NIRA, DCIC Launch One-Stop Registration Centre in Switzerland

Zurich — Ugandans living in Switzerland can now apply for and receive National IDs, register for National Identification Numbers (NINs)—including for children—and update their personal information without travelling home, following the launch of a fully functional one-stop registration centre at Uganda’s Mission in Geneva.

From 26th to 29th November 2025, the Embassy of the Republic of Uganda to the Swiss Confederation and Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva conducted an extensive Diaspora Engagement and Consular Service Delivery mission in both Geneva and Zürich. The outreach is widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive government engagements ever carried out for the Ugandan community in Switzerland.

The four-day exercise drew hundreds of Ugandans—families, students, long-term residents, and new arrivals—seeking National Identity services, immigration support, and land-related guidance. Held first at the Mission in Geneva and later at GZ Hirzenbach Community Centre in Zürich, the outreach demonstrated the diverse needs of the diaspora, ranging from citizenship queries to long-standing land matters and travel documentation.

Working jointly with the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) and the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (MLHUD), the Mission brought essential services closer to the community, many for the first time. The exercise significantly strengthened trust, visibility, and engagement between the Government and the diaspora, positioning the Mission in Geneva as a true one-stop consular hub.

Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Marcel Tibaleka, hailed the milestone. “This outreach is particularly significant because it has marked the formal activation of a fully functional NIRA and Immigration workstation within the Mission in Geneva,” Ambassador Tibaleka noted.

“The activation of visa-issuing capability at the Mission is a defining moment. Travellers, tourists, and researchers intending to go to Uganda can now obtain their Ugandan visa directly from Geneva, bringing unprecedented convenience to the Swiss community.”

Throughout the mission, long queues formed as Ugandans sought new National IDs, renewals, replacements for lost cards, or NIN enrolment for children. Many also used the opportunity to follow up on delayed cases or seek clarification on citizenship matters.

Beyond service delivery, NIRA also conducted capacity-building sessions, training Mission staff in biometric enrolment, troubleshooting, citizenship verification, and digital form processing—ensuring uninterrupted services even after the departure of the technical teams.

DCIC officers provided guidance on passport application procedures, online payment platforms, Dependant Passes, Certificates of Residence, and the pathways to acquiring Ugandan citizenship through dual nationality or marriage.

Meanwhile, MLHUD Permanent Secretary Mrs Dorcas Okalany led a technical team that offered one-on-one consultations on land ownership, land title verification, investment prospects, and Uganda’s evolving land governance reforms.

She highlighted the capabilities of the Uganda National Land Information System (UgNLIS), which has digitised over 1.5 million titles and now enables diaspora members to remotely verify land ownership from anywhere in the world.

Discussions also touched on the housing deficit, real estate investment, slum upgrading programmes, and opportunities for diaspora participation in commercial and agricultural land ventures.

The four-day mission concluded with a colourful Uganda@63 Independence celebration in Zürich, bringing together the Ugandan Diaspora in a display of national pride and cultural unity. Ambassador Tibaleka expressed gratitude for the overwhelming participation and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to delivering services that strengthen diaspora inclusion.