Uganda Work Permit Cost Calculator (2026)
Hiring foreign staff in Uganda? Use this calculator to estimate the full cost of work permits across multiple nationalities at once. Add each nationality, enter how many people, and see the government immigration fee plus Basket Advisory's document-preparation and compliance fee, with a clear total. Built for HR teams and employers handling mixed-nationality hires.
Work Permit Cost Calculator
Talk to a Consultant
We walk you through the whole process, confirm the exact government fees for your team, and prepare every document for a compliant application.
Talk to a Consultant →Government fees by permit class (what immigration charges)
Uganda issues work permits (entry permits) by class, based on the role or activity. The government fee depends on the class, not just nationality. These are official annual fees from the 2021 Fees Regulations and may change. Nationals of Kenya and Rwanda are EAC-exempt from these fees but must still apply.
| Class | Who it is for | Govt fee / year |
|---|---|---|
| G2 | Expatriate employees, incl. salaried NGO staff | USD 2,500 |
| F | Professionals (doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants, architects, nurses) | USD 3,000 |
| G1 | Missionaries / NGO volunteers | USD 250 |
| A2 | Government contract employees | USD 500 |
| B1 | Agriculture investors | USD 2,500 |
| B2 | Agro-processing | USD 400 |
| C1 | Mining (other minerals) | USD 2,500 |
| C2 | Mining (gold, copper, iron, etc.) | USD 400 |
| D | Business & trade | USD 2,500 |
| E | Manufacturing investors | USD 400 |
| H | Ordinary resident | USD 400 |
Notes: Fees shown are per year (12 months); the calculator uses the 12-month rate. Classes B1, C1, D, F, G2 and H include a USD 1,500 non-refundable prepayment within the fee. Fees scale with permit duration (up to 36 months). A refundable security bond equivalent to a return airfare may also apply. Kenya and Rwanda nationals are EAC-exempt from government fees; Tanzania pays a revised USD 1,500/year.
Get an exact work permit quote for your team
Use the calculator below for an estimate, then let Basket Advisory handle the full application: document preparation, compliance checks and logistics, so it goes in clean the first time.
Request a quote →Let us handle the paperwork
Work permit applications fail on small compliance gaps. Basket Advisory prepares and reviews your documents end to end so your application goes in clean. Consultancy fees cover logistics, compliance checks and paperwork.
Talk to our team →How the costs work
There are two separate costs in a Uganda work permit: the government fee paid to immigration, and any professional fee for preparing the application. They are completely separate.
Government fees (2026)
| Nationality | Government work permit fee (12 months) |
|---|---|
| Kenya & Rwanda | Exempt (EAC) — no government fee, but must still apply |
| Tanzania | ~USD 1,500 / year |
| All other nationalities (Class G) | ~USD 2,500 / 12 months (incl. non-refundable portion) |
Government fees scale with permit duration (6, 12, 24 or 36 months). This calculator uses the 12-month rate for simplicity. A security bond equivalent to a return airfare may also be required for some classes.
Basket Advisory consultancy fees
Our fees cover logistics, compliance checks and full document preparation, and are exclusive of government fees:
| Applicant origin | Consultancy fee (per person) |
|---|---|
| Kenya & Rwanda | UGX 8,500,000 |
| EAC countries with an embassy/consulate in Uganda | USD 3,500 |
| Countries with no embassy/consulate within the EAC | USD 5,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Government fees depend on permit class and nationality. A Class G employment permit is around USD 2,500 for 12 months. Kenya and Rwanda nationals are EAC-exempt from government fees but must still apply. These are separate from consultancy fees.
Yes, from the government immigration fee, under EAC arrangements. They must still formally apply for and obtain the permit.
Only the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC). No private firm can approve a permit or guarantee approval; we ensure your documents are complete and compliant.
Hiring a foreign employee? The permit is one cost among several. See the full cost of employing someone in Uganda, how an Employer of Record lets you hire without a local entity, and how foreign companies legally pay staff.
