By Robert Segawa
A total of 1,875 foreigners have applied for Alien National Identity Cards from the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA).
The exercise, which started in June this year, is open to foreigners legally residing in Uganda after obtaining the required documentation from the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control under the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Addressing the press during the launch of the first issuance of Alien Identity Cards at NIRA offices on Lumumba Avenue in Kampala, NIRA spokesperson Osborn Mushabe said the applicants sought the cards to access services that require an Alien National ID.
Mushabe said NIRA has the mandate to register foreigners who are legally residing in Uganda after they have completed the required processes with the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
He said the Alien Identity Card differs from the Ugandan citizenship identity card in terms of its features.
Meanwhile, Claire Olama, the NIRA Registrar for Buikwe District, revealed that 1,500 Alien Identity Cards have so far been issued since the exercise began.
Olama urged legally resident foreigners to avoid middlemen and instead pay the required 100 US dollars through the Uganda Revenue Authority to cover the registration process.
She clarified that diplomats, illegal immigrants and refugees are not eligible to apply for the Alien Identity Cards.
Olama also said foreigners applying for the cards must ensure that their legal stay in Uganda does not exceed the validity period indicated on their visas or other immigration documents.
The Alien Identity Cards have distinct security features, including a pale-green colour, the holder’s photograph and a ghost image below the word “Uganda.” The features indicate that the cardholder is a foreign national and not a Ugandan citizen.
