Date of publication:

01/07/2026

Uganda

Do domestic laws and policies provide for the issuance, replacement and renewal of official personal identification documents for forcibly displaced and stateless persons?

ANALYSIS

Assessment by population

Refugees
Asylum-seekers
Analysis

The Refugees Act (2006) sets out the institutional framework for refugee management and gives OPM (Office of the Prime Minister) responsibility for all administrative matters concerning refugees in Uganda. 

The Refugees Act (2006) and its Regulations (2010) provides that all recognized refugees shall be issued with a Refugee identity (ID) card for the purposes of identification and protection. As of June 2020, 44 per cent of refugees had refugee IDs. Upon registration, all (100 per cent) are issued with a Refugee Attestation letter that also serves as identification. Law enforcement authorities at national/sub-national level recognize refugee ID cards and attestation letters. Recognition of refugee ID cards by national/subnational authorities or private sector institutions responsible for socioeconomic services depends in practice on the sector. The private sector (e.g. financial institutions) in most cases seek letters from OPM to confirm the authenticity of the refugee ID cards.

The Refugee Act provides at Section 24 (1) that after submitting an application for refugee status to the Eligibility Committee, the applicant should be issued with a temporary document valid for a period of ninety days from the date it is issued, and thereafter the document is renewable every two months until all rights connected with or incidental to applications for refugee status are exhausted.

Every member of the family of a recognised refugee who enters Uganda shall enjoy the same protection as that recognised refugee and shall be issued with all necessary documents relevant to his or her status.

Identification documents for refugee children and unaccompanied minors shall be issued in accordance with the principles applicable to recognized refugees, Section 32(3) of the Refugee Act.

    LAW & POLICY

    Related provisions of domestic law or policy

    The Refugees Act (2006)

    Legal provision

    Section 29(1)(a) - Rights of refugees while in Uganda (Documentation)

    (1) A recognised refugee shall, subject to this Act, the OAU Convention and the Geneva Convention — (a) be issued with an identity card in a prescribed form stating the refugee status of the holder for purposes of identification and protection;

    Section 24(1)(a) - Entitlement of refugee after submission of application (Documentation)

    (1) After an applicant has submitted an application for refugee status to the Eligibility Committee under section 19 of this Act, the applicant shall — (a) be issued with a temporary document valid for a period of ninety days from the date it is issued, and thereafter the document is renewable every two months until all rights connected with or incidental to applications for refugee status are exhausted.

    The Refugees Regulations (Uganda)

    Legal provision

    Regulation 42 - Issuance of Identification Documents

    (1) The Commissioner shall issue to every person granted refugee status and every member of his or her family an identification document. (2) The identification document for a refugee and every member of his or her family shall contain the following— (a) the identity number of the refugee; (b) the name of the refugee, gender, date of birth and the place where he or she was born; (c) the country where the refugee is a citizen; (d) a recent photograph of the refugee; and (e) the fingerprints of the refugee.