The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) announced on 28 September 2026 that Ugandan citizens can once again apply for UAE entry visas, ending a nearly four-month suspension imposed on 6 June when Uganda faced an Ebola outbreak. The reversal follows the World Health Organization’s declaration in late July that Uganda had completed 42 days with no new Ebola cases. UAE health officials conducted their own risk assessment before recommending normalisation. Restrictions remain, however, for travellers from the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, where Ebola transmissions continue. Airlines and travel agencies welcomed the update. Dubai’s hospitality sector relies heavily on East African visitors for medical tourism and business events, and flydubai expects passenger volumes on its Entebbe route to rebound to pre-ban levels within six weeks. Recruitment companies also anticipate a surge in blue-collar and healthcare workers, sectors that experienced bottlenecks when visa issuance paused. Arriving Ugandan passengers must still present proof of yellow-fever vaccination and may be subject to random temperature screening, but no Ebola-specific PCR test is required. NCEMA noted that entry rules will stay under review and could tighten again if epidemiological conditions change. The decision highlights the UAE’s agile, data-driven border-health policy that balances public-health safeguards with labour-market and tourism needs. It also signals confidence in Uganda’s disease-surveillance capacity, potentially strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties.
Source: Dubai Today
