How to book an East African Tourist visa Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya

How to book an East African Tourist visa Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. For tourists to be able to apply for the East African Tourist Visa, you have to apply through an online immigration portal in any of the three countries which are Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda. The application involves filling out an application form and uploading the needed documents, which include a passport photo and a valid passport, and after making the payments, you need to wait for approval. The East African Tourist Visa is valid for 3 months from the date it has been issued, and there is an extendable date within the country. Below is a breakdown of the application details.

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How to get the East African Tourist Visa

You have to determine your entry point: The first thing that you should consider is your entry point, which is the country you will visit first because this is where you have to apply for your visa.

Get all the necessary documents: Each country has its own requirements but the documents are similar. Make sure that all the documents are in order; otherwise, you will not be able to get the visa.

Apply for the Visa: You can easily apply for the visa online or get it upon entry into the country but we advise our clients to get their visas online since it is much easier. Note that the application process depends on the point of entry.

Pay for the visa and collect it: When you submit your application, you will be required to make payments for the visa and wait till you are contacted after the approval of the visa. The number of days taken depends on the country, but an email will be sent with the e-visa, which you have to present when you arrive in the country.

The online application details:

You can apply for the East African Tourist Visa through any of the embassies in the three countries of Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda online. It will take between 1 to 7 days for the visa to be granted and below is the process to follow when applying for the visa online.

In Uganda:

1. You have to log into the immigration portal and select the option of new applicant.
2. Accept all the terms and conditions that are displayed in the disclaimer.
3. Select the East African Tourist Visa category on the portal
4. Make sure that you complete the application form
5. Upload all the necessary and required documents, which include the travel itinerary, a copy of the passport, a copy of the passport and a vaccination certificate. After sending in all your documents, a digital IC number, which is 6-digit, is automatically generated, and this will act as your reference number.
6. Send in the payments for the visa and note that the Uganda visa system only accepts visa cards and master cards and this comes with a 3% surcharge
7. When the visa is approved, an email will be sent with the approved letter.
8. When you get to the country, you have to report to the immigration office at our entry point to capture your biometrics with all the payment receipts, approval letter, passport and documents.

Requirements needed to apply for the East African Visa in Uganda

• Have a genuine travel document that is less than 6 months
• A copy of a recent passport-sized photo
• A clear of the passport biodata page
• A valid yellow fever vaccination book/certificate
• A travel itinerary
• A Copy of your flight return ticket and arrival date.
• All other documents that are needed for the course of the application.
• The East African Tourist Visa is $100. But note that is not refundable.

Note that the East African Visa is valid for only 90 days and cannot be extended. All the documents submitted should be in English, and the documents should be in Microsoft Word, JPG and PDF.

In Rwanda:

To be able to apply for the East African Visa in Rwanda, you have to use the Irembo portal which is an online system used to apply for the visa. You will find the instructions on how to apply for the visa online and the necessary documents. Below is a breakdown of what you need to be able to apply for the visa online.

1. Visit the Irembo portal using https://irembo.gov.rw/user/citizen/service/request_a_visa
2. Select the visa application option and ensure that you choose the appropriate option to start the visa application process.
3. Fill out the form and provide all the necessary information and these include all the passport details, your travel itinerary and the relevant information that is needed.
4. Choose  the V11 East African Visa when asked which type of visa.
5. You will be requested to upload all your documents, including copies of a valid passport (the biodata page), a recent passport-sized photo, a yellow vaccine certificate, your return ticket and the travel itinerary.
6. Finally, submit your application, and once it has been reviewed, you will be informed.
7. The application process can take between 1 to 5 working days before it is approved.
8. Once it has been approved, you will receive an email and it will include a travel authorization letter that you should print and travel with when coming to Rwanda.
9. The East African tourist visa in Rwanda is valid for 90 days.

Note: The approvals in Rwanda are done more quickly as compared to the other three countries.

