The East Africa Tourist Visa (EATV) is one of East Africa’s most traveller-friendly administrative arrangements — a single visa that covers Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya for 90 days of multiple entry travel. At USD $100, it costs less than a single-country Uganda visa (USD $50) and Rwanda visa (USD $50) combined, and far less than buying all three separately. For visitors planning a multi-country East Africa self-drive circuit covering any combination of these three countries, the East Africa Tourist Visa is the logical choice. This guide covers who qualifies, how to apply, the entry rules, and the important limitations you need to know before relying on it.
What the East Africa Tourist Visa Covers
The East Africa Tourist Visa was launched in January 2014 by Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya as part of the East African Community’s movement toward regional integration. Its key features:
- Three countries: Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya
- Validity: 90 days from first entry date
- Entries: Multiple — you can cross between the three partner countries as many times as you like within the 90 days
- Cost: USD $100 per person
- First entry country: You must specify which country you will enter first when applying. You can only use the visa starting in that country.
Who Qualifies for the East Africa Tourist Visa
The EATV is available to nationals of countries that require visas to enter Uganda, Rwanda, and/or Kenya. Crucially, it does NOT apply to nationals who already have visa-free access to one or more of these countries — you cannot use the EATV if you are a national of a country that has a different visa arrangement with any partner country.
The EATV is applicable to most Western European, North American, Australian, New Zealand, and Asian nationalities. Citizens of East African Community member states (Tanzania, Burundi, South Sudan, DRC) do not require the EATV as they have visa-free access to partner countries. Citizens of Commonwealth African countries (South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, etc.) should check the current applicable requirements as some have visa-free access to Kenya or Rwanda specifically.
Verify your eligibility before applying. Uganda Immigration (visas.immigration.go.ug), Rwanda MINEACOM, and Kenya eCitizen all maintain updated lists of nationalities eligible for the EATV.
How to Apply: The Online Process
The EATV is applied for online through Uganda’s electronic visa system at visas.immigration.go.ug (Uganda’s immigration portal processes applications regardless of first entry country). The application process:
- Go to visas.immigration.go.ug and select “East Africa Tourist Visa”
- Select your first entry country (Uganda, Rwanda, or Kenya)
- Complete the application form with personal details, travel dates, and accommodation information
- Upload required documents: passport biodata page (scanned), passport photo (white background, face forward, recent), and yellow fever vaccination certificate (mandatory for all three countries)
- Pay USD $100 by international credit/debit card (Visa or Mastercard)
- Processing time: typically 3-5 working days. The approved visa is sent by email as a PDF.
- Print the visa approval and present it at the immigration desk at your first entry point
Apply at least 2 weeks before departure to allow time for processing and to request re-application if any document issues arise. Some nationalities require background checking that extends processing to 10-14 days.
The Important Limitations: Tanzania Is NOT Included
The most critical limitation of the East Africa Tourist Visa: Tanzania is not a partner country. Despite being a founding member of the East African Community and geographically central to the region, Tanzania has not joined the EATV arrangement. Visitors travelling to Tanzania (including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro) require a separate Tanzania visa.
Tanzania visa for most nationalities: USD $50 for a single-entry tourist visa, available online via Tanzania Immigration Department (immigration.go.tz) or on arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR), and major land border crossings including Namanga (Kenya-Tanzania) and Mutukula (Uganda-Tanzania). Processing time for online Tanzania visa: 3-10 working days. On arrival at major airports: typically 30-60 minutes.
The Burundi and DRC Exclusion
Burundi and the DRC are also not EATV partners. If your East Africa circuit includes crossing from Rwanda into the DRC (Gisenyi-Goma) or into Burundi (from Rwanda’s southeast), you need separate visas for these countries. DRC visa: USD $100, obtained at the DRC Embassy in Kigali or (inconsistently) on arrival at Goma. Burundi visa: USD $90, available at Bujumbura airport or at the Rwanda-Burundi border crossings at Akanyaru/Kanyaru.
Cross-Border Vehicle Requirements with the EATV
The East Africa Tourist Visa covers the person, not the vehicle. Your rental vehicle still requires a vehicle import permit for each country it crosses into. These are obtained at the border crossing on arrival and typically cost USD $5-20 depending on the country. Additionally, a COMESA Yellow Card (third-party motor vehicle insurance for East and Southern African countries) is required. Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya are all COMESA member states. Ensure your rental vehicle has a current COMESA Yellow Card — most legitimate rental companies provide this as standard. Ask to see the physical document before driving off the lot; a verbal assurance is insufficient at border crossings.
Sample East Africa Circuit Using the EATV
A typical EATV circuit for a 14-day East Africa self-drive: Fly into Entebbe (Uganda), collect 4×4 Land Cruiser, drive northwest to Murchison Falls NP (day 1-3), drive to Fort Portal/Kibale (day 4-5, chimp trekking), drive to Bwindi (day 6-7, gorilla trekking), cross Cyanika border into Rwanda (day 7), drive to Kigali, then Volcanoes NP (day 8-9, gorilla trekking Rwanda), Lake Kivu drive (day 10), Kigali (day 11), fly Kigali-Nairobi or drive cross-border Gatuna/Katuna to Uganda-Kenya Malaba/Busia border (day 12), drive to Masai Mara (day 13-14). Return vehicle in Nairobi. Total single EATV covers all border crossings between Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya. One visa, USD $100.
