Ugandans with expired national IDs cleared to apply for passports
The Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesperson, Mr Simon Peter Mundeyi, displays the new electronic passports (left) and the ones phased out (right), at the ministry’s headquarters in Kampala on June 26, 2023. PHOTO/FRANK BAGUMA.
What you need to know:
- Mr Simon Mundeyi, the Ministry’s spokesperson, said many people have been expressing worries about what will happen since most of the IDs have already expired and many more are expected to expire by the end of September, yet it’s a prerequisite for one to acquire a passport
The Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) under the Internal Affairs Ministry has revealed that Ugandans with expired National Identity Cards (IDs) shall still be eligible to acquire new passports.
In February, the Internal Affairs State Minister, Gen David Muhoozi informed parliament that they are yet to carry out mass enrolment to register or renew IDs of close to 30 million Ugandans scheduled to start June 1 this year.
While the exercise is expected to run up to January 2025, authorities said gaps in preparations at the NIRA, including the absence of funds for the recruitment of registration staff, and delays in the procurement of necessary systems, threaten to hamstring the process.
In an interview with this publication on Thursday, Mr Simon Mundeyi, the Ministry’s spokesperson, said many people have been expressing worries about what will happen since most of the IDs have already expired and many more are expected to expire by the end of September, yet it’s a prerequisite for one to acquire a passport.
“When applying for a passport, you will need only your National Identification Number (NIN). NINs do not expire so that means even when the ID has expired, the person who knows it can get the passport,” he said.
Mr Mundeyi also explained that when giving out passports, they will check only the NIN on the national ID.
He, however, warned that whoever got a National ID when he or she is not a Ugandan citizen either by birth or naturalization will not have access to a passport even if they know their NINs.
“Applicants who are making mistakes in online application forms and expect to correct them at the collection centre, we shall not be making any changes. We have noticed that some people apply for passports based in Gulu or Mbarara but indicate they will collect them at the Kampala centre,” Mr Mundeyi said.
He clarified: “If you are in Mbarara, you should indicate Mbarara as the collection centre and you should do the same if you are applying in Gulu. Once you say you will collect your passport in Kampala when you are in Gulu, be assured you will have to travel to Kampala to collect it. We don’t change collection centres the applicants have indicated.”
