Rules for overlanding in Uganda
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 27 July 2026.
Which licence you need
- All vehicles — An International Driving Permit is required.
An International Driving Permit states the categories it covers: check yours covers what you will actually drive. A car licence does not cover a motorcycle, and a heavy camper or a truck can need a higher category.
At the wheel
- Insurance — Third-party liability cover is compulsory.
- Customs papers — A Carnet de Passage is recommended for vehicles imported temporarily.
- Drive on the left — Traffic keeps to the left.
- Roads — Roads are poorly lit, badly maintained and weakly signposted, and are often rough outside the towns. Driving is undisciplined and the share of fatal crashes is high, so accidents are frequent.
- Monthly movement ban — On the last Saturday of every month, from 07:00 to 10:00, a National Cleaning Day closes all businesses and bans non-essential movement of people and vehicles. Only emergency services and security forces are exempt, and the police enforce it. The government declared the measure on 23 July 2026.
- Boda-boda taxis — Motorcycle taxis carry a high risk of accidents, made worse by how little helmets are used.
- Lake ferries — There have been fatal accidents on Lake Victoria. Before boarding, check the state of the boat and whether it is overloaded.
What catches travellers out
- Drugs — Possession is strictly forbidden and carries sentences of 2 to 10 years.
- Photography — Photographing military installations and police premises is prohibited.
- LGBTIQ+ law — Under the Anti-Homosexuality Bill signed in May 2023, same-sex relations are punishable by prison terms up to life. Promoting LGBT rights carries up to 20 years, and there are heavy penalties for facilitating same-sex relations or failing to report them.
- Cash and cards — There are no particular customs or currency formalities. Cards are only widely used in the main businesses of the larger cities and in upmarket resorts, so carry cash in US dollars or euros to change locally. Visa and MasterCard are preferred and American Express is almost never accepted.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 27 July 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Uganda before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 27 July 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.