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Comprehensive Guide & FAQs to URSB e-Registry Services and Their Costs in Uganda

Robert Mwesige — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 15:11:57 +0000

Comprehensive Guide & FAQs to URSB e-Registry Services and Their Costs in Uganda

Understand the service you need, prepare the right information and calculate the official charges before submitting your application through Uganda’s e-Registry.

How much do URSB e-Registry services cost in Uganda?Business-name reservation costs UGX 35,000 and business-name registration costs UGX 55,000. Company-name reservation costs UGX 35,000. Incorporation costs UGX 105,000 where nominal share capital does not exceed UGX 5 million, or 1.5% of total nominal share capital above that threshold. A company without nominal share capital costs UGX 105,000 to incorporate. Stamp duty and separately required filings are additional.

The URSB e-Registry is the official starting point for business and company registration, connected filings and legal-document services. This guide brings together registration procedures, verified fee tables, practical cost examples and answers to the questions applicants ask before and after incorporation.

Use the service-specific tables below to distinguish a name reservation, a completed registration, a record search and a certified copy. Each serves a different purpose and may carry its own charge.

Open URSB e-Registry Discuss your application

Choose the right service.
Prepare a complete application.

Move from a proposed name to a registered entity, then keep its ownership, officers and annual filings up to date.

Check official fees Follow the ten practical steps

UGX 90,000

Business-name reservation and registration combined, before any additional services.

UGX 140,000

Company-name reservation and incorporation where nominal capital is up to UGX 5 million, before stamp duty and other filings.

Keep the record current

Annual returns, business continuity and changes to registered particulars are separate compliance tasks.

Navigate the guide

Find exactly what you need

Procedures, fees, filing questions and practical support in one place.

Before you start: choose the right registration route

Start by deciding what you are registering. A trading name, a company incorporated in Uganda and the Ugandan registration of an existing overseas company are different legal arrangements. The choice affects the application, the fee category, liability and continuing obligations.

Choose the service that matches your situation

Your situation	Appropriate route	What to understand
An individual or firm trading under a business name	Business-name registration	Records the trading name and proprietor or firm. It does not incorporate a separate limited company.
A commercial enterprise to be incorporated in Uganda	Company limited by shares	Prepare shareholding, nominal capital, officers, beneficial owners and constitutional information.
One founder seeking a company structure	Single-member company	Use the designated company route and its specific governance requirements.
An organisation using a guarantee structure	Company limited by guarantee	Members undertake a guarantee. A company without share capital follows the corresponding fee category.
An overseas company establishing a place of business in Uganda	Foreign-company registration	Registers the existing overseas entity in Uganda. Certain statutory charges are denominated in USD.
Two or more persons establishing a partnership	Business-name and applicable partnership filings	An ordinary partnership and a limited liability partnership have different filing requirements.
An existing entity changing its official record	Continuing filing for the existing entity	Select the change, return, resolution or other service against the correct registered entity.

Foreign ownership and foreign-company registration are different. A company incorporated in Uganda is not placed on the foreign-company fee schedule merely because its shareholders are foreign nationals. A foreign company is already incorporated outside Uganda and registers its Uganda presence under the relevant provisions.

For NGO founders, URSB incorporation is one stage. NGO registration and permission to operate follow the applicable NGO Bureau or local-government route. A company limited by guarantee does not automatically acquire NGO operating authority or tax exemption. See the indigenous NGO registration requirements.

How to use URSB e-Registry in ten practical steps

Use eregistry.ursb.go.ug for the transaction. The sequence below provides a practical working method; the selected service determines the actual fields, documents and payment stages presented to you.

A complete application has four connected parts

1Choose
Select the entity and service.
2Prepare
Reconcile identity and ownership details.
3Submit
Review, pay and complete submission.
4Maintain
Keep approvals and continuing filings.

Choose the transaction and prepare one information sheet

Identify whether you need a new registration, a change to an existing record, an annual filing, a search or a certified copy.

For a new entity, agree the structure, proposed names, activities, ownership and registered address before opening the application. For an existing entity, record its exact registered name and registration number. A trading name used on an invoice may differ from the legal name in the register.

Create one reference sheet containing the details everyone will use. For a company with shares, record each subscriber, the share class, number of shares and nominal value. Identify the people who ultimately own or control the entity, including through another company.

Practical output: A consistent set of facts and the correct service category.

Create or access your e-Registry account

Open the official portal and choose account registration or login. The public registration page requests an email address and phone number.

Use the official e-Registry account-registration page and complete the verification and security steps shown. Use contact details you can access and retain. A consultant or employee submitting for a business should have the necessary authority.

An applicant’s personal account and the company’s official contact details serve different purposes. Keep company-controlled contact information current so that a change of staff or service provider does not interrupt access to statutory notices. Use the portal’s current login and recovery instructions.

Practical output: Working account access and a clear record of who may act for the entity.

