Uganda travelers to pay Shs18m–Shs56m as US expands visa bonds

The United States has placed Uganda among more than 30 countries whose citizens will now be required to post substantial financial bonds to obtain short-term visitor visas, a measure that could complicate travel and strain long-standing diplomatic ties with African partners.

This means, under a visa bond programme rolled out last year, Ugandans applying for B1/B2 business or tourist visas from January 21, 2026, will be required to post bonds of $5,000 (about Shs18.7 million), $10,000 (Shs37.4 million), or $15,000 (Shs56.1 million).

The amount will be determined at the discretion of consular officers during interviews, according to the Department of State.

By comparison, the standard US non-immigrant visa in Uganda currently costs about $160 (around Shs598,000), showing the new bond requirement far exceeds average annual earnings for many citizens. Uganda's GDP per capita was estimated at $987 to $1,073 in 2024.

A US government notice cited by Reuters in August 2025 indicated that consular officers are generally expected to require at least $10,000.

The bonds are refundable only if travellers comply strictly with visa conditions, including leaving the United States on time.

Uganda's inclusion is diplomatically sensitive given that Kampala and Washington have maintained close ties for more than six decades.

Scholars and geopolitical experts observe that Uganda plays a key role in advancing security across the East African region, including counter-terrorism operations in Somalia and peacekeeping missions, which align with U.S. strategic interests in the region.

By press time late Tuesday night, Kampala had yet to respond to indicate whether it would reciprocate the move.

The bond requirement is part of a wider immigration stance under Trump's second administration, which has made curbing illegal migration a central policy goal.

Measures include heightened border enforcement, expanded arrests of undocumented migrants, and travel restrictions targeting 19 countries on national security grounds.

Last year, Reuters reported that similar policies had already affected global travel patterns. Some visitors have avoided the United States altogether, while transatlantic airfares fell in May 2025 to pre-COVID levels.

Travel from Canada and Mexico declined by 20 per cent year-on-year, reflecting weakened demand.

Across Africa, affected countries include Nigeria, Tanzania, Senegal, Angola, Algeria, Benin, Burundi, Djibouti, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Namibia, many with high visa overstay rates according to US Department of Homeland Security data.

The State Department suggested selection criteria include overstay levels, screening weaknesses, citizenship-by-investment concerns, and foreign policy considerations.

The programme, effective August 20, 2025, revived a pilot launched in November 2020 that was never fully implemented due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The US Travel Association previously estimated that thousands of applicants would be affected, warning that the financial burden could make the US one of the most expensive destinations globally for short-term visas.

For Uganda, the bond requirement risks limiting legitimate travel for business, education, and diaspora engagement at a time when Kampala remains a strategic US partner in a volatile region.

Ugandans in America

According to 2025 statistics from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), 5.9 per cent of Ugandans relocated to North America in the last 10 years, but the report did not clarify whether these individuals used the proper legal channels.

There are 15,000 Ugandan immigrants living in the US, per consolidated multi-year estimates (2017-2025).