Visa rules for Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zanzibar and the Seychelles change often. Here is how to check them properly and what to prepare before you travel.
Written by the Paramount Gorilla Expeditions team, based in Uganda, summarising the East Africa visa requirements for Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zanzibar and the Seychelles.
Entry rules for Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zanzibar and the Seychelles depend on your passport, and they change. Most visitors apply online before travelling, either for an e-visa or an electronic travel authorisation, but the details differ between countries and some nationalities are exempt. The safest approach is to check the official government site for your nationality, apply well ahead of travel and carry printed copies of your approvals.
Only apply through official government websites. Many lookalike sites charge extra fees. We list official links for each destination on our Visa & Travel Documents page. Fees, validity periods and eligibility change, so use those official pages for current details rather than relying on a blog, including ours.
Countries have also introduced rules on entry health requirements, inbound insurance and Ebola screening, so check these at the same time. Our guide to vaccinations and malaria covers health.
If your trip crosses borders, for example Uganda and Rwanda or Kenya and Tanzania, check whether each country needs its own approval. There was a regional East Africa Tourist Visa for some borders, but its availability and coverage have changed, so confirm with the immigration authorities rather than assuming. We check this for every itinerary we plan. For route ideas, see combining Uganda and Kenya.
As part of planning, we confirm the entry rules for your passport and tell you which approvals to apply for and when. Tell us your nationality and route, and we will point you to the right official pages. See also travel insurance and medical evacuation and our first-time planning guide.
Planning a trip that crosses several of these countries? The East Africa tourist visa guide explains what the single visa covers, the Kenya eTA guide covers Kenya's electronic authorisation, the Tanzania insurance guide covers the inbound insurance rule, and the yellow fever certificate guide covers the vaccination card. Each states the date its facts were checked.
Visa fees belong in your East Africa safari budget: our guide adds them to three worked examples with park fees and tips.
Keep planning with our East Africa Multi-Country Safaris 2027 — The Complete Guide to Combining Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda, Uganda safari destination guide, Photographic Safari Across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania & Zanzibar and Family Safari Across Uganda, Kenya & Tanzania to Seychelles. Official park fees are set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the Kenya Wildlife Service, TANAPA and the Rwanda Development Board. We confirm the current fees for your dates in every quote.
Arriving in Uganda? Our Kampala travel guide covers the capital.
Your passport and visa are also what you register a SIM with; see our SIM card East Africa guide.
For arrival, the airport and the city, see our Kigali travel guide.
For the Tanzania e-visa step by step, read our Tanzania visa guide.
Late July to September is the best time for a four country safari across Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania. See the month by month table, the second window and the 2026/27 rain caveat.
Read the guide →Trek gorillas in both countries on one trip: what two permits cost, which Bwindi sector links to Rwanda, which direction to travel and how to protect a rest day between treks.
Read the guide →The East Africa tourist visa covers Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda for USD 100 and 90 days, but not Tanzania. Fees, first-entry rule, Kenya eTA question and the Tanzania eVisa, dated.
Read the guide →The fixed part of a four country safari cost: permits, park fees, visas and Tanzania insurance, added up for six routes, plus the ten lines to compare in any quote.
Read the guide →Should gorilla trekking come at the start or end of a long safari? Both sides, the tie-breakers, buffer nights and what to do if a trek is cancelled, with a five-step method to choose.
Read the guide →How to combine gorillas and the Great Migration in one trip: the months that overlap, Uganda or Rwanda, the Mara or Serengeti, and the nine nights you need.
Read the guide →Work out how many days a Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania safari needs: a nights-per-stop ledger, the transfer days you cannot skip, and what 10 to 21 days really give you.
Read the guide →East Africa safari prices per person per day, official park and permit fees in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania, three worked budgets and what quotes leave out.
Read the guide →The Kenya eTA for safari guests: official USD 30 fee, about three working days to process, 90 days validity, who is exempt, transit rules and the open question for regional visa holders.
Read the guide →A planner's guide to a Rwanda Kenya Tanzania safari that starts in Kigali: route order, flights, the Mara to Serengeti link, entry rules and the gorilla permit.
Read the guide →A planner's guide to a Rwanda and Kenya safari: start in Kigali, trek once, fly to Nairobi, then the Mara. Flights, how to split your days and the entry rules for both countries.
Read the guide →A planner's guide to a Rwanda and Tanzania safari: one gorilla trek, RwandAir's three-day-a-week flight, the Serengeti by air or road, and Tanzania's eVisa and insurance rules.
Read the guide →How flights really work between safari countries: international routes, bush flights, the 15 kg baggage limit, the Mara to Serengeti link, overland times and a realistic transit day.
Read the guide →Safari luggage weight limits by carrier: the 15 kg soft bag rule, who allows 20 kg, excess and freight seat prices, storing luggage at the gateway and packing for the multi-country trap.
Read the guide →Tanzania now requires foreign visitors to hold government inbound travel insurance. See what is verified, reported and unknown: cost, exemptions, Zanzibar, buying and enforcement.
Read the guide →The route we recommend for a Uganda Kenya Tanzania safari: the best order, how many days it needs, the best months, how you move between countries and what to check before you book.
Read the guide →Two land posts link Rwanda and Uganda for gorilla trips. Learn which suits your sector, what to carry, how long to allow and why hours differ, checked 11 October 2026.
Read the guide →A Uganda Rwanda Kenya safari on one East Africa Tourist Visa: the order of the three countries, the Nairobi flights, the Mara, yellow fever rules and the open Kenya eTA question.
Read the guide →How to plan a Uganda Rwanda Kenya Tanzania safari: the four route directions compared, the flight chain, how the East Africa Tourist Visa interacts with the order, and what to check.
Read the guide →A planner's guide to a Uganda Rwanda Tanzania safari: Entebbe or Kigali start, the border or flight between the forests, Kilimanjaro flights, visas and Tanzania's insurance.
Read the guide →Not sure where to start? Choose by what matters most: the migration, gorillas, a beach, budget or a first African trip. Here is how.
Read the guide →Uganda dropped its yellow fever entry certificate on 2 October 2026, but Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania still ask. Journey table, 12 hour transit rule and border outcomes, dated.
Read the guide →Tell us your dates and interests — a destination specialist replies within 24 hours.
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