Search and reserve the proposed name

Search the register, apply for the appropriate name reservation and wait for approval before using the name in the registration application.

Name reservation costs UGX 35,000 for a company or business name. The reservation charge does not include the subsequent incorporation or business-name registration fee. A search result alone is not approval of a name.

Prepare alternative names and check spelling, similarity and restricted or regulated wording. After approval, use the exact reserved name and complete registration within the validity period shown in the approval. A business or company name does not replace trademark protection. The rates appear in the business-name rules and company-fee regulations.

Practical output: An approved name, its reservation reference and its expiry date.

Enter owners, share capital and constitutional information

Complete the ownership and constitutional fields appropriate to the entity you selected.

For a company limited by shares, reconcile the shareholding and share-class entries. The number of shares multiplied by their nominal value must agree with the capital entered, and subscriber allocations must reconcile to the relevant issued shares. Do not confuse nominal capital with annual turnover, a service provider’s fee or money paid to URSB.

Describe lawful business activities accurately. Review the Memorandum and Articles information and the choice of standard or customised articles. A guarantee company requires the appropriate membership and guarantee information instead. Bespoke voting rights, investor protections and transfer restrictions require properly prepared constitutional documents.

Practical output: Ownership and constitutional details that agree with the intended structure.

Provide the address, officers and beneficial owners

Enter accurate registered-office, officer and beneficial-owner information rather than treating these as interchangeable fields.

Prepare the Ugandan physical and postal details requested, with a reliable arrangement for receiving correspondence. Use identification details that match the relevant national ID or passport. Check the eligibility and particulars of directors, the secretary and any authorised representative requested by the chosen service.

A beneficial owner is the natural person who ultimately owns or controls the company or partnership, including through indirect ownership or other means of control. A corporate shareholder is therefore not the end of the enquiry. URSB requires companies and limited liability partnerships to keep beneficial-owner information and notify the register. See URSB’s beneficial-ownership notice.

Practical output: A complete address and a reconciled record of officers and ultimate control.

Confirm official contacts and review generated documents

Read the full preview and every generated document before signing or paying.

Check the name, identification details, addresses, ownership, capital, officer appointments and official email and telephone number. Compare the application against the reference sheet rather than relying on memory. Correct mismatches in the underlying application before regenerating the documents.

Current incorporation transactions may collect information in a consolidated form. Use the documents generated for your live application. Do not automatically assemble the separate legacy forms listed in older guides. For a more detailed company walkthrough, see How to Register a Company in Uganda in 10 Easy Steps.

Practical output: A checked application and the correct documents for that transaction.

Sign and upload the required supporting documents

Complete signatures, authorisations and supporting evidence exactly as required by the application.

Upload complete, legible documents in the file type and size accepted by the current upload field. Ensure that every page, signature, certification and attachment is present. A blanket instruction to upload only TIFF or JPEG files below 1 MB is not a reliable rule for every e-Registry service.

If an upload fails, check the displayed file limits, remove password protection where appropriate, use a clear filename and confirm that the correct file opens normally. Compress only enough to meet the limit while keeping text and signatures readable. Keep the signed originals and a copy of the exact submitted version.

Practical output: Readable supporting documents matched to the correct application fields.

Review the assessment and pay using the correct reference

Check each assessed charge and pay through the authorised channel using the Payment Registration Number or reference provided.

A PRN identifies a payment assessment. Confirm the payer or entity, service, currency, amount and reference before paying. Keep URSB filing fees, URA stamp duty and professional charges as identifiable budget lines. Use the payment channels actually offered for that assessment.

Where a transaction includes a stamp-duty instrument, use the appropriate URA declaration or integrated assessment as directed. Do not recreate an old manual assessment simply because it appears in an earlier article. If payment has been made but does not reflect, retain the receipt and seek reconciliation before paying again.

Practical output: A correctly allocated payment and a saved receipt for each assessment.

Submit, monitor and respond to examination queries

Complete final submission and track the application until URSB makes its decision.

Saving a draft, uploading files or paying an assessment does not by itself establish that an application has been submitted or approved. Check the transaction status and retain the application or tracking reference. Monitor the portal and the email or telephone notifications associated with the application.

If URSB raises a query, address the specific issue and resubmit through the transaction’s correction process. Do not open a second application merely to bypass the first query. Processing time depends on the service, a complete file, payment confirmation, examination and any required publication or additional approval.

Practical output: A submitted application, clear status and a record of any corrections.

Download the approval and organise continuing compliance

After approval, download the certificate or registered document made available and check its particulars immediately.

Retain the approval, filed documents, payment receipts and application references in an entity-controlled record. Complete tax registration, banking, trading licences and sector-specific requirements relevant to the business. A Certificate of Incorporation does not by itself authorise every regulated activity.

Set reminders for company annual returns, business-name continuity statements and changes in officers, addresses or beneficial owners. Record the responsible person and the next filing date. Changes to the legal record require the appropriate statutory filing, even when a separate portal data-update service is free.

