Tourist and Business Visa
Tourist and Business Visa : Visa means a Charta visa which is a Latin word which means ‘’a document that has been seen’’. A visa is permission given by a country to a person to enter and stay in the country for a specified period of time. A visa is literally like a document issued to a person or a stamp marked on a passport of a person who wants to visit another country. For all travelers intending to enter East Africa for a holiday, tourism, family visits or medical purposes, you are required to apply for and obtain the visa online or you may obtain it at your arrival at the ports in the country.
Tourist and business visa in East Africa.
Tourist visa as it’s stated is about tourism, visiting and holidays, a business visa is specifically about business for those with interests of starting up any business venture, business trips into East Africa. In East Africa, the tourist visa and business visa is valid for three months with a multiple entry benefit for Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya valid for 90 days. Here the residents of Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda travelling to any of the three countries can now enter any alternative partner state without paying any fees for visas. This is either on a single entry or multiple entry into the country.
To acquire this visa, a traveler applies online for it. This was done to reduce crowding while applying for visas into east Africa, since the procedure is very simple, a lot of people have embarked on using the e-Visa into East Africa. There are certain necessities and procedures that are supposed to be followed while applying for the visa:
Necessities of getting a visa
- Valid passport
- Current email address to receive the approved visa for those applying for an e-Visa.
- Credit or debit card to pay for the visa fee.
- Citizens of over 50 countries can enter east Africa with the visa where you will just need to provide your personal, travel and health information to get a visa.
- In some cases, you may need to provide proof of the accommodation, airline confirmation and return ticket, an invitation letter and a travel itinerary.
- Travelers entering Uganda need proof of negative result of covid-19 PCR test not more than 120 hours prior to departure.
- You must also have a valid yellow fever immunization visa and corresponding fees.
E-Visa application in East Africa
In case you need n e-visa which requires you to apply for it online and there are certain documents that applicants must supply as supporting documents.
- A copy of the passport bio data page
- Recent passport-size photograph
- Vaccination certificate for COVID-19
- Vaccination certificate for yellow fever
For cases of multiple – entry e-Visas, the applicant must submit the following additional items;
- A cover letter stating reasons for multiple entries
- Valid police clearance from home country to Interpol
- Letter of recommendation from a referee in any east African country
- Proof of entries and exits from the country within the past year.
These are a few steps you can follow to get yourself e-Visa in any of the East African countries.
Application process
- Open the e-Visa application form.
- Fill in the application and your payment option.
- Provide the necessary documents.
- Submit.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE E-VISA IN EACH EAST AFRICAN COUNTRY
Uganda
Uganda has different online Uganda tourist visa permits which are; travelers to enter a single time which is valid for three months or a multi-entry Uganda e-Visa with validity of 6,12 or 24 months. There is a Uganda transit e-Visa is a requirement for all the travelers passing through Uganda with another country as their destination.
Note that applicants must submit a letter stating their final destination for those applying for a transit visa. In case you have got approved of the e-Visa, it is a requirement for you to print and present a copy of your visa approval to the border control officer and that is when you can only be allowed into the country.
After approval of your visa, you will receive the document via your email address. Print and present it to the border control officer. The online visa in Uganda costs 100 US$.
Kenya
The e-Visa is a new electronic variant of the tourist and business visa for Kenya. All travelers must possess a mandatory Kenya visa before departure. Therefore, the easiest way to meet this requirement is by applying online for an e-visa. This e-visa has a few people it caters for, that is to say;
Travelers of 15 years and above, those who possess a passport of a country that qualifies for an e-Visa, this includes the British citizens, travelers with a business or travel purpose, travelers who want to stay in Kenya for less than 90 days.
There are documents that are necessary for the visa application like the passport scan, passport photo and at least one additional travel document like letter of invitation, hotel confirmation or return flight confirmation. This e-Visa costs 50 US$.
Rwanda
Rwanda’s e-Visa has got a mandatory passenger Locator Form that you have to purchase. This form will help the government of Rwanda to locate you in case the person you have been in contact with develops any symptoms of COVID-19. To apply for this visa, you need a valid passport details scan, application photo, application letter, selfie holding the physical credit card( only the last 4 digits of the credit card must be visible), booking confirmation from the hotel you are planning to stay.
Note that it is mandatory that the dates on your booking confirmation match the dates of your arrival and departure from Rwanda. You must also have a COVID-19 PCR test result taken with in the last 72 hours before departure. All foreign citizens who have acquired this e-Visa must enter Rwanda through the right check points: Kigali international airport, Kagitumba, Buziba, Gatuna, Cyanika, Kabuhanga, Poids Lourds, Lacorniche, Kamembe international airport etc.
Tanzania
This online visa allows all travelers to for eligible countries to travel to and within Tanzania and Zanzibar. This is valid for tourism purposes and leisure. Such include holidays, visiting families and friends. Also, it is valid up to 90 days on entry. For the US citizens, the Tanzania online visa is valid for multiple entries which is valid for one year from the date of arrival and allows 90 days within every 180 days.
Tanzania’s online visa requires each applicant to consider a few thing before starting your application. Such information is on the visa application or is the only way you can get this visa:
- type of visa you are applying for
Documents like passport
- copy of confirmed return and onward flight booking
- a recent passport photo
- current email address
- credit/debit card
Countries whose citizens do not require visa on entry and countries whose citizens require approval by the Tanzania Commissioner General of Immigration. This visa costs 50 US$ for single entry and for multiple entry, it is 100 US$.
It is essential for all the travelers with dual nationality to ensure they travel with the same passport used to complete the Tanzania visa application.
Democratic republic of Congo
All the travelers coming from abroad will have to fill the DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO TRAVELERS REGESTRATION FORM. This form requires you to provide information about yourself, your trip, and your medical status. The medical results must include the COVID-19 PCR test which must be negative (from the last 3 days). You must also display he WHO yellow fever vaccination card to enter the country.
There are certain documents that are essential while applying for this form:
- passport personal details scan
- airline confirmation
- a selfie holding the physical credit card used for the transaction
- only four of the last credit card digits must be visible
Note that this traveler’s document does not replace a visa. The immigration officers will ask for your visa when you enter the country. We therefore suggest that you contact your local embassy.
For inquiries, Pamoja Tours and Travel Company is here to help you answer all the questions. We can further help you apply for the visa with the above procedures.