Visa Planning Guide · 2026–2028

East Africa Tourist Visa: Route Rules, Cost and First Entry

Use the East Africa Tourist Visa correctly for Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, including cost, 90-day validity, first-entry rules and Tanzania exclusions.

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Travel scene supporting East Africa Tourist Visa: Route Rules, Cost and First Entry
Direct answer: The East Africa Tourist Visa costs USD 100 and supports multiple tourism entries among Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda for up to 90 days. Apply through the country where you will enter the three-country bloc first. It does not cover Tanzania, Zanzibar, Zambia or Zimbabwe, and leaving the three-country bloc can end its usefulness for re-entry.

What the joint visa actually covers

The East Africa Tourist Visa is a regional tourism permission for Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda only. It is designed for an itinerary that moves between those three countries without purchasing separate visitor permissions for each border. The visa prohibits employment, is not renewable and should match a genuine tourism route. Tanzania is not a participant, despite being part of the wider East African region.

Why first entry determines the application country

The issuing country should be the first country you enter. A gorilla journey beginning in Entebbe should therefore use Uganda’s application channel; a Nairobi arrival should begin with Kenya’s relevant process; and a Kigali start should use Rwanda. The order matters because the first immigration authority validates the regional permission at entry.

Documents to prepare before applying

A clear passport biodata page with six months’ validity, recent photograph, return ticket, travel itinerary and yellow-fever certificate are standard requirements on Uganda’s official East Africa Tourist Visa guidance. Accommodation confirmations and route dates should be consistent across every booking. Immigration may request further evidence, so avoid non-refundable connections until the application is approved.

When separate visas are still required

Add a Tanzania visa check for Serengeti, Ngorongoro or Zanzibar sectors. Zambia and Zimbabwe use their own national systems and may offer the KAZA UNIVISA for eligible Victoria Falls travel, but KAZA is unrelated to the East Africa Tourist Visa. South Africa likewise requires a separate nationality and ETA assessment.

A practical route example

A Nairobi–Masai Mara–Kigali–Bwindi sequence can fit the regional visa when entry begins in Kenya and the traveller remains within Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. A later flight to Zanzibar leaves the visa bloc; Tanzania entry must already be arranged. Build the border sequence before submitting the visa so the issuing country, dates and evidence agree.

Primary source: Review the latest government guidance at the official authority.

Questions travellers ask

No. The regional visa is limited to Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda.

Uganda and Rwanda official guidance list USD 100.

The joint visa is generally valid for 90 days and is not renewable.

Check your itinerary’s entry sequence

The Luxury Africa DMC provides travel-planning information and itinerary documents. We do not issue visas, guarantee approval or replace an immigration authority. Submit sensitive identity documents only through the relevant official government portal.