Just Landed in Uganda? Your First 7 Days

Mobile data is the default way to get online in Uganda, and coverage is good across Kampala and towns. Home fibre exists in the city but can take several days to install and needs a fixed address. SIM registration against your passport is legally required, so buy only from an official MTN or Airtel agent, never an unregistered street vendor, and expect to give a photo and fingerprint at activation.

Typical cost: A registered SIM costs around UGX 2,000. Data is bought as bundles rather than as an unlimited plan: roughly UGX 5,000 for a few GB, and about UGX 30,000-60,000 for a 10-20GB monthly bundle. Home fibre from providers like Roke Telkom or MTN starts around UGX 100,000-200,000 per month depending on speed.

Uganda is overwhelmingly a cash and mobile-money economy. Cards work at malls, hotels, fuel stations and larger supermarkets but rarely at markets, small shops or with boda-bodas. Mobile money (MTN MoMo, Airtel Money) is near-universal and is often more useful than a card for rent, bills and everyday transfers, so treat it as your primary wallet.

Opening an account: Foreigners can open an account at Stanbic Bank, Absa, Centenary, Equity Bank or DFCU with a passport, a valid work permit or visa, a passport photo and usually a reference letter or proof of address. Some banks ask for a letter from your employer. Expect anywhere from a few days to two or three weeks for approval, and be prepared for paperwork to be done in person at a branch.

Cash: Carry cash every day for transport, markets, tips and small shops. ATMs occasionally run dry, go offline or cap withdrawals per transaction, so top up when you can and keep a stash of small notes for change. USD in clean, newer notes is accepted by some landlords, hotels and forex bureaus and often gives a good rate, but everyday spending should be in shillings.

Tipping: Tipping is not obligatory but is appreciated. Leave around 5-10% at sit-down restaurants that do not already add a service charge, round up for boda and taxi rides, and tip guides, porters and hotel staff modestly. For safari guides and drivers, a per-day tip is customary and often the main part of their income.

As of 10 June 2026, Uganda operates a mandatory alien registration scheme. All foreign nationals working, studying or residing in the country for more than 90 days must register with the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) and obtain an Alien Identification Card, which carries a Unique Identification Number valid for the length of your immigration permission. Visitors staying under 90 days are exempt. This is separate from your visa or permit and is about being recorded, not about gaining residency. Many embassies also encourage voluntary consular registration of their citizens for safety and crisis contact.

Deadline: Register within your stay if you will be in Uganda for more than 90 days; align your registration with valid immigration documents that have at least 90 days of validity remaining. There is no separate local address-registration step beyond this. Always renew your visa, permit or pass before it expires.

Where: Alien registration is handled by NIRA, with the main centre at Plot 62 Lumumba Avenue (NIRA Wandegeya, Kampala) and at the Ministry of Internal Affairs Work Permit Section. Bring your passport, valid Uganda visa, your work permit or pass, and proof of payment of the prescribed fee of about USD 100. Visa and permit matters themselves are handled by the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control and the online e-visa portal; consular registration is done with your own embassy.

Kampala moves on boda-boda motorbike taxis, shared matatu minibuses and app-based cars, all through notoriously heavy traffic ("jam"). Ride-hailing apps give you safer, priced trips than flagging vehicles down on the street, and app-based bodas provide helmets and traceable rides. Matatus are cheapest but follow fixed informal routes and can be confusing at first; bodas are fastest through jam but carry real accident risk.

From the airport: Entebbe International Airport is about 40-45km from central Kampala, typically 1 to 1.5 hours depending on traffic. A pre-booked private transfer or hotel car runs roughly UGX 100,000-150,000. Uber or Bolt from the airport is usually cheaper, but you must confirm the official pickup point, as drivers cannot always enter the terminal forecourt. Entebbe town itself is only minutes from the airport if you are staying near the lake.

Most expats and skilled migrants rent through agents or word of mouth in leafy hillside areas such as Kololo, Nakasero, Naguru, Bugolobi, Ntinda and Muyenga. Furnished apartments and walled compounds with a guard (askari) are common at the upper end. Listings appear on Lamudi Uganda, Jumia Deals and Facebook groups, but a good local agent still dominates the market and can find places that are never advertised online.

Typical rent: A modern one-bedroom in a good Kampala neighbourhood runs roughly UGX 1.5-2.5 million per month; simpler one-beds further out can be UGX 550,000-1.1 million. Larger family houses in Kololo or Muyenga are often priced in dollars at around USD 1,500-3,000. Serviced apartments cost more but bundle security, cleaning and backup power.

Deposit norm: Landlords commonly ask for several months upfront, frequently three to six months, plus a refundable deposit of one to two months. Rent for higher-end places is sometimes quoted and paid in USD. Always negotiate, insist on a written tenancy agreement, and clarify who pays for the generator fuel, water tank and any service charge before signing.

Public hospitals such as Mulago are overstretched and under-resourced, so expats and most middle-class Ugandans rely on private clinics and hospitals in Kampala for anything beyond the trivial. Choose and save a preferred private facility and a private ambulance number before you ever need them, because in an emergency you will usually make your own way there.

How to access it: For reliable private care use Nakasero Hospital, International Hospital Kampala (IHK), Case Medical Centre or C-Care (formerly IMG). Payment is normally upfront or through accepted insurance, and consultations are affordable by Western standards. Malaria testing and treatment are routine, quick and cheap, and pharmacies are widespread, though you should buy medicines from reputable ones to avoid counterfeits.

Insurance: Get private health insurance that includes regional medical evacuation cover, since complex or serious cases are frequently flown to Nairobi for treatment. Insurers and schemes such as AAR, Jubilee, Prudential, UAP Old Mutual and Sanlam are widely accepted at the main private hospitals; confirm your provider is on your chosen hospital's panel before you need it.

• Greet before getting to business; a handshake and asking how someone is are expected, and rushing straight to a request comes across as rude.
• Use your right hand, or both hands, when giving or receiving money, gifts and objects; the left hand alone can be seen as disrespectful.
• Dress modestly, especially outside Kampala, at government offices, in villages and at places of worship, where covered shoulders and knees are appreciated.
• Show clear respect to elders and to people in authority; titles, age and seniority genuinely matter and are acknowledged openly.
• Accept offers of tea, food or hospitality graciously, even a small amount, as refusing outright can seem cold; sharing is central to social life.
• Be patient and keep your temper; raising your voice or showing visible anger loses you respect and rarely speeds anything up.
• Learn a few Luganda greetings such as "oli otya" and "webale"; even a poor attempt is warmly received and softens negotiations.

• Homosexuality is criminalised under harsh laws that carry severe penalties; LGBTQ+ people face real legal and social danger and should be extremely cautious about any disclosure.
• Public criticism of the president, the ruling party or the military can attract serious trouble; keep strong political opinions private, especially with strangers and online.
• Do not photograph police, soldiers, government buildings, State House, the airport, bridges or dams, as it can lead to your phone being seized or to detention.
• Avoid political gatherings, demonstrations and rallies, which can turn violent or draw a heavy security response with little warning.
• Be discreet about wealth; openly flashing cash, expensive phones or jewellery invites both opportunistic theft and unwelcome demands.