The short answer
Registering a private company in Uganda costs UGX 35,000 to reserve the name, then UGX 105,000 to incorporate it if nominal share capital is UGX 5,000,000 or less, plus stamp duty of 0.5% of that capital. On UGX 2,000,000 of capital that is UGX 150,000 in total, all paid to URSB. Above UGX 5,000,000 of capital, budget about 1.5% of the nominal capital; URSB's own fee page and its Client Charter describe that figure slightly differently, so confirm the exact split on the payment advice the e-registry generates before you pay. A company limited by guarantee costs UGX 105,000 plus a flat UGX 35,000 stamp duty instead. For the general step-by-step that also covers business names, see how-to-register-a-business-in-uganda.
A foreign shareholder or director does not pay a different registration fee; the extra work is in the documents, a registered Uganda address, and, if your sector needs one, a Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) licence running alongside registration, not instead of it. URSB's own service standard is a name reserved within 3 working hours and an incorporation certificate issued within roughly the same window once a complete, paid application is in; most founders still take several days once drafting and gathering director details are counted. For the fuller foreign-investor path, including the UIA licence, see investing-in-uganda-as-a-foreigner.
The steps, official fees and timeline
| Step | Official fee | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Reserve the company name | UGX 35,000 | URSB's own standard is 3 working hours once submitted |
| Incorporate, capital up to UGX 5,000,000 | UGX 105,000 plus 0.5% stamp duty on capital | Same 3-working-hour standard once a complete, paid application is in |
| Incorporate, capital above UGX 5,000,000 | About 1.5% of nominal capital, confirm on your payment advice | Same standard, once submitted |
| Company limited by guarantee | UGX 105,000 plus UGX 35,000 stamp duty | Same standard, once submitted |
| TIN registration | Free | Instant online for an individual with a National ID; non-individual applications are verified by URA staff |
| NSSF registration | No registration fee found; contributions run 15% of gross pay once you have staff | Register before your first payroll |
| Trading licence, once trading | UGX 6,000 to UGX 600,000 a year, by trade and area grade | Assessed at your council, due by 1 January each year |
What a foreign shareholder or director needs
Every director and shareholder, Ugandan or foreign, is recorded on the company's incorporation filing with their passport or national ID details. For a foreign director, that generally means certified copies of their passport; whether URSB requires notarisation or an apostille for documents signed outside Uganda is not something we could confirm from an official fee schedule in this research pass, so confirm the current document requirements directly with URSB or your advocate before you assemble your file, rather than trusting a checklist online.
You also need a registered office address in Uganda, a memorandum and articles of association, a statutory declaration of compliance, and a beneficial ownership filing. A registration guide puts notarisation or a commissioner for oaths at UGX 20,000 to UGX 50,000 per document and legal drafting at UGX 200,000 to UGX 1,500,000; those are reported market figures rather than a published schedule, so treat them as a range to negotiate rather than a fee to accept without question.
The UIA licence, TIN and tax registration
If your sector or investment size calls for a UIA investment licence, most commonly relevant to industrial-park, tourism or larger manufacturing projects, that runs alongside company registration rather than replacing it; UIA's own standard is a licence within 48 hours once your documentation is satisfactory, and most of what UIA itself does is free. A Tax Identification Number is free from URA, and VAT registration only becomes compulsory once annual taxable turnover passes UGX 300,000,000; below that you can register voluntarily if it suits your business. Once you are VAT-registered, or in one of the sectors EFRIS already covers, you must issue e-invoices or e-receipts through URA's EFRIS system; see efris-uganda-guide to check where your new company stands.
Why 'a few working hours' rarely means a few hours
URSB's own processing standard, a name reserved and a certificate issued within a few working hours, describes the government's own turnaround once a complete, paid application reaches the e-registry, not the whole job. In practice, most founders still take three to ten business days end to end once drafting the memorandum and articles, gathering director passport details, and paying stamp duty are counted, and that stretches further when a director is outside Uganda and documents have to travel. If you would rather hand the filing to someone who does it regularly, see business-registration-services-uganda; we quote our own fee after we know your shareholder structure and capital, and the official government fees above never change because of who files them.
Where we fit
We are building our own consultancy and investor-facilitation practice, and we are not going to claim past registration volumes or client counts we have not tracked. What is real: 37 live website and app builds, our own live products including Growth Informer Business and Moyo Pay, and our registration with URA as a tax agent, which covers the tax side once your company exists. We are not advocates, so drafting or reviewing anything as legal advice stays with a licensed advocate; we work alongside them, not in their place. See cost-of-registering-a-business-in-uganda for the fuller fee picture including trading licences and staff costs once the company is trading.
Frequently asked questions
What are the requirements for company registration in Uganda?
A reserved company name, a memorandum and articles of association, a statutory declaration of compliance, passport or ID details for every director and shareholder, a registered Uganda office address, and a beneficial ownership filing.
How much is company registration in Uganda?
UGX 35,000 to reserve the name plus UGX 105,000 to incorporate if nominal share capital is UGX 5,000,000 or less, plus 0.5% stamp duty on that capital. On UGX 2,000,000 of capital that totals UGX 150,000. A company limited by guarantee costs UGX 105,000 plus a flat UGX 35,000 stamp duty.
Can I register a company in Uganda online?
Yes. URSB runs its e-registry for name reservation, incorporation filing and payment. You still need to upload signed documents, and a director based outside Uganda should confirm current certification requirements before filing, since this was outside what we could verify in this research pass.
How long does company registration take in Uganda?
URSB's own service standard is a name reserved and a certificate issued within a few working hours once a complete, paid application is submitted. In practice most founders take three to ten business days end to end once drafting and gathering director details are counted.
Can a foreigner register a company in Uganda?
Yes, on the same URSB fee schedule as a Ugandan director or shareholder. The extra steps are a Uganda Investment Authority licence where your sector needs one, and, for larger operations, work permits for any foreign staff.