Special circumstances for the citizens of Uganda visa-free countries

Every country in this world has its own visa policy, and they are not alike. Furthermore, putting a visa policy in place is a time-consuming process that requires a lot of stress, negotiations, treaties, reciprocity, and every other diplomatic tool you can think of. Even so, some countries do agree, on the grounds of reciprocity, that their citizens should be able to visit each other, so to speak, without needing a visa. Uganda is one of those countries, and as a result, there are several nationalities that are allowed to visit Uganda without a visa. That is what we mean by Uganda visa-free countries.

According to Uganda’s visa policy, the citizens of 32 countries are visa-exempt when they wish to travel to Uganda. As a result, they can cross the border using nothing but their passport and an ID card or any other document that attests their identity. If you want to check whether you are from a Uganda visa-free country, you can use iVisa’s Tool Checker. It is a simple but efficient tool that lets you know your status. Just insert your nationality, and then choose Uganda as your destination. The result will be displayed in only a second, and all your questions will be answered.

While the 32 nationalities can enter Uganda without a visa, there is a catch. Apparently, people who are from Uganda visa-free countries can spend only three months inside the country without a visa. 90 days, to be more precise. If you want to stay longer than 90 days, you need to apply for a visa just like anybody else.

What happens if a traveler from a visa-exempt country stays more than 90 days?

That is a legitimate concern, and it happens more than you think. However, there are some things you should know about this. For one, anyone who exceeds the 90-day stay as a citizen from a visa-exempt country, as well as a person on a 90-day tourist visa, will be fined according to Immigration law with a fine of $30/day.

Prosecution and deportation can occur, which is why you should avoid that, which brings us to the second aspect you should be aware of. No matter your personal circumstance, you can solve that issue while you are in Uganda. People that are there on a tourist visa can apply for an extension at the Immigration Headquarters in Kampala or a regional office. If you find yourself in this situation, you need to do that before the visa expires. The extension can be granted for another period, but your stay cannot exceed 6 months in aggregate.

So if there is that solution for people on tourist visas, there has to be a solution for people that are citizens of a visa-exempt country but wish to stay more than 90 days. That solution would be for you to apply for a visa while in Uganda before the 90-day period expires. That way, when the 90 days pass, you have a visa that allows you to stay in Uganda. Of course, the entire period cannot exceed 180 days. While there are solutions for almost every problem, we think that the best course of action is to take precaution measures. One of them would be to apply online before you leave. That way you can rest assured that you will not be fined, prosecuted, or deported. iVisa can help you with all the information you need.