Uganda has removed the requirement for international travellers to present a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate when entering the country, ending a long-standing entry requirement that has been an important consideration for travel agents and visitors planning trips to Uganda.
The change was formally confirmed on 2 October by Uganda’s National Citizenship and Immigration Control (NCIC), which said a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is no longer required for entry. The requirement is also no longer listed on Uganda’s e-visa application portal or the NCIC website.
The clarification follows reports earlier this week that the requirement had been dropped. The decision followed communication from Uganda’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Citizenship and Immigration Control.
For the travel trade, the move removes one of the documentation requirements that agents have traditionally had to flag when preparing clients for travel to Uganda. Travellers who previously needed to carry proof of vaccination to satisfy Uganda’s entry rules will no longer need to present the certificate at the border.
The change could also simplify pre-travel advice and reduce the risk of passengers arriving without documentation that had previously been treated as a condition of entry. This is particularly relevant for regional travel within East Africa, where travellers frequently move between Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and other destinations.
However, the change should not be interpreted as a general suspension of Yellow Fever vaccination requirements across the region. Other countries may continue to require proof of vaccination depending on a traveller’s origin, transit history or destination. ATCNews, for example, noted that Seychelles continues to apply Yellow Fever requirements to some travellers arriving from Africa, including those transiting through Nairobi or Addis Ababa.
For travel agents, the immediate priority is therefore to update client advisories and booking checklists for Uganda while continuing to check the latest airline and destination-entry information for onward journeys. The Uganda immigration authority has directed travellers requiring further clarification to its Public Relations Office.
The development comes as Uganda continues to position itself as a destination for international leisure, business and regional travel. Removing an additional entry-document requirement could make the country marginally easier to access, particularly for short-notice and regional travellers.
Travel trade note: Uganda’s immigration authority has now officially confirmed that a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is not mandatory for entry into Uganda. Agents should nevertheless verify current airline/Timatic requirements where applicable, particularly for itineraries involving onward travel or transit through other countries.
Source : atcnews.org
