In light of the global challenges occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk of importing new variants from high-risk countries, the Government of Uganda is undertaking mandatory testing of all incoming passengers at Entebbe International Airport in order to reduce on the risk of further spread of the virus.
- What are the requirements for arriving passengers to Uganda?
Arriving passengers should hold a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate issued within 72 hours from the time of sample collection to boarding aircraft leaving country of origin.
- Before departure from the country of origin to Entebbe International Airport, passengers are advised to pay an online fee of 30 US Dollars for a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test to be conducted on arrival at the airport (https://covidpay.postbank.co.ug). For those unable to pay online, there are other payment options on arrival detailed in 3 (below). In addition passengers are required to fill in an online health form accessed on the link https://arrivals.healthdesk.go.ug.
- All passengers will be required to go through the recommended Port health procedure of identifying body temperature, symptoms and thereafter directed to a team of laboratory specialists to take a COVID-19 swab for testing. The arrival test only applies to those entering the country (transit passengers are exempted).
- After taking their swab, passengers will be directed back to the terminal to go through the immigration process. From the arrival immigration counters, passengers will proceed to the conveyor belts to pick their respective baggage and then go through customs clearance processes, in case of any taxable items.
- From the customs area, passengers will exit the terminal to an arranged passenger holding area to wait for their PCR test results, which shall be availed to them after about two hours and thirty minutes or less.
- Passengers that may not have paid for their testing fees online will have the opportunity to pay for their testing fees at the various Post Bank kiosks located in the holding area.
- Passengers will be able to exchange currency and also have an option of paying for their testing fees using mobile money services, visa, credit cards or make cash payments at the various Post Bank Uganda kiosks.
- How long do passengers have to wait for their PCR test results?
- From the time when a sample is collected on arrival, the passenger is expected to wait for a maximum of two hours and thirty minutes before release of the test results.
- Results will be sent to passengers by SMS or WhatsApp. Display monitors strategically placed in the holding area will also be used as well as the public address system to announce readiness of results.
- On receipt of the results, only passengers with negative COVID-19 PCR test certificates will be permitted to leave the holding area to proceed to their final destinations. Passengers with positive COVID-19 PCR test results will be isolated by the Port health staff and treated according to the Ministry of Health protocol for COVID-19.
- There is a dedicated tourism desk to facilitate tourists.
- What is the cost of a PCR test undertaken on arrival?
30 US Dollars or equivalent.
- What are the COVID 19 PCR test requirements in relation to children?
- Children below six (6) years will be exempted from the requirement for a negative PCR test certificate if they are accompanied by parents holding a negative COVID -19 PCR test certificate. They will also be exempted from the arrival test.
- How will passengers who test positive on arrival be handled?
Passengers who test positive on arrival will be provided psychosocial support and transferred to the gazetted public and private treatment facilities where they will be managed for 7 days and discharged following a negative PCR test. The treatment will be free in public hospitals. However, passengers who opt for private hospitals will meet their own costs.
In the case of arriving tourists, if they are asymptomatic or with mild disease, they will be managed in the designated tourist hotels. The tourists who may progress to severe disease will be transferred to hospitals of their choice.
