Arriving at and leaving Entebbe International Airport

On arrival

Visa holders report to the immigration desk for biometric capture. They bring the passport, the approval letter, payment receipts and the documents uploaded with the application ². The Ministry of Internal Affairs said in April 2021 that Entebbe International Airport had adopted e-Gates for trusted travellers and that full border automation was still in progress ⁵.

On 1 June 2026, the Embassy of Italy in Kampala reported that the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority made traveller tracking mandatory on arrival and departure at Entebbe, linked to the Ebola outbreak declared by the WHO on 16 May 2026 ³. The embassy said travellers must show proof of registration no later than 6 hours before travel and receive a QR code on completion ³. The declaration portal offers two paths, one for arriving and one for departing travellers ⁴.

A 2 October 2026 immigration notice says a yellow fever certificate is no longer mandatory for entry into Uganda ⁷.

Departure step by step

The UCAA guide for departing passengers, dated 30 January 2023, sets out these steps ¹.

• Gate security: the driver and occupants are screened and the vehicle is inspected ¹.
• Park in the public car park and go to the departure level ¹.
• Second security point: travellers are separated from non-travellers and show a passport and ticket ¹.
• Aviation Security screens hold baggage ¹.
• Airline or ground handling staff check the passport and ticket and may deny travel to a passenger who does not meet requirements ¹.
• Check-in and bag drop. Excess baggage is paid to the airline, which issues a receipt ¹.
• Immigration: show the passport, boarding pass and hotel booking for the exit stamp ¹.
• Last security check: prohibited items are removed ¹.
• Be at the boarding gate at least 20 minutes before departure ¹.

Documents for departure

UCAA lists a valid passport, a valid visa where needed, an airline ticket and a yellow fever card if the destination requires one ¹. The guide says passengers are responsible for origin, transit and destination rules under the airline's contract of carriage ¹. Passengers who checked in online and have no bags skip the check-in counters ¹.

Traffic and the terminal

UCAA reported 2,243,104 international passengers in 2024, up from 1,932,094 in 2023, and 243,089 in August 2025 alone ⁶. It said phase II of the expansion, a US$125 million investment, includes a second passenger terminal ⁶.

On 20 August 2026, Daily Monitor reported that Parliament's Cosase committee inspected the airport to verify the Auditor General's 2025 report. The committee observed that baggage scanners for the new terminal had not been installed and that the main scanner in the old terminal had faults ⁸. Acting Director General Olive Birungi said some issues in the report had been addressed ⁸.