Uganda requires online health declaration before arrival amid Ebola concerns

Travelers planning a trip to Uganda must complete an additional health requirement alongside any applicable visa procedures.

In an official statement issued on October 25, 2026, Uganda’s Ministry of Health reminded travelers that everyone entering the country by air, land, or water must complete a health declaration, known as the Passenger Locator Form.

The declaration allows authorities to collect information about travelers’ itineraries, health status, and potential exposure to infectious diseases.

The government emphasized that the requirement applies to all arriving travelers, without exception, including diplomats and United Nations personnel.

Health declaration must be completed before arrival in Uganda

Travelers can complete the declaration through the Ugandan Ministry of Health’s official online health declaration portal, at poes.health.go.ug, within 72 hours before arriving in the country.

Available in several languages, including English, the platform allows users to select either an arrival or departure declaration.

For entry into Uganda, authorities require travelers to complete the form at their point of departure or before reaching the country. Travelers are therefore advised to submit their declaration online before beginning their journey.

According to the portal, the process takes approximately two minutes and does not require users to create an account.

The form is also intended for passengers taking domestic flights within Uganda.

How to complete Uganda’s online health declaration

The electronic form consists of four sections. During our review of the official portal, VisasNews examined the information requested at each stage.

1. Provide your travel details

Travelers must first select their point of entry into Uganda and enter their arrival date.

The form lists several airports, including Entebbe, Kisoro, Soroti, Kasese, Gulu, and Arua, along with an “Other” option for additional entry points.

Applicants must then specify the main purpose of their trip, such as tourism, business, visiting family or friends, transit, education, medical treatment, or another reason.

The form also requests:

• The intended length of stay in Uganda;
• The country where the journey began;
• Countries or territories visited during the previous 21 days;
• The flight number or vehicle identification;
• The address where the traveler will be staying in Uganda, including hotel or accommodation details.

Travelers visiting Uganda for medical treatment must provide additional information, particularly about the healthcare facility they plan to attend.

2. Enter your personal information

The second section collects travelers’ identification and contact details.

Required information includes the traveler’s full name as shown on their passport, age, sex, nationality, and passport or national identity card number.

Travelers must also provide a phone number where they can be reached during their stay in Uganda.

An email address and emergency contact phone number are optional.

3. Complete the health questionnaire

The next section asks about the traveler’s health during the previous 14 days.

Travelers must indicate whether they have experienced symptoms such as fever, coughing, vomiting, or bleeding.

Those answering yes can specify their symptoms from a list that includes headaches, breathing difficulties, diarrhea, abdominal pain, severe fatigue, and skin rashes.

This information helps health officials identify travelers who may require further medical assessment.

4. Report any potential exposure risks

The final section focuses on possible exposure to infectious diseases during the previous 21 days.

Travelers must indicate whether they have:

• Had close contact with someone experiencing fever or bleeding, or someone who died suddenly;
• Attended a funeral or helped prepare a body for burial;
• Visited or worked at a hospital or clinic in an Ebola-affected area;
• Handled bats, primates, or bushmeat.

Once all sections have been completed, travelers can submit their declaration by selecting the “Submit” button.

What health checks should travelers expect upon arrival in Uganda?

Completing the online declaration does not exempt travelers from health screening at Uganda’s borders.

In its October 25 statement, the Ministry of Health said it had strengthened surveillance at Entebbe International Airport and land border crossings, with additional checks at selected road checkpoints.

All travelers entering Uganda must undergo screening by border health officials, regardless of their nationality or official status.

According to the procedures outlined by the authorities, these checks include health assessments and temperature screening.

At Entebbe International Airport, the government has also introduced stricter hygiene measures, including the disinfection of trays used during baggage inspections.

Passengers are required to sanitize their hands before and after handing over their passports during check-in, immigration procedures, and other applicable inspections.

Travelers showing symptoms consistent with a suspected infection may be directed to a designated area for further medical evaluation and testing.

Authorities also provide for 21-day monitoring of certain individuals identified as contacts of suspected or confirmed cases. Quarantine measures may apply depending on the nature of their exposure.

However, there is no blanket quarantine requirement for all international visitors.

Special restrictions for travelers who have visited the DRC

The Ugandan government is also maintaining specific restrictions on travel from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where Ebola transmission remains a concern.

Cross-border movements between the two countries are limited to certain categories of essential travelers, including humanitarian workers and truck drivers, subject to mandatory health screening.

The government statement specifies that:

• Congolese nationals traveling to Uganda for nonessential purposes may be turned back to the DRC;
• Ugandan nationals returning from the DRC must undergo a 21-day quarantine at their own expense;
• Travelers with a history of travel to the DRC are not permitted to transit through Uganda, regardless of their mode of transportation, including charter flights.

The transit restriction is particularly relevant to travelers planning itineraries involving multiple countries in Central or East Africa. The government statement does not specify how far back a visit to the DRC would trigger the transit ban.

Authorities also warn that individuals identified as contacts of an active case may be temporarily prohibited from leaving Uganda during their health monitoring period.

An online departure health declaration is also available

Uganda’s online health declaration platform also includes a separate option for travelers leaving the country.

The departure form requests information such as the point of exit, departure date, destination country, flight number or vehicle identification, and the passenger’s personal details.

It also includes questions about symptoms experienced during the previous 14 days and possible exposure risks over the preceding 21 days.

Although the departure declaration is available online, the government’s October 25 statement primarily emphasizes the requirement to complete a declaration before entering Uganda, without explicitly detailing when the departure form is mandatory.

A separate requirement from Uganda’s electronic visa

The health declaration is separate from Uganda’s immigration and visa requirements.

Foreign nationals who require a visa must therefore continue to obtain the appropriate visa or e-Visa, depending on their nationality and purpose of travel.

The reminder about the health declaration comes just weeks after Ugandan immigration authorities confirmed that travelers are no longer required to present a yellow fever vaccination certificate upon entry.

Nevertheless, health surveillance remains a priority across the region. Mainland Tanzania has also required all travelers to complete an online health declaration since October 17, 2026.

Meanwhile, the United States will require all passengers arriving on international flights to provide a health attestation starting November 3, 2026, confirming that they have not visited or transited through the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the 21 days before boarding.

As for the current epidemiological situation, Uganda’s Ministry of Health stated that the country had no active Ebola cases as of October 25, 2026, although enhanced border surveillance remains in place.