When you plan a trip to Uganda, the first thing you need to think about is getting a visa. There are visa-exempt nationalities, but if you are not one of them, you need to get a visa so that you can cross the border. You can do that online, but you also have the option of going to the embassy of Uganda and apply for a consular visa. The process is quite tedious, and you need to invest some time in it, but it is possible.
Before thinking of taking the trip to the embassy of Uganda, you need to make sure that you meet all the requirements. The first thing you need to worry about is the passport. All applicants need to have a valid passport that remains valid for at least another 6 months from the arrival date in Uganda. The other general requirement is that you need to have a vaccination certificate for Yellow fever. If you fail to comply, you will be subjected to mandatory vaccination once you arrive in Uganda. Some quarantine measures may be taken as well. That is why the best course of action is to go to the nearest hospital and get yourself immunized against Yellow fever. Some passport-sized photos are required as well. Have them taken before your trip.
The requirements above are general. Just to make sure that you have everything you need, you should give the embassy of Uganda a call and ask a list of documents you need to provide. That way, you can void taking a trip just to learn that you need more documents than you brought.
After you have everything you need, you can go to the nearest embassy and apply for your visa. Depending on where you live, you may want to take a day off from work because it can take a while. Depending on the season, there may be a line you need to stand in. It is not the most pleasant thing you could do, but if you want to apply for a consular visa, you do not have a choice.
Once you fill in the application and hand in all the required documents, you submit it and wait for it to arrive. The waiting period depends on the processing time the embassy provides. It also depends on the volume of applications submitted. After you receive it, you can go on your trip with your mind at ease.
Is there a better alternative?
Consular visas are losing ground these days because people opt for electronic visas. You can apply online for a Uganda visa, and the process provided by iVisa is hassle-free and less time-consuming. For one, you do not have to go anywhere. You just need a smartphone or a computer with an internet connection. You still need to meet the requirements, but your efforts are minimal. The application form should take you about 15 minutes to complete, and iVisa’s support service is available day and night if you need some help. And you know what the best part is? You can get the Uganda e-visa in as little as 1 business day.
While you can still get a Uganda visa at an embassy, the process is tedious, time-consuming, and it requires a lot of effort. You need to go through the bureaucratic hassle that a visa application entails. So why not let iVisa take care of that and apply online?