The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has announced the rollout of a new registration exercise targeting all legally resident foreign nationals in Uganda, in a move aimed at strengthening the country's national identification system and improving population records.
The exercise, which builds on earlier announcements made in April 2026, will apply to all "aliens"--a legal term referring to non-citizens who are lawfully resident in Uganda under valid immigration documentation issued by the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control.
These include holders of permanent residence permits, work permits, dependant passes, student passes, and any other long-term authorization allowing residence beyond three months.
According to NIRA, the service will be accessed first at Plot 62 Lumumba Avenue, formerly the Wandegeya office, which has been designated as the initial registration centre for eligible applicants.
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Officials said the rollout is part of a phased implementation, with additional registration centres to be announced later across the country.
NIRA has instructed all applicants to first complete preregistration online before physically reporting for enrolment.
Applicants are required to visit the official portal at nera.go.ug and complete registration via prereg.nsis.nera.go.ug, where they must select the "alien registration" option and submit their details.
Authorities emphasized that no walk-in applicants will be accepted without prior online preregistration.
"We strongly advise applicants not to come if they have not preregistered online," the authority noted.
As part of the process, applicants will be required to pay a $100 registration fee, which NIRA says will be processed strictly through the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) payment system.
An assessment will first be generated through the URA portal before payment is made via bank, mobile money, or other approved platforms.
Officials warned applicants against using intermediaries.
"We strongly advise applicants not to make payments through associations, organizations, or third parties. The $100 fee is strictly payable through the URA system after assessment," NIRA stated.
What alien registration means
In many countries, including Uganda, alien registration is a legal system used to document and monitor foreign nationals residing within national borders. It typically involves issuing a unique identification number or card to legally resident non-citizens.
Under Uganda's framework, the system is managed by NIRA in collaboration with the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control.
Eligible individuals must already have valid immigration status before applying. The purpose is not to grant residency, but to formally record and identify those who already hold legal permission to live in the country.
Alien registration systems are widely used globally for several reasons:
They help governments maintain accurate population data, distinguish between citizens and non-citizens, and improve national planning in areas such as security, taxation, labour regulation, and service delivery.
They also support immigration control by ensuring that foreign residents are properly documented and that their legal status is verifiable across government systems.
In Uganda's case, authorities say the initiative will strengthen the national identity database and improve coordination between immigration records and civil registration systems.
Once successfully enrolled, applicants will be issued an Alien Identification Number, which becomes their official reference within Uganda's national identification system.
This number can be used for verification in accessing services, renewing permits, and interacting with government systems where identity confirmation is required.
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The system is also expected to help streamline immigration enforcement by improving data sharing between NIRA and immigration authorities.
NIRA Registrar Claire Ollama earlier clarified that the exercise is a statutory requirement, noting that the law mandates registration of all legally resident non-citizens.
She said applicants must present valid immigration documents with at least 90 days' validity, alongside a valid passport.
"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.
The registration exercise officially commenced on June 1, 2026, with NIRA confirming that the rollout will be phased to ensure system readiness and stakeholder coordination.
Authorities say more registration centres will be announced in due course as the national rollout expands beyond Kampala.
