Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are coordinating a plan to introduce a unified tourist visa for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) scheduled in June and July 2027. This proposal seeks to allow international football fans and tourists to access all three host countries using a single entry permit. Currently, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda operate a joint East Africa Tourist Visa, but Tanzania remains outside this existing three-nation scheme.
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni endorsed the common visa proposal on July 2, 2026, supporting a four-month travel period to include football supporters, tourists, officials and teams during AFCON 2027. East African
Community (EAC) ministers responsible for tourism and wildlife have also backed arrangements aimed at simplifying border crossings among the three host countries for the event.
Political and technical challenges complicate the launch of the single tourist visa. Tanzania declined to join the Kenya–Uganda–Rwanda visa in 2014 due to national security concerns and uncertainties over visa revenue sharing. Questions remain about visa fee collection, immigration controls, eligibility criteria, and legal responsibility when travelers cross borders under this shared permit arrangement.
If implemented, the AFCON visa could ease travel for tourists and football fans by allowing entry into Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda
without multiple visa applications. This would facilitate multi-destination itineraries in East Africa during the tournament, reducing procedural barriers for airlines, tour operators and visitors planning to visit more than one country.
The AFCON visa plan has not yet established final regulations, visa fees, or eligibility details publicly. Uncertain issues include whether the visa will permit unlimited re-entry among the host countries, if Rwanda will be included, and whether access will be limited to ticket holders or extended to all tourists.
East Africa targets 11 million tourist arrivals by 2027 as part of the EAC Tourism Marketing Strategy covering 2027 to
2036. The common visa arrangement for AFCON could serve as a test for broader regional tourism cooperation, despite historical fragmentation in visa policies. The current Kenya–Uganda–Rwanda tourist visa costs $100, is valid for 90 days, and allows multiple entries, but Tanzania’s inclusion would mark a new development.
