KAMPALA — Uganda and Egypt have signed a bilateral agreement granting visa-free travel to holders of diplomatic and service passports, a move officials say will strengthen diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries.

Internal Affairs Ministry spokesperson Simon Mundeyi announced the agreement during a press briefing on February 23, 2026, at the Uganda Police Force headquarters in Naguru, Kampala. He confirmed the agreement took effect on January 17, 2026.

“We have achieved visa-free travel for official and diplomatic passport holders from Uganda traveling to Egypt and also for their counterparts visiting Uganda,” Mundeyi said.

The agreement follows bilateral discussions between Uganda and Egypt aimed at simplifying travel through mutual visa exemptions. Mundeyi clarified that the exemption applies only to diplomatic and service passport holders from both countries. Ordinary passport holders must still apply for visas under standard procedures.

“This builds on Uganda’s existing visa abolition agreements with various countries for diplomatic and service passports and Egypt’s reciprocal policies for similar categories,” Mundeyi said, adding that such arrangements signal growing international confidence in Uganda’s travel documents.

In a related development, Mundeyi noted that holders of diplomatic, special, service, and ordinary passports from the United Arab Emirates can enter Uganda visa-free for up to 90 days. However, ordinary Ugandan passport holders traveling to the UAE must still follow standard visa procedures.

“These agreements support broader diplomatic, trade, and cultural ties,” he said.

Uganda also has visa abolition agreements with several other countries for holders of diplomatic and official passports. These include Algeria, Cuba, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, Turkey (only diplomatic), Venezuela, and Vietnam. Holders of diplomatic and official passports from these countries do not require a visa to travel to Uganda.