Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda will be taking part in a new scheme for a joint visa which will take effect on January 1, 2014. Tanzania has yet to decide if it wants to be part of this venture. At present, tourists travelling between the neighbouring East African countries must obtain a separate visa for each nation, therefore Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda are partnering in order to simplify travel arrangements for holidaymakers, as well as creating a new brand for the whole region and in turn opening up opportunities for joint marketing campaigns.

Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda are three countries famed for their wildlife which will, through the introduction of a joint visa, aid regional travel, thus adding value to the tourism product offerings of these countries and highlighting the diversity of East Africa.

The decision to introduce the Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda joint visa was reached at the 3rd Tripartite Infrastructure Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. Tourism was one of the main focus areas of the summit which led to the spotlight falling upon ways in which a single tourist visa for the region could benefit each of the participating countries.