Uganda Drops Yellow Fever Certificate Requirement for All Travellers in 2026

• Uganda's immigration authority published an official notice on October 2, 2026, addressing yellow fever certificate rules at entry points
• The clarification follows an earlier letter sent to the Uganda Tourism Board in August 2026, after a request was made at the end of July
• The change also affects tourist visa applications, where the yellow fever certificate has not appeared on the required documents list since last year

Uganda has officially confirmed that travellers entering the country are no longer required to show a yellow fever vaccination certificate at its borders.

The National Citizenship and Immigration Control (NCIC), operating under Uganda's Ministry of the Interior, published a formal notice on October 2, 2026, stating that the certificate "is no longer a mandatory requirement for entry into Uganda."

The authority added that the requirement has been removed from the official electronic visa application portal and from the entry conditions published by Ugandan immigration.

The announcement follows a letter dated August 27, 2026, in which the immigration administration responded to a query raised by the Uganda Tourism Board at the end of July. The tourism body received the letter on September 3, 2026, and the correspondence confirmed that the certificate was no longer needed to enter the country.

Tourist visa requirements also updated

The shift is equally reflected in the formalities tied to Uganda's single-entry tourist visa. The official page for that visa now lists a valid passport, a recent photograph, a travel itinerary, and an accommodation booking as required documents, depending on the purpose of visit. The yellow fever certificate no longer appears among them, and this has been the case since last year.

Travellers who need a visa must apply online before arrival. The tourist visa costs USD 50, and the approved authorisation must be used within 90 days of issuance.

Ebola outbreak and border health measures

The clarification comes roughly a month after Uganda declared the end of a Bundibugyo virus Ebola outbreak on August 27, 2026, following 42 consecutive days with no new cases. Despite that milestone, health screening at the country's borders remains in place due to an ongoing Ebola epidemic in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

Uganda's announcement mirrors a similar development in Benin, which recently confirmed that yellow fever vaccination certificates are also no longer being checked at its points of entry.

Benin ends yellow fever vaccination record checks

Legit.ng earlier reported that Benin has stopped checking vaccination records at all border entry points, including airports, seaports, and land borders, according to a circular note published by the country's Ministry of Health on September 16, 2026.