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Uganda's e-gates and e-immigration systems: what is live
Short answer
- e-Gates location
- Entebbe International Airport 1
- e-Gate users
- Ugandan citizens with chip e-passports 2
- e-Gates status
- Live. Adopted by April 2021, opened to all returning Ugandans with e-passports by February 2024 1,2
- Linked systems
- URA, NIRA and NSSF 1
- Passport portal
- www.passports.go.ug 1
The e-Immigration System
The Ministry of Internal Affairs said on 26 April 2021 that its e-Immigration System handles visas, work permits and passes, certificates of residence, citizenship grants and border management 1.
It said the system was deployed at regional offices in Mbarara, Jinja, Mbale and Gulu. It was in use at 16 missions, including Washington, London, Ottawa, Beijing, Pretoria, Abuja, New Delhi and Riyadh 1.
The system is integrated with the Uganda Revenue Authority, the National Identification and Registration Authority and the National Social Security Fund. The ministry said it sends real-time alerts on expired visas, work permits and passes to legal and inspection teams 1.
The e-Gates at Entebbe
In April 2021 the ministry said e-Gates had been adopted at Entebbe International Airport for trusted travellers and that full border automation was still in progress 1.
The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority republished a Daily Monitor report on 19 February 2024. It said the directorate had announced that all Ugandans arriving from abroad may use the self-clearance gates 2. The gates use facial recognition, and passengers scan their own passports 2.
Ministry spokesperson Simon Mundeyi said the gates are for Ugandans returning with the new chip e-passports, and that the system was designed for Ugandan citizens 2. He said the gates are underused, with travellers queuing at officers' desks 2.
Link with the e-passport
The government began issuing e-passports on 7 December 2018, following ICAO guidelines 4. Machine readable passports became invalid after 4 April 2022 3.
The February 2024 report said paper e-passports were being upgraded to polycarbonate e-passports suited to e-gates and automated boarding pass issue 2. It said 1,346,560 passports had been issued since 2018. Express passports took two days and ordinary ones 10 working days 2.
Common questions
Who can use the e-gates at Entebbe Airport?
Ugandan citizens arriving with chip e-passports, according to the immigration directorate in February 2024 2.
Can foreign visitors use the Entebbe e-gates?
The ministry spokesperson said in 2024 the gates were designed for Ugandan citizens 2.
Which agencies share data with the immigration system?
URA, NIRA and NSSF, per the Ministry of Internal Affairs in April 2021 1.
Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@ugandaborderguide.com.
Sources
- Ministry of Internal Affairs: Press Statement: Interventions Undertaken by the Ministry of Internal Affairs to Improve Delivery of Immigration Services (26 April 2021)
- Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, Shamilah Seyiga: How govt eased travels with e-passport at Entebbe Airport (19 February 2024)
- Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control, via Uganda Embassy Washington: Phase out of machine readable passports (undated)
- The Observer, Aaron Gad Orena: Old passports are illegal now (5 April 2022)
Related
- The Uganda e-visa and e-immigration system
How Uganda's online visa and permit system works, when it went live in July 2016, what the approval letter is and what happens at the border.
- Arriving at and leaving Entebbe International Airport
Step by step through arrival and departure at Entebbe International Airport: visa checks, biometrics, the 2026 health declaration, security and gate times.
- Uganda's national ID and e-passport systems: status and findings
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- Uganda passenger data, API and PNR
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- Uganda entry requirements
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