Uganda Company Search Guide 2026: How to Verify a Uganda Business

TL;DR. Uganda’s official business registry is operated by the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) through its Online Business Registration System (OBRS) at ursb.go.ug. Basic name searches are available online with no local ID required; certified document retrieval costs UGX 25,000 to UGX 35,000 (~USD 7 to USD 9). The portal is fully in English. There is no public API. Uganda was removed from the FATF grey list in February 2024.

What is the official Uganda business registry?

The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) is a semi-autonomous government agency established by the Uganda Registration Services Bureau Act of 1998. It operates under the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and serves as the central registry for business entities, intellectual property, insolvency proceedings, and civil registrations.

The OBRS (Online Business Registration System), accessible at ursb.go.ug and via the dedicated portal at obrs.ursb.go.ug, is URSB’s primary digital interface for entity registration and company name searches. The system went live progressively from the mid-2010s and has been the main channel for remote access since 2020.

URSB’s statutory authority covers private limited companies, public limited companies, foreign company branches, partnerships, business names (sole proprietors and trading names), and non-profit organisations. Records extend back to the 1960s for legacy entities, though digitization of pre-2000 records is incomplete. For entities incorporated before the OBRS era, physical file access at the URSB Kampala head office may be necessary for older documents.

What can you search?

The URSB OBRS portal supports the following search types:

• Company or business name (free text, including partial matches)
• Registration number
• Director or officer name (limited functionality; not all historic records are cross-indexed by individual)

Each entity record typically shows:

• Registered name and any trading name
• Registration number
• Entity type (private company, public company, branch, business name, etc.)
• Registration date
• Status (active, struck off, in liquidation, dissolved)
• Registered office address
• Directors and shareholders (for companies on the current registry)
• Nature of business (industry code)

Data freshness is tied to filings submitted through the OBRS. Active companies that file annual returns promptly will have current records; lapsed entities may show outdated officer information until URSB processes a strike-off or update.

How much does it cost?

Prices are sourced from URSB’s published fee schedule (verified May 2026). UGX/USD conversion used: 3,700 (approximate; verify at point of purchase). Payment is accepted by mobile money (MTN Mobile Money, Airtel Money), Visa card, and via PayWay bank payment at designated branches.

Do you need a local account or ID?

An OBRS account is required to access document retrieval and certified records. Account registration asks for an email address and basic contact details; no Ugandan national ID or local tax identification number is required for foreign users creating a standard search account.

Foreign buyers can open an OBRS account using a passport number and international email address. The name search function at obrs.ursb.go.ug/name-search is accessible without login for basic availability checks. For purchasing certified extracts, account registration and payment via card or mobile money is required.

Is the website in English?

Yes. The URSB OBRS portal is fully in English. All entity status labels, filing type descriptions, search fields, and payment instructions are in English, consistent with Uganda’s official language policy. No Luganda or other local language interface is offered, which is advantageous for foreign compliance buyers.

What’s the turnaround time?

Name search results are instant. For certified document downloads, the OBRS system generates documents electronically once payment is processed, which typically completes within the same session or up to one business day for complex filings. For older records that have not been digitized, a request must be submitted for physical retrieval; URSB processes these within 3 to 5 business days at the Kampala registry office.

Electronic documents delivered via the OBRS are accepted for most compliance workflows. If your counterparty requires an apostille or notarized copy, Uganda is a signatory to the Hague Convention, meaning apostille certification is available on request through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Is there an API?

No. URSB does not currently offer a public API for programmatic access to entity data. Bulk data integration requires manual web-based access through the OBRS portal. For platform-level compliance workflows, direct URSB portal access is the only official channel; third-party data aggregators that resell URSB data should be evaluated against URSB’s terms of use.

For the broader due diligence framework applicable across African jurisdictions, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.

What you legally cannot do

URSB’s terms of use restrict bulk automated scraping of the OBRS portal. Commercial redistribution of registry data without URSB authorization is prohibited. Use of personal data found in company records (director names, addresses) for unsolicited marketing violates Uganda’s Data Protection and Privacy Act 2019, which became effective in February 2022. Compliance buyers should document the stated purpose of each data pull as part of their AML/KYC audit trail.

Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers

• Registration number is the primary anchor. Uganda company registration numbers follow a sequential format assigned at incorporation. Cross-reference the number against the name in any counterparty documentation before relying on a name-only search, as similar trading names exist.
• Status field is the first check. A company showing “struck off” or “dissolved” has been removed from the register, often for failure to file annual returns. This status does not automatically mean fraud, but warrants enhanced due diligence.
• Branch offices vs. local subsidiaries. Foreign company branches registered at URSB are legally distinct from locally incorporated subsidiaries. Verify which structure your counterparty operates under, as liability implications differ.
• Pre-2000 records may require in-person retrieval. If you need historical incorporation documents for an entity formed before 2000, engage a local legal representative in Kampala for physical file access.
• FATF context. Uganda was removed from FATF’s increased monitoring (grey) list in February 2024 after demonstrating substantial improvement in its AML/CFT framework. This removal reduces friction for correspondent banking but does not eliminate the need for standard CDD on Ugandan counterparties.
• ESAAMLG membership. Uganda is a member of the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG), which conducts mutual evaluations and publishes country assessment reports relevant to AML risk profiling.

Alternatives if you cannot access URSB directly

• Aggregator search (free, indicative only): OpenCorporates indexes some URSB filings but coverage is partial and lags official records. Suitable for initial name-check only; not for compliance-grade verification.
• Physical registry search via a registered Ugandan advocate or company secretarial firm, for legacy records not yet digitized on the OBRS.

Local data suppliers

• URSB OBRS (obrs.ursb.go.ug). The authoritative source for all entity filings. Use for incorporation documents, officer lists, and status verification.
• Creditinfo Uganda (creditinfo.co.ug). A licensed credit reference bureau operating in Uganda under the Financial Institutions Act. Provides commercial credit reports that include payment behavior and financial risk indicators on top of registry data. Use when assessing trade credit exposure to a Ugandan counterparty.

Use URSB for the official filing record. Use Creditinfo Uganda when you need payment behavior or risk scoring on top of the registry extract.

FAQ

Can a foreign company access the Uganda registry directly?

Yes. Foreign users can register an account on the URSB OBRS portal using an email address and passport details. There is no requirement for a Ugandan entity or local representative to conduct a basic company search or retrieve standard documents. Apostille requests require engagement with a local agent or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

What is the registration number format in Uganda?

Uganda company registration numbers are alphanumeric codes assigned sequentially by URSB at incorporation. A typical private company number resembles 80020001234. Business names registered under the Business Names Registration Act carry a separate “BN” series number. Always verify the number series matches the entity type you are researching.

What entity types are registered with URSB?

URSB registers private limited companies, public limited companies, unlimited liability companies, branches of foreign companies, business names, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, and non-profit organisations. Each type is governed by distinct legislation: the Companies Act 2012 covers corporate entities; the Partnership Act covers partnerships; the Trustees Incorporation Act covers non-profits.

Does Uganda have a beneficial ownership (UBO) registry?

Uganda does not maintain a publicly accessible UBO register as of May 2026. Beneficial ownership disclosure is collected internally by URSB as part of the company registration process under amendments to the Companies Act, aligned with FATF Recommendation 24, but this data is not published or searchable online. Compliance buyers conducting UBO verification on Ugandan entities should rely on declaration filings, corporate tree analysis, and direct counterparty disclosure supported by the Open Ownership framework.

How current is the data in the URSB registry?

Records are updated on a filing-event basis: changes to directors, registered address, or share capital appear in the registry once URSB processes the relevant filing. Companies that are delinquent on annual return filings may show outdated officer information. URSB’s enforcement of annual return requirements has strengthened since 2022 as part of AML compliance improvements.

Is Uganda on the FATF grey list?

No. Uganda was removed from FATF’s increased monitoring list on 23 February 2024. FATF cited Uganda’s strengthening of AML/CFT supervision, increased money laundering prosecutions, and improvements in international cooperation as key factors in the delisting. Source: FATF.

What’s the difference between the registry and tax/financial filings?

URSB holds incorporation documents, annual return filings, and officer records. Tax registration and filings are held by the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) under the Tax Identification Number (TIN) system, accessible via ura.go.ug. These are separate systems. An entity may be registered with URSB but deregistered from URA (or vice versa in cases of tax non-compliance), so cross-checking both registries adds depth to a CDD file.

Last verified: May 2026. Source: Uganda Registration Services Bureau (ursb.go.ug). For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.