In Kenya:

Kenya is one of the most visited countries on the African continent and it is possible to either apply for it upon entry in the country or online. Since there are a lot of tourists visiting the country, it becomes, hectic and hard to apply and get these online due to the long process. Information about how to apply for the visa can be obtained through the Kenya Visa Application portal or the nearest Kenyan embassy. Sometimes it is a bit hard to apply through the portal and this is because of network issues but all you need to know is that irrelevant of whether you have applied online or physically, the Kenyan officials will ask for more information when you get to the airport including all the relevant documents and the reason as to why you are visiting the country. Some of the requirements needed to get an East African Kenya Visa in Kenya include the following:

1. Register through the online portal of www.ecitizen.go.ke and make sure that you register as a visitor.
2. To access the immigration services, you need to log in and navigate until you get to the Department of Immigration Services.
3. There is an option of suit application  which you should choose and select the East African Tourist visa.
4. Select the East Africa Tourist Visa and make sure that you carefully read and review all the instructions.
5. After reviewing the instructions, fill out an application form and ensure that the form is fully filled.
6. Make sure that payment of the visa is made as soon as possible using either a visa or master card or any other payments that are accepted.
7. Wait for the email to show you that the application has been approved.
8. Download and print the approved visa from the website
9. Ensure that you bring this printed e-visa to the immigration officer upon entry into Kenya.

Key information about applying for the East African Tourist Visa

The East African Tourist Visa can be paid for with a mastercard or visa and it costs $100 US dollars. Note that the visa fees, once paid, are non-refundable even if you do not make it for the safari. It is valid for ninety days and once the visa has expired, there is no chance for you to renew it.

The application and confirmation process for the East African Visa can take from one to 7 days if you apply for it online. Once it has been approved, you can print it from the system and show it to the officers at the immigration office upon entry into the country.

Note that incomplete applications will not be processed.

All tourists are allowed to process the East African Tourist Visa for as long as they have all the necessary documents. Note that you cannot apply for anyone else or apply with someone.

The East African Tourist invalid outside Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. It cannot be used in any other country if you leave the region.

Note that the East African Tourist Visa does not give you the right to work in either of the three East African countries but just gives you access to their tourism sector.

In cases where you cannot apply for the visa online, you have an option of applying for it from one of the many entry points in either of the three countries. It is, however, expensive as compared to applying online, especially if you had planned on visiting all three countries.

A recent coloured passport photo is one of the requirements that is needed when applying for the visa, but note that the photo has to be taken without a head scarf, cape and glasses. This photo is supposed to be attached to the documents, and not stapled on.

All students who are citizens of the three countries can use their student IDs to visit the three countries.

All nationals citizens of Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda only need their valid national IDs to travel to the different countries.

Note: When applying for the East African Tourist Visa, take note of the many fishy websites and individuals who claim to help you obtain the visa. Do not at any one point send money to these websites or individuals and cease communication with them. Make sure that you apply for the visa yourself and through the consular/embassy official websites.

When not to get/apply for the East African Tourist Visa

The East African Tourist Visa is an asset that every tourist should have when visiting Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya, but there are instances where one doesn't need to get the tourist visa, and these include the following.

When visiting only one of the three countries: In cases where you are planning to visit only one of the three countries that is Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. You can just apply for a single-entry visa for that particular country you plan on visiting.

Visiting other countries outside the region: There are so many countries outside the region and within the region that do not qualify for the visa and if you are planning on visiting either one of them, you need to apply for separate visas for the different countries because the East African Tourist visa is not recognizable in other countries.

When you want to stay for an extended period: Note that the East African Tourist visa is only valid for 90 days in all three countries, and it cannot be extended after the expiry date. Apply for a long-term visa or any other typevisavisathe individual countries you are planning on visiting.

Who can apply or  acquire an East African Tourist Visa

For one to be eligible in ato acquire East African Tourist Visa, you have to be a foreign non-resident who wishes to visit Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda in the same period for tourist purposes. The East African Tourist Visa is available to all tourists from any country who have the following requirements:

• Have a valid passport that has a validity date of not less than 6 months from the date of entry into one of the three countries.
• The person should not be a resident of any of the three countries
• Have a valid return ticket on inward flight tickets the other countries within the region.
• You have to provide proof of the sufficient funds that will support you when travelling within the three countries and cover your visa.

It is also important to note that the visa is only available for tourism purposes and this means that you cannot use the visa for any other thing work-related or business related during your trip.

If you are still looking for more information about the East African Tourist Visa, get in touch with us at Encounter Africa Safaris for a helping hand.