Visa question-Canadian
 

I am a Canadian travelling to Uganda for a week and then to Kenya for about a 3-4 day safari. My plane goes from Montreal to Amsterdam. Then Amsterdam to Uganda,with a connection in Nairobi.Return the same route.
Then I am making a seperate ticket from Uganda to Nairobi return for my safari.
Therefore am I correct in figuring I need
I single visa Uganda-72.00 Canadian
1 single transit Uganda-25.00 Canadian
1 single visa Kenya-72.00 Canadain
1 double transit Kenya-50.00 Canadian
This trip just gets more and more expensive.
Any comments on if I have that visa info right. I have written the Kenya High Commission here in Canada but am still awaiting confirmation.

I've called the Kenyan HC in Ottawa regarding my visa requirements. They were quite helpful. Give them a call:

Tel: (613) 563-1773(6)(8)
http://www.kenyahighcommission.ca

Thanks Cocco,I will call on Monday. So many things to get organized for this type of trip.

I don't think you need multiple Kenyan visas if you are only traveling within the 3 countries of Kenya/Tanzania/Uganda. I believe they have some sort of agreement and one visa allows you to do so. I am assuming the same applies on the Uganda side but you should double check with both embassies.

If you're traveling to Uganda for 1-week you need a Visa. If then doing safari in Kenya you need a Visa. If then returning Uganda or staying in Kenya for your flight home and staying in the airport, I don't believe you need transit Visas - you'll be in the transit lounge.

Not unlike if you're flying via Amsterdam (while no Visa is required for Americans or Canadians as you are) no visa would be required while you changing/waiting for your ongoing flight.

I believe, that the transit visa is for a short - few hour stay - in either country if you plan to leave the airport. Say you had a 3-hr business meeting at a city hotel, returning to the airport and continuing your flights wherever - a transit visa would be required.

When you contact these Embassies be certain to clarify whether you actually need transit visas if you're not leaving (transit lounge - secured area) of the airport.

Sandi,
Thanks for that reply. When I phone tomorrow I will be certain to explain that I am just connecting and not leaving the airport. I will let you know what they say.

I did get in touch with both consulars this morning and I am now confirmed that I only need a single entry visa for each country and as long as I do not leave the airport (as Sandy said) I am OK without a transit visa.
Thanks again to all.

I was under the impression that even if you did leave the airport as long as you didn't travel outside of the Kenya/Tanzania/Uganda zone, a single entry visa would still be valid for re-entry. For example, you could start your safari in Kenya, cross the border into Tanzania, cross back into Kenya, and only need one single entry visa per country (i.e. 1 for Kenya and 1 for Tanzania as opposed to 3 visas total) as long as the duration of your trip didn't exceed the validity period of the visas. I thought I'd read something about this, part of the 'east africa economic community' agreement or something to that effect. Is that not the case?

Patty -

Yes, you're correct about entering and re-entering - but you need the initial Country Visa to start with. If lyban has her Uganda Visa and Kenya Visa she's good to go back and forth within the 30- or 60-day term of each Visa. I believe she's scheduled for business for 1-wk in Uganga (needs Visa to enter); then flies over to Kenya for her short safari (needs Visa to enter); returning to Uganda to catch flight home (already has Visa, besides she shouldn't be leaving the airport) while waiting for her last let - homebound flight - so she's all set.

The "transit" visas are as I explained above - a few hours in a country -before continuing onward or homeward.

Yes Sandi,
You have it right. That is my itinery and I spoke to the two high commissioner offices and they confirmed this. Things are all starting to come together for me.