Tanzania Trips: AFCON 2027 3-Nation Visa Not Yet Open, Costs Unpublished

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are preparing a common visa arrangement for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which the three countries will jointly host in June and July 2027. The plan could allow eligible international visitors to enter all three hosts on a single visa instead of applying separately. No final rules, fees or eligibility criteria have been published.

Key facts

• Tournament window: AFCON 2027 is scheduled for June and July 2027, hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
• Proposal: one visa covering entry to all three host countries for eligible international visitors.
• Envisaged scope: a four-month travel arrangement for football fans, tourists, officials and participating teams.
• Not yet confirmed: legal framework, eligibility, fee structure and implementation procedures have not been established publicly.
• Existing scheme: the East Africa Tourist Visa has covered Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda since 2014; Tanzania is not part of it.
• Arrivals: East Africa reported 8.2 million arrivals in 2024 and 9.0 million in 2025, with a target of 11 million for 2027.

What is being proposed?

According to information from the East African Community (EAC), ministers responsible for tourism and wildlife management have backed arrangements to make travel between the three host countries easier during the tournament. The proposal would let eligible international visitors use one visa for the three destinations.

On 2 July 2026, Uganda's State House reported that President Yoweri Museveni had endorsed a common East African entry visa covering Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania for the tournament, and instructed officials to begin discussions with Kenya and Tanzania. The arrangement he supported was described as a four-month scheme covering football fans, tourists, officials and participating teams.

What has not been decided?

The precise legal framework, visa eligibility, fee structure and implementation procedures have not been established publicly. It also remains unresolved whether the arrangement would allow unlimited re-entry among the three host countries, whether Rwanda could be included through the existing visa framework, and whether all eligible international visitors or only ticket-holding spectators would qualify.

The EAC confirmed on 15 October the adoption of its 2027–2036 Tourism Marketing Strategy and a commitment to use AFCON 2027 to promote tourism, but did not publish final regulations establishing a three-country AFCON visa. Separate reporting on the ministerial meeting identified progress towards a Single Tourist Visa as a regional priority.

Why is Tanzania outside the current regional visa?

Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda introduced the East Africa Tourist Visa in 2014, allowing eligible foreign visitors to travel between the three participating countries under one visa. Tanzania never joined the arrangement. Burundi, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia are also outside the scheme.

In January 2014, Tanzania rejected participation in the proposed common visa, citing national security and economic interests. Samuel Sitta, then Tanzania's minister responsible for East African affairs, questioned how revenue from a shared visa would be distributed among countries with different levels of tourism demand, and raised concerns about Tanzania losing control over decisions on who could enter.

Implementation has also been a difficulty. In 2016, problems were reported within the existing Kenya–Uganda–Rwanda scheme, including cases in which travellers holding a regional visa were asked to pay additional entry charges. Issues still cited include revenue sharing, exchange of passenger information and refusal records, differing national visa policies, administrative integration and political sovereignty.

What do the arrival figures show?

EAC regional tourism reporting puts arrivals at 8.2 million in 2024 and 9.0 million in 2025, against a 2027 target of 11 million. Reaching that target from the 2025 level would require about 22.2% growth, or roughly 10.6% a year over two years. The figures may count border entries rather than distinct tourists, so a visitor entering Kenya and continuing to Tanzania could appear in both countries' statistics.

What this means for travellers

No common visa covering Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda is operational today. Travellers planning combined itineraries across the three countries should not assume a single visa will be available for AFCON 2027, and should check the entry rules for each country separately until compatible procedures are published.

Political support for the proposal is substantial, but the arrangement will become real only when immigration authorities in all three countries publish and implement compatible rules. Discussions between Ugandan, Kenyan and Tanzanian officials are the next step to watch.