Flights and Visas to Uganda

Visas and Immigration:

Visas are required by all except nationals from Angola,. Antigua, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Comoros, Cypress, Fiji, Gambia, Grenada, Italy, (only Diplomatic passports), Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Madagascar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Singapore, Tonga, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe These can be obtained from Uganda's Diplomatic and Consular Missions abroad.

It is possible to get issued a visa on arrival at Entebbe Airport as long as one satisfies the entry requirements. However, it is advisable that you get your visas before you embark on the trip to Uganda to avoid unnecessary paper work at point of entry.

On arrival in the country, you may be asked to show you have sufficient funds to support your stay and that you have an onward ticket.

Flights:

Most guests to Uganda arrive by air, landing at the Entebbe International Airport approximately 45 minutes drive from the capital Kampala. The following airlines service Uganda regularly include: British Airways, Egypt Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Emirates Air, SN Brussels, Kenya Airways/KLM and South African Airlines. Most of these connect to Entebbe through Europe.

Local Time: Uganda is three hours ahead of GMT.

Currency: The Uganda shilling is the legal currency in Uganda. There are no restrictions on money transfer in and out of the country. The Uganda shilling is divided into denominations of 1000, 5000, 10,000, 20,000 and 50,000 for paper notes, while coins are in the denominations of 100, 200, 500 for coins. The rates vary from time to time but are readily available from banks and forex bureaus. The average rate for 2008 is $1 = 1600 UgShs.

Credit Cards: You can withdraw money from your Visa/MasterCard but there is a limit on each card per day. Very few establishments accept credit cards and travelers checks apart from the large Hotels in Kampala and some on tour. You can withdraw money from Barclays and Standard Chartered Banks ATMs using your visa card.

Banks and Forex Bureaus: Are available at the airport, and in all towns. Visitors may bring in as much foreign currency as they wish. Credit cards are accepted in the main hotels, but not in outlying areas. Visa is the most commonly accepted credit card. Traveler cheques are best taken in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling and Rands.

Several international banks operate in Uganda including Barclays, Standard Chartered and Stanbic. Generally the banking hours are 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday to Friday, though some institutions are open longer hours and on Saturdays. There are no legal restrictions on foreign exchange transactions and currency is easily convertible. Use only USD notes dated after 2003.