The Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) under Uganda’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has announced that individuals with expired National Identity Cards (IDs) will still be able to obtain new passports. This decision comes amid concerns raised by many citizens regarding the expiration of their IDs and the impending requirement for passports.
In February, General David Muhoozi, the State Minister of Internal Affairs, informed parliament about plans for mass enrollment to register or renew IDs for approximately 30 million Ugandans, slated to commence on June 1 of the current year. However, the process, scheduled to run until January 2025, faces challenges due to gaps in preparations at the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), including funding shortages for staff recruitment and delays in procuring necessary systems.
Simon Peter Mundeyi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, addressed concerns about the implications of expired IDs on passport applications. He explained that despite the expiration of IDs, individuals can still apply for passports using their National Identification Numbers (NINs), which do not have an expiry date. Thus, possessing knowledge of one’s NIN enables passport application even with an expired ID.
Furthermore, Mundeyi clarified the verification process during passport issuance, emphasizing that only the NIN on the national ID would be checked. However, he cautioned that individuals who acquired a National ID without being Ugandan citizens, either by birth or naturalization, would be ineligible for a passport, regardless of their NIN knowledge.
In terms of application procedures, Mundeyi highlighted the importance of accuracy. He noted that errors made in online application forms could not be rectified at the passport collection center. Additionally, he addressed the issue of selecting collection centers, emphasizing that applicants must select the appropriate center based on their location. Failure to do so may result in the inconvenience of having to travel to a different location for passport collection.