What to know before uganda work permit cost calculator
Uganda Work Permit Cost Calculator in Uganda means taking on the responsibilities of an employer — a written contract, PAYE, NSSF and fair terms under the Employment Act. Whether you are bringing on one person or a whole team, the compliance basics are the same, and getting them right from the first hire avoids disputes and penalties later. The steps below cover what a compliant, well-run hiring process looks like in the Ugandan context.
The compliant hiring checklist
Every hire needs: a written employment contract under the Employment Act covering role, pay, hours, leave and notice; a TIN for the employee; NSSF registration within 30 days; and PAYE operated monthly. For foreign hires, add the correct work permit before they start. Skipping the paperwork feels faster but exposes you to back-taxes, NSSF penalties and labour claims — a verbal arrangement is not enough under Ugandan law.
What it costs to employ someone
The salary is not the full cost. Above gross pay, the main mandatory employer cost is the 10% employer NSSF contribution, so budget roughly gross salary plus 10% as your baseline. PAYE and the 5% employee NSSF come out of the employee's gross, reducing their take-home rather than adding to your cost. For foreign hires, factor in work-permit fees. Modelling the fully-loaded cost up front prevents surprises.
Finding and keeping good people
Beyond compliance, a good hire is about clarity and fairness — a clear job description, a fair wage for the role and region, timely and reliable pay, and lawful treatment. Reliable payment in particular builds loyalty in the Ugandan market, where late or inconsistent wages are a common grievance. Treating staff well is not just ethical; it reduces turnover and the cost of constant rehiring.
How Basket Advisory helps
Basket Advisory helps employers with uganda work permit cost calculator and everything that follows — compliant contracts, payroll, PAYE and NSSF, and reliable disbursement — so you can hire with confidence and stay compliant from day one.
Worked cost example
Suppose you hire someone at UGX 1,500,000 gross per month. Your baseline cost is the salary plus the 10% employer NSSF — about UGX 1,650,000. The employee's PAYE (roughly UGX 352,000) and their 5% NSSF (UGX 75,000) come out of their gross, leaving take-home of about UGX 1,073,000. Understanding this split before you make an offer means the wage you agree and the cost you carry hold no surprises — which is central to uganda work permit cost calculator.
Getting the contract right
A compliant contract is the foundation of any hire. Under Uganda's Employment Act it should state the role, salary, working hours, leave entitlement, notice period and grounds for termination. A clear contract protects both sides and prevents the disputes that arise from verbal understandings. It is also a prerequisite for compliant payroll and for defending any later claim, so it is worth getting right at the point of uganda work permit cost calculator.
Retention: why fair, reliable pay matters
In the Ugandan labour market, late or inconsistent pay is one of the most common reasons good workers leave. Paying accurately and on time — every cycle, without fail — builds loyalty and cuts the significant cost of constant rehiring and retraining. Reliable payment is one of the highest-return investments an employer can make, and it starts with getting uganda work permit cost calculator onto a disciplined, automated footing.
Uganda work permit fees by class and duration (2026)
Work permit (entry permit) fees are set by the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) and vary by class and duration. Below are the current published statutory fees for the most common employment-related classes. Note that Kenyan and Rwandan nationals are exempt from these fees, and Tanzanians pay a separate rate (~USD 1,500/year).
| Class | Who it's for | 12-month fee | 36-month fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| A2 | Government-contract / parastatal staff | USD 500 | USD 500 |
| B1 | Agriculture investors | USD 2,500 | USD 7,500 |
| D | Business & trade | USD 2,500 | USD 7,500 |
| E | Manufacturing | USD 400 | USD 1,200 |
| F | Regulated professionals | USD 2,500 | USD 7,500 |
| G1 | Volunteers, NGO workers, missionaries | lower band | — |
| G2 | Expatriate employees (incl. salaried NGO staff) | USD 2,500 | USD 7,500 |
Most classes with the 12-month fee of USD 2,500 include a USD 1,500 non-refundable pre-payment plus USD 1,000 on approval. A refundable security bond (equivalent to a return airfare) may also apply. Fees are revised periodically.
Source: Uganda Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC/NCIC) published entry-permit fees, immigration.go.ug, 2025–2026. Confirm current fees on the official portal before applying.