Uganda Money

Money

The national currency is the Ugandan shilling, code UGX, sometimes written as UgSh. There are 50000, 20000, 10000, 5000 and 1000 shilling notes and 200, 100, 50 and 10 shilling coins (although the 10 shilling coin is no longer issued). Other currencies that might be accepted for transactions are the US dollar (USD), notes must have been issued since 2000, or possibly the Euro (EUR) or British pound (GBP). Older US notes might not be accepted even in banks but newer US notes can be spent directly at fair exchange rates, although you will receive shillings in change. Cash can be complicated to deal with, as there are only a few ATMs in Kampala (and in Mbarara) and credit cards are only rarely accepted. Even cashing travelers checks can be difficult. Exchanging notes is possible in the larger towns if you need Ugandan Shillings. Note that there are better rates for exchanging larger notes (US$50 or more), so do it in big chunks if you need to. Try to have all your cash needs arranged before leaving Kampala if you can ('red-fox' forex on kampala road is thought to offer the best rates in the country). With Visa cards you can withdraw money in at least one ATM in Kampala's City Garden mall. With MasterCard cards you can withdraw money in Barclay Bank's main office, opposite the main post office in Kampala. There are also many other ATM points around the city. Information can be obtained from the bank branches. As for your American Express card: leave it at home - you can't use it.