Immigration law in Uganda

Visa-prone travellers generally apply online through Uganda's official e-Immigration Portal before travelling; Uganda does not generally issue visas on arrival. The applicant selects the visa type, completes the form, uploads documents and submits the application. The passport or travel document should normally remain valid for at least six months. An approval letter and the passport are presented at the port of entry, and a Yellow Fever certificate may be required. Visa-exempt nationalities should still check the current official exemption list and its conditions. A visa approval authorisation is valid for 90 days. An ordinary or tourist visa normally permits one entry for up to three months and costs USD 50. The initial stay may be extended by up to 60 days in two intervals. A transit visa permits up to seven days, cannot be extended and costs USD 50. Multiple-entry visas cover six, twelve or twenty-four months, but they do not permit employment and generally require police clearance, a Yellow Fever certificate, Ugandan referees and a cover letter. The current service page lists USD 100 for six or twelve months and USD 200 for twenty-four months, while an earlier NCIC notice listed USD 150 for twenty-four months, so the official portal or current fee schedule should be checked before payment. The East African Tourist Visa covers Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda for tourism for up to 90 days, cannot be renewed, costs USD 100 and is issued by the country of first entry; it does not permit employment. Entry permits cover work and other longer stays. Classes include diplomatic and official work, Uganda Government employment, agriculture, agro-processing, mining, general trade, manufacturing, specified professions, missionaries and NGO volunteers, salaried expatriate employment, selected rare-skill employment and residence based on assured foreign income without employment. Kenya and Rwanda nationals require permits but are exempt from the immigration fee. Tanzania nationals are listed with a USD 1,550 work-permit fee. A person studying in Uganda for more than four months normally applies for a Student Pass, available for three, six or twelve months. The application usually needs an admission letter, school support letter, Student ID, proof of payment, a passport valid for six months, a photograph and evidence of current status. Applications for minors also include parent or guardian identification and status documents. The fee is USD 100 for any granted period, while EAC nationals are fee-exempt. The process uses an online application, approval and biometric capture. A Dependant Pass can cover a spouse, a child under 18 or another relative of a foreign resident who holds lawful work, student or residence status. It can also cover a foreign dependant of a Ugandan citizen. Evidence normally includes marriage, birth or other relationship records, the principal applicant's status and passport, the dependant's passport valid for six months, a photograph and a cover letter. The listed fees are USD 200 for a child, USD 350 for a spouse and USD 1,000 for another relative. Documents should be in English. Fees are non-refundable and a bank charge may apply. The detailed rules for permits, passes and longer lawful stays form the practical core of the right of residence in Uganda. A Certificate of Residence may be available to a person legally married to a Ugandan for at least three years who has lawful residence. Other documented residence possibilities include ten years of continuous residence combined with a contribution to Uganda's socioeconomic development, a former Ugandan citizen who holds foreign citizenship, and permanent residence based on a substantial socioeconomic or intellectual contribution, ten years of continuous lawful residence and good character or integrity. Certificates may last five years, ten years or for life, or for the period stated on the certificate. These statuses do not arise automatically merely because a person has lived in Uganda for a certain period. Citizenship is not automatic merely because a person was born in Uganda. A birth-based claim requires birth in Uganda and a parent or grandparent from one of the 65 indigenous communities listed in the Constitution who was resident in Uganda by 1 February 1926. Registration may be available after ten years of residence and socioeconomic contribution or through marriage to a Ugandan. Current NCIC guidance lists non-refundable fees of USD 200 plus an approval fee of USD 5,000 for the long-stay category. For marriage, the listed amount is USD 200 plus USD 3,000 where the spouse is an indigenous Ugandan or USD 5,000 where the spouse is a registered citizen. Naturalisation guidance requires twenty years of total residence, including continuous residence for the 24 months before applying, adequate English or a designated Ugandan language, a clean record, good moral standing and an intention to reside permanently. The application fee is UGX 100,000. Dual citizenship is permitted under the stated conditions. Renunciation can apply to an adult with capacity who acquires foreign citizenship where the foreign law requires renunciation, subject to Board approval. A former Ugandan seeking re-acquisition generally provides proof of former citizenship, a foreign passport, a Good Conduct certificate issued within six months, a medical or sanity report, an oath, proof of occupation and other requested documents; the listed approval fee is USD 400. People seeking protection can register through a Refugee Desk, at a border, with the Office of the Prime Minister or in a settlement. The Refugee Eligibility Committee decides asylum claims. Protection may apply where a person has a well-founded fear connected with race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a social group, or faces war or events seriously disturbing public order. The Office of the Prime Minister issues a Temporary Asylum Seeker Attestation, renewable after three months and then monthly while the claim is pending. A registered asylum seeker remains lawfully present and protected against return while awaiting a decision. Spouses and children under 18 may apply with the claimant, and unaccompanied children may apply independently. Refugees receive documentation such as a Refugee ID or Asylum Seeker Certificate and may have rights to remain, non-refoulement, fair and non-discriminatory treatment, movement, education, health care, employment, financial services and a Convention Travel Document, subject to security requirements. They must register with the Office of the Prime Minister, undergo security screening, report family changes, obey Ugandan law and public-order rules, avoid political activity and pay taxes when gainfully employed. Registration and refugee services are free. Resettlement is not an entitlement or a self-application process; UNHCR referral is required and no fee is charged. Applications generally rely on a passport biodata page, photograph, current status or permit, invitation, admission, employment or family evidence, and police clearance or a Yellow Fever certificate where required. The online application ID allows tracking. An Immigration Officer may request additional information. Depending on the facility, payment may be made before submission or after a top-up request, and biometric capture takes place at an immigration office or border facility. Unofficial visa websites create a fraud and refused-entry risk. Unlawful entry, unlawful stay or unauthorised work can lead to a surcharge, prosecution, organised departure or deportation. A person may be held at an Immigration Custody Center while prosecution or removal is pending. An immigration bond is free. Non-citizens should carry their passport and a copy of valid status. Employers return every six months, hotels and lodges submit daily non-citizen returns, and hosts report an alien to the nearest immigration office. A refusal by an immigration facility can be appealed to the Minister of Internal Affairs through the portal within 30 days, with the appeal fee and passport submitted to Inspection or Legal Services. A late appeal requires an out-of-time request. Without an appeal, the person should leave immediately. A refusal by the Refugee Eligibility Committee can be appealed to the Refugee Appeals Board within 30 days, with reasons for any delay. Judicial review may follow an Appeals Board decision.