Uganda investor and business owner permits (classes B to F)

NCIC issues these permits to shareholders of companies, according to sector. Class B1 covers agriculture and B2 agro-processing. Class C1 covers prospecting for or mining of minerals in general, while C2 is for specific minerals: gold, copper, iron ore, silica, phosphate, limestone and marble. Class D covers general trade and class E manufacturing.

Class F is for shareholders of companies practising listed professions: medicine, dentistry, law, pharmacy, civil, mechanical, electrical, mining, aeronautical and chemical engineering, accountancy, architecture and surveying, veterinary surgery, estate agency, valuation, land surveying and nursing and midwifery. A class F applicant must be registered with the relevant Ugandan professional body.

Every class asks for the passport bio-data page, a recent photo, a covering letter, a valid police clearance from Interpol or the home country, a valid tax clearance certificate and your current immigration status. Each sector then adds its own proof. Class D needs a certified company bank statement for the last three months and a valid trading licence. Class E needs a Uganda Investment Authority licence, a recent bank statement and proof of land ownership or an agreement. Class B1 adds the land title or agreement, a recommendation from the local council or the Resident District Commissioner's office, a work plan or feasibility study and a recommendation from the Ministry of Agriculture. Class F needs the professional registration certificate.

Before any permit is filed, the company itself is coded by NCIC using its memorandum and articles of association, certificate of incorporation, company form 7 or 20, tax clearance, TIN and sector licences.

Classes B1 and D: USD 1,250 for 6 months, USD 2,500 for 12 months, USD 5,000 for 24 months and USD 7,500 for 36 months. Classes B2, C1 and E: USD 400 for 6 or 12 months, USD 800 for 24 months and USD 1,200 for 36 months. Class F: USD 1,500 for 6 months, USD 3,000 for 12 months, USD 6,000 for 24 months and USD 9,000 for 36 months. NCIC notes that several of these amounts include a non-refundable USD 1,500 component.

Kenyan and Rwandan nationals are exempt from immigration fees, and Tanzanians pay USD 1,550 a year, though all of them must still obtain the permit.

The application is filed online under Permit with the right class selected. After submission and any prepayment, an officer reviews it; once approved, any top-up is paid and the approval letter is emailed. The investor then reports to the immigration office with the approval letter, receipts, uploaded documents and passport for biometric capture. Because a permit approval does not itself allow entry from abroad, investors coming from abroad who are not visa-exempt normally enter first on a single-entry or multiple-entry visa.

Permits are renewed on the portal through 'Extend your application' before they expire. As employers, investors' companies must file a return of all non-citizen staff with NCIC every six months, and directors who employ foreigners without valid permits can be prosecuted. After 10 years of continuous legal residence with tax and social security compliance, an investor may apply for a certificate of residence.