The Internal Affairs Ministry has announced an upgrade from paper‑based biodata electronic passports to polycarbonate ones. The Director of Citizenship and Immigration Control, Maj Gen. Apollo Kasiita Gowa, told journalists on Thursday that the new polycarbonate e‑passports will feature enhanced security measures. “We have completed an upgrade to polycarbonate e‑passports. The aim of the upgrade is to ensure enhanced security features, durability as well as conformity with the requirements recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the EAC,” Maj Gen. Gowa said. “This implies better quality, easy data verification at various airports by ICAO member states, improved data protection and minimal chances of damage.”
The director explained that both paper‑based and polycarbonate electronic passports will continue to be used, although the former will be gradually phased out. “Both will continue in operation. The paper‑based e‑passports will remain in use until they expire or the supply runs out,” he said. “The upgraded polycarbonate e‑passports, like the paper‑based ones, contain an electromagnetic chip, but they are made of tough polycarbonate layers fused together. Personal data is engraved inside the deeper layers of the document with a laser, providing greater durability and security.”
According to the ministry, the new polycarbonate passports offer superior data protection and anti‑fraud features, making them suitable for electronic gates and self‑clearance at airports, as well as for automated issuance of boarding passes. They fully comply with international security standards and requirements. The upgrade currently applies only to ordinary e‑passports; official and diplomatic e‑passports remain paper‑based.
Regarding cost, officials said the price of a polycarbonate passport has not changed. An ordinary electronic e‑passport still costs UGX 250,000, with an additional UGX 150,000 for express processing, bringing the total to UGX 400,000. An official passport costs UGX 400,000, and a diplomatic travel document costs UGX 500,000.
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