By Spy Reporter
The minister of state for Internal Affairs Obiga Mania has unveiled guidelines for Ugandans who want to apply for passports using the ministry’s online platform.
Here is a statement released by minister Obiga about online applications for passports;
INTRODUCING ONLINE PASSPORT APPLICATION
1. Good morning fellow citizens. It is my honour and pleasure today to announce the new on line e-Passport application process which has been introduced.
2. Up to now the application process for getting a Passport has been manual, necessitating the applicant to obtain and fill a form, attach photographs and associated documents, look for the signature of the recommender, and finally present the file to the Immigration Officer for manual processing. This has been a long and tedious process prone to delay, manipulation and a source of great temptations to staff and the public for corrupt practices.
3. This has now changed. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) announces the operationalization of the new e-Passport portal which can be found at www.passports.go.ug
4. To apply online for an e-Passport, one needs to follow the following procedures:i. Log on to www.passports.go.ug and accept the terms of the service,ii. Choose the type of service,
iii. Fill in the passport application form,iv. Choose the mode of payment, print out the application ID with the Payment Registration Number (PRN) and go ahead and pay using the payment mode of your choice cash (over the counter), mobile money, EFT, Pay way and all types of visa cards.
v. After payment, access your account and schedule an appointment on the convenient date for your interview at the Passport Office.
vi. Please come with your application ID, your National ID, your certificate to confirm your profession (If any) and a copy of the recommender’s National ID and a copy of the old passport for those renewing.
5. The new e-Passport application procedure has various advantages including the following;i. Reducing on the processing time of the Passport from seven working Days to 48 working hours (2 days).
ii. Reducing the congestion seen at the Passport office as the system enables scheduling.
iii. Eliminates chances of foreigners obtaining Ugandan Passports as it has thorough check and interaction with other government agencies relevant to applicant verification.
iv. Eases payment processes because different methods can be used to pay for Passports such as cash (over the counter), mobile money, EFT, Pay way and all types of visa cards.
6. I therefore, take this opportunity to launch the new e-Passport application portal www.passports.go.ug today 19 December 2019, and to advise all Ugandans seeking Passports to apply online to avoid waiting for long for their Passports. The online applications will take 48 hours (Two working days) while the manual application will continue to take 7 working Days. Over time this manual application service will be phased out.
7. Applications paid manually will NOT be accepted beyond 31st December 2019. All applicants who paid manually should ensure that their applications are submitted to the Passport Control Office by 31st December 2019.
8. I also take this opportunity to remind all those who paid UGX 150,000 for Passports and have not yet got them to go online, apply for the Passport afresh and pay the new Passport fee of UGX 250,000; and then seek a refund for the earlier paid UGX 150,000 from Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) after the Passport is issued. We no longer accept the UGX 100,000 Top-up for Passport fees.
9. The fees for the new e-Passport shall remain as follows:i. Ordinary Passport (48 Pages) – UGX 250,000;
ii. Service Passport (64 Pages) – UGX 400,000;
iii. Diplomatic Passport (64 Pages) – UGX 500,000;
v. Courier Service for Applicants abroad – UGX 10,000;
iv. Express Processing – UGX 150,000;
vi. Certification of Passport – UGX 30,000 and
vii. Fine for Replacement of lost or damaged Passport costs – UGX 100,000.
10. I urge all Ugandans to embrace this new development and have confidence in the Directorate Citizenship and Immigration control in particular and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in general.
11. We have heard many unfortunate stories of people who try to go through middlemen/brokers who at the end of the day con them of their hard-earned money.
12. You do not need a middleman or an agent to access this facility. Go online, make the application, pay and finally come with your details and you will be served and if you need information or assistance on this matter and any services of the directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control, go directly to our nearest offices.
13. If for whatever reason, anybody asks you for money at the Immigration Office please take the identity of that person and report him to the authorities. We are here to serve with honor and integrity.
14. Finally, I wish you all a happy festive season and a prosperous new year, 2020. For God and My Country.
Obiga Kania (MP)MINISTER OF STATE FOR INTERNAL AFFAIRS
