If you have seen headlines about UAE visa restrictions and Ebola, the short version is this: unless you hold a passport from the Democratic Republic of the Congo or South Sudan, or you have been in one of those countries in the last 21 days, this does not affect you.
What changed: on 26 September 2026 the UAE eased the measures for Uganda. Restrictions on the DRC and South Sudan remain in place. The detail below matters if you are Ugandan, because eased is not the same as finished.
Worth saying plainly before the detail. The overwhelming majority of people applying for a UAE visa have nothing to do with this. It is a narrow measure tied to specific nationalities and a 21 day travel window. It is not a restriction on visa applicants generally, and it has no bearing on tourism to the UAE from anywhere else.
| Country | Status | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Uganda | Measures eased. See the section below before applying | 26 September 2026 |
| DR Congo | New visa issuance still suspended | 6 June 2026 |
| South Sudan | New visa issuance still suspended | 6 June 2026 |
The original measure took effect at 13:00 on 6 June 2026, announced by the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). It suspended new visa issuance, including visit visas, for nationals of all three countries, and refused entry to anyone who had been in those countries within the previous 21 days regardless of nationality.
On 26 September 2026, NCEMA, the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) and the ICP announced they were easing the precautionary entry measures introduced in June for nationals of Uganda. The stated reason was the end of Uganda’s outbreak, after the country completed the 42 day monitoring period with no new locally transmitted cases.
Here is the part most coverage skipped. The official announcement used the word easing, not lifted. At the time of writing we have not seen a published confirmation that visa issuance to Ugandan nationals has actually restarted, and no restart date was announced. Reports from Ugandan media also tied the change to a UAE delegation assessing airport readiness.
So the honest position is: the direction of travel is clearly positive, and the restriction is being removed, but we cannot tell you it is already processing.
What we would suggest if you are Ugandan: contact us or check with the UAE mission in Uganda before you pay for anything. We will tell you the current position rather than take an application we are not confident we can complete. If your application cannot proceed, you have not lost money waiting for clarity.
Separate from the nationality suspension, anyone who has been physically present in a restricted country within the previous 21 days may be refused entry to the UAE, whatever passport they hold. A transit stop counts as presence.
The 21 days reflects the outer edge of Ebola’s incubation period. Once you have spent more than 21 consecutive days outside the restricted countries, this part no longer applies to you.
Whether this still applies to recent travel through Uganda following the 26 September easing has not been spelled out in the announcements we have seen. If it affects your trip, treat it as unresolved and check before booking.
Do not confuse this with a different notice. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised UAE residents and nationals against non-essential travel to the affected countries. That is guidance for people leaving the UAE, the opposite direction from the entry restriction, and it does not affect anyone applying for a UAE visa.
This is a live health measure that has already changed once. The authorities have said the measures remain under review and will be adjusted as needed, which means they can move in either direction without much notice.
The sources worth checking are icp.gov.ae, mofa.gov.ae and NCEMA announcements. We re-verify this page against those and date it accordingly.
If none of this applies to you, carry on: compare Dubai visa types and prices, check what you need to apply, or track an application already in progress.
Compliance notice: eDubai Visa is a private visa assistance service operated by Only Tourism L.L.C. under Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism licence 690148. It is not a UAE government authority. Entry and visa decisions rest solely with UAE immigration. This is a live, health-related restriction that can change at any time. Verify the current position with ICP or MoFA before you travel or pay.
Partly. On 26 September 2026 the UAE eased the measures for Uganda. Restrictions on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan remain in place.
The measures were eased on 26 September 2026, but we have not seen a published confirmation that issuance has restarted, and no restart date was announced. Check with us or the UAE mission in Uganda before paying for an application.
Not while the suspension is in force. This is a government entry restriction, so no visa service can process around it.
Possibly. A transit stop counts as presence. If it falls within 21 days of your UAE arrival, entry may be refused whatever passport you hold.
No. Visas issued before 6 June 2026 are not affected by the suspension.
Yes. Cargo flights continue, and transit that does not involve entering the UAE is unaffected.
Only if you are a national of a restricted country or have been in one within 21 days. For everyone else it has no bearing.
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