Key facts
Key facts for business in Uganda
The short answer
Company registry in Uganda: Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB). Requirements, fees and timelines change – confirm them with the body concerned and a lawyer admitted in Uganda before you act.
| Legal system | Common law (with customary and Islamic law in personal matters) |
|---|---|
| Official languages | English, Kiswahili |
| Currency | Ugandan shilling (UGX) |
| Regional blocs | East African Community, COMESA, IGAD |
| OHADA business law | No |
| AfCFTA (continental free trade) | Ratified (instrument deposited) |
| New York Convention (arbitral awards) | Party – in force since 1992 |
| ICSID Convention (investment disputes) | Contracting state – in force since 1966 |
| Apostille Convention (public documents) | Not a party – documents usually need legalization |
Treaty status from the official depositary records (UNCITRAL, ICSID, HCCH), regional blocs from their own websites, AfCFTA from tralac – checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Official bodies
Who does what in Uganda
| What for | Official body | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Registering a company | Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) | ursb.go.ug |
| Investment promotion | Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) | ugandainvest.go.ug |
| Central bank, currency and foreign exchange | Bank of Uganda | bou.or.ug |
| Work and residence permits | National Citizenship and Immigration Control (NCIC) | immigration.go.ug |
| Courts and justice | The Judiciary of the Republic of Uganda | judiciary.go.ug |
| Official business procedures portal | eBiz (Uganda Investment Authority eBiz system) | ebiz.go.ug |
We could not confirm an official website for: tax. We only link to sites we could open and confirm as the body’s own in October 2026.
Each link was opened and checked as the body’s own website in October 2026. Links to official sites only – never to agents or look-alike sites.
Getting started
What foreign businesses usually sort out first
- Choose how you will operate. A subsidiary, a branch, a representative office, or working through a local partner or distributor. The options and their conditions are set by national company law.
- Register the business. Company registration: Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB).
- Register for tax. Tax registration: the national tax administration.
- Check investment rules and incentives. Some sectors have licensing, local-ownership or registration rules, and some investors qualify for incentives. Investment agency: Uganda Investment Authority (UIA).
- Permits for foreign staff. Work and residence permits: National Citizenship and Immigration Control (NCIC).
- Banking and foreign exchange. Rules on accounts, moving money in and out and paying dividends abroad come from the central bank (Bank of Uganda) and the banks.
- Contracts and disputes. Agree the governing law, the courts or arbitration seat, and the language. Uganda is a party to the New York Convention, so arbitral awards made in other member states can be recognized there under it.
A general checklist, not legal advice. What applies to you depends on your sector, structure and nationality.
Law firms
Law firms in Uganda for business matters
H&G Advocates
Kampala
Kampala Associated Advocates (KAA)
Kampala
KTA Advocates
Kampala
Lex Uganda Advocates & Solicitors
Kampala
MMAKS Advocates (ALN Uganda)
Kampala
S&L Advocates (DLA Piper Africa, Uganda)
Kampala
6 firms in Uganda list corporate, tax, employment or other business work on their own websites. See every firm in Uganda.
Checking a lawyer in Uganda
Who admits lawyers: Law Council (Ministry of Justice, practising certificates) and the Chief Registrar (Roll of Advocates), with the Uganda Law Society
Professional title: Advocate
Ask to see the advocate's current practising certificate and confirm it with the Uganda Law Society or the Law Council; the ULS publishes a list of approved law firms (uls.or.ug/approved-law-firms).
We could not confirm every detail from official sources, so use this as a starting point.
Sources: uls.or.ug. Checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Questions
Doing business in Uganda: questions
Where do you register a company in Uganda?
With Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) (ursb.go.ug). Requirements change, so confirm them with the registry and a lawyer admitted in Uganda.
Is Uganda a party to the New York Convention?
Yes – in force since 1992 (UNCITRAL status table, checked October 2026).
Does Uganda accept apostilles?
Uganda is not a party to the Apostille Convention (HCCH status table, checked October 2026), so foreign public documents usually need legalization – typically through the issuing country’s foreign ministry and Uganda’s embassy or consulate. Confirm with the authority that will receive the document.
What currency is used in Uganda?
Ugandan shilling (UGX).