Africa travel visa requirements vary a lot from one country to the next, so most trips need either an approved eVisa or an electronic travel authorisation obtained online before you fly. Plan the paperwork early, because several popular safari countries no longer stamp visas on arrival. This guide explains the entry rules for the main tourist destinations, plus how to stay connected with an eSIM or a local SIM once you land.
Africa is not one visa zone. There is no single document that opens the whole continent, and rules differ between East Africa, Southern Africa and North Africa. The good news is that the process has moved online almost everywhere, so you can sort most of it from home with a passport scan, a photo and a card payment. Below I walk through the countries travellers ask about most, then cover the connectivity side, because a working data plan is what turns a printed visa confirmation into a smooth arrival.
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How African Visa Systems Work Before Your Safari
Three systems are in play across the continent, and knowing which one applies saves you stress at the airport. The first is the eVisa, a full visa you apply for on a government portal and receive by email as a PDF. The second is the electronic travel authorisation, a lighter permit for nationalities that are visa free but still need to register in advance. Kenya uses this model. The third, still common in a few places, is the traditional visa on arrival, though this is shrinking fast.
Always apply through the official state portal, never a lookalike site. Many private “visa help” pages rank well in search and charge a service markup on top of the government fee. The real portals end in the country domain, and I name them in each section below. Apply at least a week ahead. Some approvals land within a day, others take up to ten working days.
Watch the domain. Kenya applications go through etakenya.go.ke, Tanzania through visa.immigration.go.tz, and Uganda through visas.immigration.go.ug. If a site asks for far more than the published fee, close the tab and start again on the official page.
Kenya eTA: What Every Safari Traveller Must Register
Kenya recently scrapped tourist visas and replaced them with an Electronic Travel Authorisation, the eTA. It is not a visa, but you still cannot board without it. Every non Kenyan visitor needs one, including infants and children, and there is no on arrival option to fall back on. You apply at etakenya.go.ke, upload your passport bio page and a photo, and wait for the emailed approval.
Apply at least three days before you fly to leave room for processing, and you can submit as early as three months out. The eTA covers a stay of up to 90 days. Kenya has also started waiving the requirement for citizens of many African countries and exempting the fee for several nationalities, so check your own passport against the current list on the portal. For a classic Masai Mara game drive trip, this is the one piece of paperwork you cannot skip.
Tanzania eVisa for a Serengeti and Zanzibar Trip
Tanzania moved to a full eVisa and recently ended visa on arrival for most travellers. You now apply in advance at visa.immigration.go.tz. The system processes applications within about ten working days, so this is not one to leave until the week before departure. Upload your passport page, a photo, your flight details and proof of where you are staying.
US passport holders are a special case: they are issued a multiple entry visa rather than a single entry one, valid for up to a year, with each stay capped at 90 days. Everyone else typically takes the ordinary single entry visa. Zanzibar sits within Tanzania for visa purposes, so the same eVisa covers a Serengeti safari followed by a beach week on the coast. There is also a separate mandatory travel insurance requirement for Zanzibar, bought online, so budget a little extra time for that step.
Uganda eVisa and the Gorilla Trekking Route
Uganda runs an eVisa system through visas.immigration.go.ug, and like its neighbours it has moved away from on arrival stamps. The single entry tourist visa is granted for up to three months and usually clears within about four working days. You will need your passport bio page, a passport photo, your itinerary, proof of accommodation and, importantly, a yellow fever vaccination certificate, which Uganda enforces strictly.
Uganda is the country most people enter for a gorilla trekking adventure in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, often combined with Rwanda. If your plan crosses between Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda, look closely at the East Africa Tourist Visa in the next section, because one document across three borders can work out cheaper and simpler than three separate visas.
The East Africa Tourist Visa for a Multi Country Expedition
The East Africa Tourist Visa, the EATV, is a single multiple entry document that covers Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda for 90 days. It is built for travellers doing a regional loop, say Nairobi to Kampala to Kigali, without applying three separate times. You apply through the portal of whichever of the three countries you enter first. Land in Entebbe and you apply through the Uganda system; fly into Nairobi and you use the Kenyan one.
