The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has confirmed the launch of a national ID renewal exercise for Ugandans living abroad, set to begin next month.
This follows the successful rollout of the mass registration and renewal exercise within Uganda, which began in May and has so far registered over five million citizens. NIRA says several national identity cards are already ready for collection.
Where and When Diaspora Registration Will Take Place
NIRA’s diaspora registration drive will kick off in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and later expand to Qatar, the United Kingdom, and the United States. According to NIRA Registrar Claire Ollama, the schedule is as follows:
United Arab Emirates (UAE):
August 18–24: Ugandan Embassy, Abu Dhabi
August 25–27: Sharjah City
August 28–30: Ras Al-Khaimah
“We decided to spread out in the three cities to avoid congestion and also reach where Ugandans are,” said Ollama.
Qatar:
August 4 & 17: Ugandan Embassy, Doha
United Kingdom:
September 14–21: Ugandan High Commission, London
United States:
September 23–25: New York
September 26–28: Washington, D.C.
September 29–31: New Orleans
All registration centres will be open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Who Is Eligible?
Ollama clarified that only Ugandans who have retained their citizenship or acquired dual citizenship will be eligible for the exercise.
“We will only work on people who live and work abroad and still identify as Ugandan and are travelling purely on Ugandan passports or those with dual citizenship. If you’ve acquired another country’s citizenship without applying for dual status, you are no longer eligible,” she explained.
How to Begin the Process
Diaspora Ugandans are encouraged to start the process online by using NIRA’s pre-registration portal on their website.
“You can start the process from anywhere with internet access. We shall just come to capture your fingerprints, iris scan and other biometrics,” Ollama added.
NIRA says this international outreach aims to ensure that Ugandans abroad are not left out of the ongoing national identity program, especially as the ID becomes increasingly vital for access to government services, voting, and travel.
