The UAE has rescinded the temporary health-based visa and entry restrictions it imposed on Ugandan nationals and recent Uganda visitors following the East African country’s Ebola outbreak earlier this year. Gulf News reported on 27 September that the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) gave the all-clear after Uganda completed the World Health Organization’s 42-day surveillance period without detecting new cases. Effective immediately, Ugandan passport-holders and residents arriving from Uganda may apply for regular visit visas or enter on pre-issued permits without producing Ebola clearance certificates. Airlines have updated their health-declaration portals accordingly, and Dubai Airports has removed enhanced screening lanes dedicated to Uganda arrivals. However, the ICP confirmed that analogous restrictions remain in force for passengers coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, where limited transmission chains persist. Carriers must therefore continue to verify boarding eligibility at origin stations in those countries. For UAE employers who source construction and hospitality talent from Uganda—or who rotate project teams through Kampala—normal visa lead times and medical-fitness testing routines now apply. Immigration advisers recommend that HR departments refresh pre-travel checklists and lift any internal ‘Do Not Travel’ flags tied to Uganda. The development also signals the UAE’s willingness to calibrate border measures swiftly in response to epidemiological data, reinforcing its reputation for evidence-based—but business-friendly—health governance.
Source: Gulf News
