KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda is set to begin a nationwide registration of legally resident foreign nationals, in a move aimed at strengthening national identification systems and aligning population records with legal requirements.
The exercise, to be conducted by the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), will officially commence on May 5, 2026, targeting all non-citizens living in the country with valid immigration status.
An alien, under Ugandan law, is defined as a non-citizen who is legally resident within the country.
Speaking ahead of the rollout, NIRA Registrar Claire Ollama said the initiative is a statutory obligation designed to ensure that all eligible individuals are formally documented.
“One of the roles NIRA is supposed to perform is registering all aliens legally resident in Uganda. An alien is a non-citizen who is legally resident in Uganda,” Ollama said.
Under the programme, registered individuals will be issued with a unique Alien Identification Number, integrating them into Uganda’s national identification database.
“We are going to begin registering these persons and they will be added to the register as the law requires that they too must be registered and given an alien identification number,” she said.
Officials say the move is part of broader efforts to modernise identity management systems, improve service delivery, and enhance national planning through more accurate demographic data.
Applicants will be required to present valid immigration documents issued by the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control, with a minimum validity of 90 days at the time of application.
“The applicants must present valid documentation in form of a facility issued by the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control. The facility which comes must have a life of 90 days,” Ollama said.
She outlined acceptable documentation as including:
“Facilities include a permanent resident permit, a work permit, a dependant pass, or any other document issued by immigration that allows them to be in this country, like a student pass,” Ollama explained.
Applicants will also be required to present valid passports.
NIRA confirmed that the registration process will attract a fee of $100 per applicant.
“These people will pay a fee of 100 dollars to access these identification documents,” Ollama said.
The authority is currently engaging stakeholders to facilitate implementation and ensure accessibility across the country.
“We are engaging different stakeholders to support a rollout that is as smooth as possible,” she said.
Registration centres and operational details are expected to be announced ahead of the launch.
“We will communicate different places where these people can be registered from,” she added.
The initiative comes amid a growing push across East Africa to strengthen identity management frameworks, particularly as governments expand digital services, border controls, and tax systems.
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Uganda has in recent years invested in upgrading its national ID infrastructure to improve security, reduce fraud, and support planning in sectors such as health, education, and migration management.
Analysts note that including foreign residents in national databases can enhance transparency and service access, but also raises questions around cost barriers and administrative efficiency, particularly for low-income migrants and refugees.
Uganda hosts a significant number of foreign nationals, including workers, students, and one of Africa’s largest refugee populations, making accurate registration a critical component of governance and service delivery.
As preparations continue, attention is likely to focus on implementation, particularly accessibility of registration centres, processing efficiency, and how the system integrates with existing immigration and civil registration databases.
The success of the exercise could play a key role in shaping Uganda’s broader digital identity ecosystem.