One catch matters. The EATV covers only those three countries, so Tanzania is not included. If your route pairs the Serengeti with gorilla trekking, you will need the EATV plus a separate Tanzania eVisa. The visa is not renewable and is void if you leave the three country block and try to re enter on the same document. For a genuine three country trip it usually saves money against buying each visa individually.
Kenya eTA. Electronic authorisation, applied online at etakenya.go.ke, up to 90 days, no on arrival option. Apply about three days ahead.
Tanzania eVisa. Full eVisa at visa.immigration.go.tz, single entry for most, multiple entry for US citizens, allow up to ten working days.
Uganda eVisa. Single entry tourist visa up to three months, yellow fever certificate required, clears in around four working days.
East Africa Tourist Visa. One document for Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, 90 days, multiple entry. Excludes Tanzania.
Rwanda, South Africa, Egypt and Morocco Entry Rules
Beyond the East African core, the rules loosen or tighten depending on where you go. Rwanda runs one of the most open policies on the continent. For years now, citizens of every country can get a visa on arrival without applying first, which makes a Kigali stopover or a quick gorilla add on straightforward. You can still apply online in advance if you prefer certainty.
South Africa is visa free for many Western passports for stays up to 90 days, which suits a Kruger safari or a Cape Town trip. Southern Africa is strict on passport pages, though, so carry at least two consecutive blank pages. Egypt offers an eVisa for citizens of many countries and also grants short visa free entry of 15 days at Sharm el Sheikh, Saint Catherine and Taba airports, handy for a Red Sea trip. Morocco is visa free for most Western tourists for up to 90 days, while some nationalities, including South Africans meeting set conditions, use a Morocco eVisa for stays up to 30 days. Because these rules turn on your specific passport, confirm your own case on the relevant government portal before booking.
Yellow Fever, Passport Validity and the Documents Behind Your Visa
A visa alone does not get you through immigration. Two other requirements catch travellers out. The first is the yellow fever certificate. Kenya and Uganda require it, and many countries demand it if you arrive from, or transit for more than 12 hours through, a country with yellow fever risk. The WHO now treats the vaccine as valid for life, so a single dose usually stands, but get it at least ten days before travel and carry the yellow card with your passport.
The second is passport validity. Many African countries, Kenya and Zambia among them, want at least six months of validity beyond your entry date. Southern Africa is the strictest region for blank pages, with several countries asking for three or more. Check your passport now, not at the airport. A near expiry passport or a full one can end a trip before it starts, whatever your visa says.
Before you apply. A passport valid six months beyond entry with two or more blank pages, and a clear scan of the bio page.
Health documents. A yellow fever certificate where required, dated at least ten days before arrival, kept with your passport.
Trip proof. Return or onward flights, plus proof of accommodation, which several portals ask you to upload.
Payment. A card that works for international online payments, since fees are paid on the portal and are usually non refundable.
Staying Connected: eSIM, Local SIM or Roaming on Your Trip
Once the visa is sorted, connectivity is the next thing to plan, and you have three routes. An eSIM is a digital SIM you install by scanning a QR code or through an app, with no plastic card to swap. A local SIM is the physical card you buy on arrival, usually the cheapest per gigabyte because you pay resident rates. Roaming means using your home plan abroad, the simplest option but often the priciest and least predictable.
For most safari travellers an eSIM hits the sweet spot. You set it up before you leave home, keep your normal number active for calls and messages on a second line, and land already connected. The trade off is coverage. Matching the carrier to your route matters more than the headline country count, because a provider that lists 36 African countries is no help if it rides a weak network in the exact park you are visiting.
Choosing an eSIM Provider for an African Adventure
Several real providers operate across Africa. Airalo has the widest country list, covering more than 30 African countries, and in East Africa it typically rides Airtel. Worth knowing: its regional plans do not use Safaricom, Kenya’s dominant network, so signal in remote Kenyan parks can vary. Holafly sells unlimited daily data plans over a broad African footprint and leans on strong local carriers, including several in South Africa. Nomad covers fewer African countries but picks solid networks where it operates. Saily, from the Nord team, is a reliable all rounder for a mixed route.
