Entebbe International Airport sits 37 kilometers south of Kampala on a peninsula extending into Lake Victoria. This is Uganda's sole international airport handling scheduled commercial flights. The airport code is EBB. The facility operates one passenger terminal serving both international and domestic arrivals. Most international flights arrive between 0500 and 2300 hours. The terminal underwent expansion completed in 2021, increasing capacity to three million passengers annually.
Immigration procedures require a passport valid for six months beyond your entry date. Uganda shifted to an electronic visa system in 2016, eliminating visa-on-arrival for most nationalities. You must obtain your East Africa Tourist Visa or Uganda e-Visa before departure through the official government portal at visas.immigration.go.ug. The electronic visa approval typically processes within three business days. Immigration officers at Entebbe verify your printed e-visa approval letter or display on mobile device, stamp your passport, and direct you to baggage claim. Yellow fever vaccination proof is mandatory for all arriving passengers over one year old. Officers confiscate passports lacking the yellow International Certificate of Vaccination. Processing through immigration averages 20 to 40 minutes during standard traffic, extending to 90 minutes when multiple wide-body aircraft arrive simultaneously during morning hours.
Baggage claim occupies the ground floor with four carousel belts. Luggage delivery begins approximately 25 minutes after aircraft door opening. The customs declaration system operates on red and green channels. The green channel applies if you carry nothing to declare beyond personal effects. The red channel is mandatory if you transport more than one liter of spirits, currency exceeding 10,000 US dollars, or commercial goods. Customs officers conduct random physical inspections in both channels. Prohibited imports include firearms without prior Ministry of Internal Affairs approval, narcotics, pornographic materials, and counterfeit currency. Baggage wrapping services operate landside before check-in, not available after arrival.
Currency exchange counters operate in the arrivals hall operated by Stanbic Bank and Crane Bank. Exchange rates at airport counters run 3 to 5 percent below rates available at Kampala forex bureaus. The airport ATMs dispense Ugandan shillings and occasionally US dollars. Standard withdrawal limits range from 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 shillings per transaction depending on your card's issuing bank. Major networks accepted include Visa, Mastercard, and UnionPay. Local SIM cards sell at kiosks immediately past customs in the arrivals hall. MTN Uganda and Airtel Uganda maintain counters open from 0600 to 2300 hours daily. A tourist SIM package with 5GB data costs approximately 30,000 to 50,000 shillings as of 2024. Registration requires your passport. The process takes five to ten minutes.
Ground transport options begin immediately outside the arrivals hall exit. Official airport taxi services operate from a dedicated booth where you prepay based on destination. The fixed rate to Kampala city center hotels runs 80,000 to 100,000 shillings. The journey requires 45 to 90 minutes depending on traffic density, with peak congestion occurring weekday mornings from 0700 to 0930 and evenings from 1700 to 1930. The airport taxi receipt includes the driver's phone number and vehicle registration. Special hire taxis, which are private vehicles offering taxi service, park in the outer lot and negotiate rates typically 20,000 to 30,000 shillings lower than official taxis but without fixed pricing oversight. Ride-hailing applications including Uber and Bolt operate at Entebbe Airport with pickup zones designated in the parking area 100 meters from the terminal. These services charge 60,000 to 85,000 shillings to central Kampala. Boda-bodas, motorcycle taxis identifiable by numbered yellow vests, wait outside the airport perimeter fence and charge 40,000 to 60,000 shillings to Kampala but provide no baggage security and no passenger insurance.
Scheduled bus services connect Entebbe Airport to Kampala through two operators. Link Bus operates hourly departures from 0800 to 1800 hours from a stop outside the arrivals hall, charging 15,000 shillings for the 45-kilometer route to the city center. Gateway Bus runs a similar schedule at the same price point. Both services use 28-seat minibuses and make no intermediate stops between the airport and Kampala Railway Station. The buses do not accommodate large luggage in the passenger compartment, requiring suitcases to travel in rear storage compartments without individual locking. Private car rental companies including Europcar and Avis maintain desks in the arrivals hall operating from 0700 to 2100 hours. Rental rates for a compact sedan begin at 150,000 shillings per day including mandatory third-party insurance. Uganda drives on the left side of the road, a legacy of British colonial administration that ended in 1962. An International Driving Permit is legally required alongside your home country license.
Entebbe town sits three kilometers from the airport along the main road toward Kampala. Several hotels operate within this three-kilometer radius including Protea Hotel by Marriott, Best Western Premier Garden Hotel, and Airport Guest House. These properties serve travelers with early departures or late arrivals who wish to avoid the Kampala drive. Room rates range from 180,000 shillings for economy properties to 450,000 shillings for business hotels. The town of Entebbe contains 70,000 residents as of the 2020 census. The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, formerly Entebbe Zoo, operates on the Lake Victoria shoreline two kilometers from the airport terminal. The botanical gardens established in 1898 occupy 40 hectares adjacent to the Wildlife Education Centre. Several scenes from the 1951 film "The African Queen" were filmed in these gardens, though the facility does not maintain specific location markers.
Airport facilities inside the terminal include a pharmacy operating from 0700 to 2100 hours, a supermarket stocking basic provisions, and three restaurants serving Ugandan and international cuisine. The Java House coffee chain operates a branch in the departures hall accessible after security screening. Prayer rooms for multiple faiths occupy the mezzanine level. Banking services beyond currency exchange include Stanbic Bank branch banking during business hours 0830 to 1600 weekdays. The airport provides free wifi throughout the terminal requiring mobile number verification via SMS code. Connection quality supports basic browsing and messaging but proves inadequate for video calls or large file transfers. The terminal contains no left luggage facility or long-term baggage storage service. Hotels outside the airport offer luggage storage but require advance arrangement. The airport medical clinic operates 24 hours handling minor health issues and maintaining emergency stabilization equipment. Serious medical cases transfer to International Hospital Kampala via ambulance, located 42 kilometers away in Namuwongo. The clinic charges consultation fees starting at 50,000 shillings for foreign nationals.
Travelers transiting to western Uganda destinations including Fort Portal, Mbarara, or Kabale may consider connecting through Entebbe rather than entering Kampala. The Masaka Road branching west from the Kampala-Entebbe highway provides direct access avoiding the capital city's traffic density. Taxis will negotiate rates to western destinations with prices varying based on specific endpoint. Fort Portal via this route measures approximately 320 kilometers requiring six to seven hours driving time. No scheduled bus services operate directly from Entebbe Airport to western destinations, requiring all bus connections to initiate in Kampala. Travelers proceeding to Jinja in eastern Uganda face similar constraints requiring Kampala transit. The distance from Entebbe to Jinja measures 120 kilometers by the most direct route through Kampala, requiring two to three hours.
The airport departure tax previously charged as a separate fee now integrates into ticket prices for all international flights. Passengers do not pay any exit fee when departing Uganda. Check-in counters open three hours before international flight departures and close 60 minutes before scheduled departure time. The security screening process prohibits liquids exceeding 100 milliliters in carry-on baggage following international aviation standards. The departures hall contains a duty-free shop operated by Uganda Free Zones Authority selling spirits, tobacco, perfumes, and Ugandan coffee. Prices align with regional duty-free averages. The Uganda Revenue Authority maintains a tax refund desk in the departures hall for VAT reclaim on qualifying purchases, though few retail establishments provide the necessary documentation for tourist VAT refunds.