Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya with ease, despite the fact that it has not been simple and that certain nations, like Tanzania, have not yet joined the initiative. Therefore, to facilitate your vacation, get a tourist visa if you’re considering going on a safari in east Africa. In the near future, additional counties may join to strengthen the nation’s tourism industry.

The various heads of state of the three nations—Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda—led the cooperative endeavor that created the East African tourist visa. This was done in an effort to promote the region’s tourism industry as well as to generate and expand travel opportunities in East Africa.

Tourists can freely and simultaneously visit Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya with an East African visa. Normally, the visa is only valid in these three countries; if you want to travel outside of them, it expires right away. Additionally, the visa expires ninety days after it is issued.

How may someone apply for a tourist visa to East Africa?

The process of applying for a tourist visa in East Africa involves a number of processes, which we will examine in the three nations.

Either a handwritten or online application for an East African tourist visa must be submitted. These applications can be submitted at the various immigration offices of the relevant nations or at the diplomatic missions of the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of Uganda, and the Republic of Kenya.

The application can also be completed at the airports of the aforementioned nations. For better arrangements, it should be completed the day before departure or upon arrival in the countries of destination.

Obtaining a Ugandan tourist visa

If Uganda is the first country you will be visiting in East Africa, you can apply for a visa at the Ugandan Embassy in your country or ask for one upon arrival online. It costs very little to obtain a visa at the Entebbe International Airport entry point.

Because there are no online papers to fill out, no postal costs, and most definitely no passport photo required, the procedure is inexpensive. Additionally, if you decide to start in Uganda, you will be required to present the yellow fever card when you arrive at the airport.

The Ugandan embassy’s consular website has comprehensive information on how to apply for a visa, as well as further details on how to obtain one.

Getting a Kenyan tourist visa

The information is also available on the consular’s local embassy website if you are starting your trip in Kenya. Additionally, you must obtain the visa prior to your trip to Kenya. However, keep in mind that simply because you have an East African tourist visa, it does not grant you entry into Kenya without additional documentation that the authorities will want.

Getting a Rwandan tourist visa

Additionally, if you want to begin your journey in Rwanda, you will apply online, which is available at any Rwandan embassy. For the East Africa visa Rwanda, you will need to enter an application in a search engine.

All you have to do is follow the instructions until you have completed the form. Additionally, everyone must now pay before obtaining a tourist visa in Rwanda, even though some nations, like Switzerland, were previously free from this need.

The prerequisites for submitting a visa application

a colored passport-sized photo that should be adhered to the application form; it should have a white background and no head scarves, caps, or glasses.

A letter of application for a visa must be issued to the country you are visiting.

To demonstrate that you can support yourself while touring the three nations, you will also need to provide evidence of your financial stability.

A completed East African tourist visa application form and a $100 visa fee are also required. Additionally, the visa is only good for one entry.

As long as they are eligible, any travel documents are permitted; however, it should be noted that the documents expire after six months, so anyone wishing to visit any of the three countries must apply for a visa in advance.

Who can obtain an East African tourist visa, and what kind of visa is it?

Regardless of where they are from, anyone can obtain an East African tourist visa. I have included each group below with comprehensive details on their eligibility and the requirements to obtain one. You can use the visa in all three countries because it is a multiple visa.

The Citizens or Nationals

People from the three sister nations of Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda are referred to as nationals. As long as they are in the area, these individuals can travel using their national identity cards, which function similarly to travel documents. Since January 2014, you have been able to travel to the countries using your national identity cards for nearly six months. The people’ journey has been made easier as a result.

The foreigners

Only foreign nationals who wish to travel to Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya simultaneously and solely for tourism are eligible for the visa. Any of the three nations’ local embassies in their respective nations may grant the visas. This kind of visa, known as a multiple entrance visa, is valid in all three countries, but it expires after ninety days, and it is not permitted if you are traveling with the intention of working.

The pupils

Students who are nationals of any of the three nations may also travel within those nations using their national identity cards. Students frequently travel to other nations for educational or recreational purposes, and the adoption of national identity cards in each state has made it easier for them to enter East African nations.

The foreigners
People who visit a country but have lived there for a long time and obtained secondary citizenship are known as expatriates. These typically remain in the nation through marriage or contract job. All expatriates who reside in any of the three nations are no longer required to get a tourist visa; instead, they can now travel throughout the three nations with an interstate pass, which has a six-month expiration date. Additionally, in order to be eligible for an inter-pass, they must have a valid residency permit.

After obtaining an East African tourist visa, individuals are free to travel throughout Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda without having to pay for a return visa. However, if they depart and travel to any other country that is not covered by the agreement, they will need to pay once they decode to make the trip back.

You can visit all of the tourist attractions in the three countries with the visa; all you have to do is pay the safari company to go around the various tourist attractions. Keep in mind the following:

You can visit any of the three countries—Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda—in any order you choose because the itinerary is not set in stone.

Having a yellow fever vaccination card is required when traveling to any of these nations, and you will not be permitted entry even if you have a tourist visa without it.

Because they must document your admission and departure from their nation in order to prevent your unlawful stay, the officials will also require a copy of your return airline ticket.

Particularly in Kenya, the tourist visa application deadline is two days.

In conclusion, despite occasional glitches, the online registration and application process for tourist visas has significantly enhanced both the political ties between the three nations and the trip plans of various tourists. In order to facilitate easy access to East Africa’s numerous tourism attractions, we also hope that the remaining East African nations will join.