Photo: Russell Lindberg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Travel insurance in Uganda
What it covers for holidays and international trips
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What travel insurance covers, and what the yellow card does not
Ugandans who travel abroad meet two different products with "travel" in the name. They protect different people:
| Travel insurance | COMESA yellow card | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it protects | You, the traveller: your health, belongings and money | Other people hurt, or property damaged, by your vehicle |
| When you need it | Any trip abroad, by air, road or water | Only when you drive your own vehicle into another COMESA country |
| Required by | Some destinations' entry or visa rules (for example a Schengen visa) | Motor third-party rules of the countries you drive through |
| Issued by | An insurer licensed by IRA, or the insurer named in your visa file | Your motor insurer, with Uganda Re as the national bureau |
Uganda Re describes the yellow card as a regional third-party motor scheme that makes sure road accident victims are compensated, whichever country the vehicle comes from. If you fall ill in Nairobi or lose your luggage in Kigali, it pays nothing: that is what travel insurance is for. Our yellow card guide covers driving across borders.
What one Ugandan insurer says its travel policy covers
Sanlam Allianz Uganda describes its travel cover, briefly, on its own travel insurance page (seen in October 2026). Quoted as the insurer's own statement:
- For whom: any journey, "whether it is for business or pleasure".
- What it covers: "loss of baggage, medical expenses, loss of money and personal accident".
- How it is priced: "We charge the premiums according to the duration of your travel."
The page gives no limits, excesses or prices: those are in the quote and the policy document, which you should read before paying. The insurer's regulator figures and complaints are on its profile. Other insurers that may sell travel cover are on IRA's list of licensed insurance companies.
Travel insurance for a Schengen visa: the EUR 30,000 rule
For a short-stay visa to the Schengen area, the insurance rules are in Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, the EU Visa Code:
- What it must cover: "repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment or death" during the stay.
- Minimum cover: EUR 30,000.
- Where and how long: valid throughout the territory of the Schengen states, for the entire intended stay or transit — not only the country whose consulate issues the visa.
- Where to buy it: applicants "shall, in principle, take out insurance in their country of residence" — for a Ugandan resident, a policy from a Ugandan insurer is the default; another country only when that is not possible.
- Multiple-entry visas: you prove cover for the first visit only, and sign a statement that you know you need cover for later stays.
- The consulate checks the insurer: it assesses whether a claim against the insurance company "would be recoverable in a Member State".
- Exemptions: holders of diplomatic passports; and some professional groups, such as seafarers, already covered through their work.
Buying from a Ugandan insurer or online from abroad
Under section 34(1) of the Insurance Act, 2017, nobody may carry on insurance business in Uganda without an IRA licence; IRA may authorise insurance with a foreign insurer only "in exceptional circumstances" (s.34(3)) or by exemption (s.34(4)(b)).
What this means for a traveller: a policy from a Ugandan-licensed insurer is supervised by IRA, so if a claim is refused you can escalate it to the regulator. A policy bought online from an insurer abroad is supervised, if at all, by its home regulator, and a dispute follows the law written in the policy. For longer stays or regular treatment abroad, see international private medical insurance in Uganda.
How to buy travel insurance in Uganda: a checklist
- Check the destination's rules first. A Schengen visa needs the cover described above; other countries set their own requirements, or none.
- Give the insurer exact dates and countries. Premiums follow the length of the trip, and the policy must cover every day and every country you visit.
- Read the medical limit and what it includes: emergency treatment, hospital stay, medical evacuation and repatriation of remains.
- Check the other benefits you need — baggage, money, personal accident, trip cancellation or delay — and their limits and excesses.
- Declare existing medical conditions and ask the insurer in writing whether they are covered.
- Keep the emergency number and policy number on your phone and on paper, and ask how claims are made from abroad: who pays the hospital, and which documents (medical reports, police report for theft, receipts) you must bring back.
To receive travel insurance offers from licensed insurers in Uganda, ask for quotes.
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Frequently asked questions
Is travel insurance compulsory in Uganda?
No Ugandan law requires it for outbound trips. Some destinations do: a Schengen visa requires travel medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000, valid in all Schengen states for the whole stay (Visa Code, Article 15).
Is the COMESA yellow card travel insurance?
No. The yellow card is third-party motor insurance for driving across COMESA countries: it pays victims of an accident caused by your vehicle, not your own medical bills, baggage or money.
Can I buy Schengen travel insurance in Uganda?
Yes, and the Visa Code says applicants should in principle take out insurance in their country of residence. Ask the insurer for a certificate showing at least EUR 30,000 of cover for the whole Schengen area and the full dates of your stay, and check the consulate's own requirements.
How much does travel insurance cost in Uganda?
There is no official price list. Sanlam Allianz Uganda, for example, says it charges premiums according to the duration of travel (product page, October 2026). Ask for written quotes for the same dates, countries and limits.