Uganda will on 4th April 2022 officially transition from the use of machine-readable passports to the East African Community E- passports.
According to Atwiine Timothy from the Directorate of Citizenship under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the machine readable passports have been phased out globally and the newly internationally accepted documents are the E-passports.
He however noted that the Ministry will not stop issuing passports on 4th April as some people had thought.
“So, there’s nothing like we are stopping issuing passports like it has been said, NO. The government of Uganda will forever give out passports. Only that now it is this light blue passport that is going to be issued throughout” says Atwiine.
Atwiine was speaking at the weekly police press briefing at Naguru in Kampala this morning.
He noted that the government is opening up offices in different countries/embassies to ease the issuance of passports to Ugandans in the diaspora.
The government already started issuing the E-passports to Ugandans in London. Tomorrow March 29th, another office will be opened at the Washington office/embassy for the Ugandans in the US.
Other offices will be opened in Abu Dhabi in the UAE, Copenhagen in Denmark, Ottawa in Canada, Pretoria in South Africa and Beijing China. All these are expected to be fully functional by end of this year and all Ugandans in these areas have been advised to visit them and pick up their new passports.
The Ugandans in the Diaspora who still have the machine-readable passports and are unable to access any of these offices will be allowed to use them in the country but must get the EAC passports when leaving again.
This means that no Ugandan will be allowed to leave the country with a machine-readable passport, but those who are already outside Uganda by 4/4/2022 will be allowed back into the country with them.
Meanwhile, Ugandans back at home have been advised to make use of offices in different regions, including those in Kampala, Mbale, Gulu, and Mbarara, all serving the same purpose.
Atwiine was quick to add that before the end of the year, the Jinja and Arua passport offices will be opened to serve the public.