Compatibility comes first. Most phones from the last several years take an eSIM, including recent iPhones, Google Pixels and Samsung Galaxy models, but a locked or older handset may not. Install the eSIM while you still have home wifi, because you scan the QR code and download the profile before you travel, then switch it on when you land. In remote safari zones no eSIM guarantees signal. Lodges usually have wifi, and for deep bush a local SIM on the strongest national carrier, Safaricom in Kenya or Vodacom in South Africa, can outperform any travel eSIM.
eSIM. Best for convenience. Set up at home, arrive connected, keep your home number on a second line. Pick the provider by carrier strength on your route, not country count.
Local SIM. Best for value and deep coverage. Buy at the airport or in town, ride the dominant national network, ideal for long single country stays and remote areas.
Roaming. Best for zero effort. Nothing to install, but rates shift between countries and can climb fast, so treat it as a short backup, not the main plan.
Planning the Paperwork and Data for a Smooth Trip
Put the two together and a clean plan looks like this. Start with the visa or eTA for each country on your route, apply through the official portals, and keep the PDF confirmations on your phone and printed. Layer in the yellow fever certificate where it applies, and confirm passport validity and blank pages. Then sort connectivity: install a travel eSIM at home so you land online, and buy a local SIM on the dominant carrier if you are heading deep into the bush for a long stay.
Rules change, and they change often on this continent. Kenya’s shift to an eTA and Tanzania’s move away from visa on arrival both happened recently. Treat any guide, including this one, as a starting point, and confirm the current position on the government portal a few weeks before you fly. Do that and the admin becomes a quiet background task rather than a scramble at the check in desk.
How much does an African travel eVisa or eTA cost?
Fees vary by country. Kenya’s eTA is about USD 30 for all types. Uganda’s single entry tourist visa is around USD 50, and the East Africa Tourist Visa covering Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda is about USD 100. Tanzania’s ordinary single entry visa is roughly USD 50, with a multiple entry visa, required for US citizens, around USD 100. All are paid online at the official portal and are generally non refundable.
Do I still need a visa on arrival anywhere in East Africa?
Mostly no. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have all moved to online systems and no longer offer standard visa on arrival for most tourists, so you must apply in advance. Rwanda is the main exception, still granting visa on arrival to citizens of every country, though you can apply online first if you want certainty.
How much does an eSIM for Africa cost?
It depends on the provider and data amount. A small Airalo data package for Kenya can start around USD 8 for 1GB over a week, with larger bundles costing more per trip. Holafly’s unlimited daily Kenya plans run higher, roughly USD 27 for five days up to around USD 79 for a month. Note that some plans labelled unlimited actually cap high speed data per day before slowing down, so read the terms.
Which is better in Africa, an eSIM or a local SIM?
An eSIM wins on convenience: you install it at home and arrive connected while keeping your home number. A local SIM wins on price and often on remote coverage, because it uses the dominant national network at resident rates. For a short multi country trip an eSIM is easiest; for a long single country stay or deep bush travel, a local SIM on the strongest carrier is usually stronger.
Do I need a yellow fever certificate to enter?
Kenya and Uganda require it, and many countries require it if you arrive from or transit for more than 12 hours through a country with yellow fever risk. The WHO treats the vaccine as valid for life, so one dose usually suffices. Get vaccinated at least ten days before arrival and carry the yellow card alongside your passport.
How long before travel should I apply for my visa?
Apply early. Kenya’s eTA is best submitted at least three days ahead, Uganda’s visa clears in around four working days, and Tanzania’s eVisa can take up to ten working days. Leaving a week or two of buffer is sensible, since portals occasionally ask for extra documents and fees are non refundable if you miss your window.
Does one visa cover multiple African countries?
The East Africa Tourist Visa is the main multi country option, covering Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda on one 90 day multiple entry document. It does not include Tanzania, so a Serengeti and gorilla trip needs the East Africa Tourist Visa plus a separate Tanzania eVisa. Elsewhere on the continent visas are country by country, so plan each border individually.
Related Safari Guides
Keep planning with our Africa Visa and eSIM Guide. Read next: African Countries with eVisa for Tourists, Airport WiFi vs eSIM in Africa, Best eSIM for Africa Travel, and Best eSIM for Safari Travelers.