Currency in Uganda: what to use and how to exchange

Uganda runs on cash. The shilling is the only legal tender for everyday spending — boda-boda rides, market food, park entry fees paid at the gate, tips for porters and trackers. Notes come in 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000 and 50,000 UGX; a 50,000 note is roughly US$13–14, so you will handle a lot of paper for a normal day.

US dollars are accepted for the big-ticket items: gorilla and chimp permits, lodge bills, some park fees and internal flights. The catch is condition. Counters in Kampala and at lodges routinely refuse notes that are torn, written on, or printed before 2013, and they may apply their own rate. Bring a stack of clean, newer US$50 and US$100 notes and keep them flat in a folder, not folded in a pocket.

Euros and pounds sterling are exchangeable in Kampala and Entebbe but at worse rates and with fewer takers. If you are coming from the UK or Europe, changing to dollars before you fly usually works out better than carrying your own currency.

Exchange at banks (Stanbic, Centenary, DFCU and others) or licensed forex bureaus in Kampala and Entebbe. Both publish a rate and give a receipt. Airport counters at Entebbe are convenient but typically the weakest rate you will see on the trip — change only enough for the taxi and the first night, then do the rest in town. Hotel desks are the least competitive option.

Cards work at city hotels, larger lodges, some supermarkets and a growing number of restaurants in Kampala, but assume a card will fail at a park gate, a village guesthouse or a roadside stall. Visa is more widely taken than Mastercard; American Express is close to useless outside a few hotels. Tell your bank you are travelling, and expect a foreign transaction fee plus a possible local surcharge.

ATMs are common in Kampala and Entebbe and appear in most larger towns along the main routes. Withdrawals are usually capped per transaction, and machines run out of cash on weekends and holidays. Take two cards from different networks, withdraw in daylight, and keep a cash reserve for the days when the machine is empty or your card is blocked.

Budget in shillings for daily spending and keep a dollar reserve for permits and lodges. Cash is king outside the cities, so plan how much you need before you leave Kampala — the further you go, the fewer working ATMs and bureaus you will find.

Ask for a mix of denominations when you change money. Small notes are hard to break in villages, and nobody wants to give change for a 50,000 note at a market stall.

Keep your dollar notes separate from your shillings so you are not fumbling both at a lodge reception desk.

Photograph the rate board before you hand over cash, and count your money before you leave the counter.

Carry a small amount of shillings on arrival day — the taxi from Entebbe, a SIM card and a meal are all easier in local currency.

If you are heading to Bwindi or Kidepo, take enough cash for the whole stay. The nearest working ATM can be hours away.