U.S. citizens can obtain a visa either at the Embassy of the Republic of Uganda in Washington, D.C. or at Entebbe Airport, near Kampala. Overseas inquiries may be made at the nearest Ugandan embassy or consulate. U.S. citizens living in or planning to visit Uganda should be aware of threats to their safety from insurgent groups, originating both within and outside of Uganda, particularly in northern and western Uganda. They have at times specifically targeted U.S. citizens. These groups have engaged in murder, armed attacks, kidnapping and the placement of land mines.
Incidents occur at random with little or no warning.
Numerous incidents of banditry and armed robbery have occurred in the northern and western districts of Uganda. Tourists who remain in the gorilla parks overnight do so at their own risk. Security has been improved in all national parks since the 1999 attack in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest that claimed the lives of American tourists and other tourists. Proximity of Bwindi and Mgahinga gorilla national parks to the border and the continuing instability in Congo make these parks potentially vulnerable to Congolese rebel groups. The decision to sleep inside the gorilla parks should be weighed against security concerns associated with pre-dawn driving if one chooses to use accommodations far away from Bwindi or Mgahinga.