Practical output: An organised registration record and a practical compliance calendar.

One consistent record.
Every filing working together.

Your incorporation documents, shareholder information, beneficial-owner details and bank records should tell the same story. Resolve differences before they become registration queries or due-diligence problems.

Request an application review

Official service fees

How much do URSB registration and filing services cost?

The following charges identify the service being purchased. Unless a row specifies USD, amounts are in Uganda shillings. Each application may require more than one charge. The Companies (Fees) Regulations, 2024 and the corresponding business-name, partnership and document rules provide the basis for these tables.

Business names and sole proprietorships

Business-name fees

Service	Official fee
Name reservation	UGX 35,000
Registration of the business name	UGX 55,000
Change of registered particulars, including address or business name	UGX 35,000
Notice of cessation or removal from the business-names register	UGX 35,000
Certified copy of the registration certificate	UGX 35,000
Certified copy of the business-name registration form	UGX 35,000
Formal search of the business-names register	UGX 35,000
Other document filing, including the business-continuity statement	UGX 55,000
Other application to the Registrar of Business Names	UGX 55,000

Reservation plus registration: UGX 90,000. These are two separate services. The 2024 business-name rules also require a statement of business continuity at the end of every calendar year. An online label that groups reservation and registration together should not be read as a UGX 35,000 price for both.

Companies incorporated in Uganda

Company incorporation and continuing filing fees

Service	Official fee
Company-name reservation	UGX 35,000
Incorporation with nominal share capital not exceeding UGX 5,000,000	UGX 105,000
Incorporation with nominal share capital exceeding UGX 5,000,000	1.5% of total nominal share capital
Incorporation without nominal share capital	UGX 105,000
Filing a resolution required under the Companies Act	UGX 35,000
Filing amended Memorandum and Articles of Association	UGX 55,000
Annual return for a private company with nominal share capital	UGX 55,000
Annual return for a company without nominal share capital	UGX 35,000
Notice of appointment or change of directors and secretary	UGX 35,000
Registered-office notice, share-allotment form or other form/notice in the specified category	UGX 35,000
Registration of a document effecting a share transfer	UGX 35,000
Registration of an increase in nominal share capital	1.5% of the increase above the previously registered capital
Certified company document	UGX 35,000
Company-register search or inspection of one company’s file	UGX 25,000
Application to dispense with the word “Limited”	UGX 55,000
Application to restore a company to the register	UGX 55,000
Application to convert a company from one category to another	UGX 55,000
Declaration that a company has no assets or liabilities	UGX 55,000
Notice or order in the general notice/order category	UGX 35,000
Application or form not otherwise expressly provided for	UGX 55,000

The percentage threshold is above UGX 5 million. It is not “above UGX 6 million”, and the 1.5% incorporation fee is calculated on the whole nominal capital once that threshold is exceeded. For a subsequent capital increase, the 1.5% registration charge applies to the increase. Filing fees for forms are charges for registration of the relevant filing, not a general fee for downloading blank forms.

Foreign companies registering their Uganda presence

Foreign-company statutory fees

Service	Official fee
Registration of the certified charter, statutes, Memorandum and Articles or equivalent constitutional instrument	USD 350
Other required document relating to the foreign company	USD 70
Foreign-company annual return	USD 70
Certification of a document on the foreign-company register	USD 30 per document

The USD 350 constitutional-document fee is one component of foreign-company registration. Other required documents, certification, translation and related costs can add to the budget. Use the official assessment for any conversion into Uganda shillings rather than applying a fixed exchange rate from a consulting quotation.

Partnership filings

Selected partnership fees

Service	Official fee
Statement for registration of a limited liability partnership	UGX 55,000
Change in particulars of a limited liability partnership	UGX 55,000
Statement of intent to convert a partnership	UGX 55,000
Notice of variation of partnership terms	UGX 35,000
Notice of death or retirement of a partner	UGX 35,000 per relevant notice
Notice of dissolution of a partnership	UGX 35,000
Notice of a minor repudiating the partnership relationship	UGX 35,000
Certified copy of a form or other registered document	UGX 35,000
Search of the partnerships register	UGX 35,000
Other document filed under the Partnerships Act or regulations	UGX 35,000

These are partnership filing charges. If business-name reservation or registration is also required, include the corresponding business-name charge separately.

Company charges and receivers

Company charge-registration fees

Service	Official fee
Company charge required to be registered under the Companies Act	UGX 55,000
Memorandum of satisfaction of a charge	UGX 55,000
Appointment of a receiver or manager of company property under the relevant Companies Act provision	UGX 55,000
Inspection of the register of charges	UGX 25,000 per inspection

A mortgage, debenture or other security instrument may involve more than one legal requirement. Company charge registration, stamp duty, land registration and registration of a security interest in movable property are separate questions. The company-charge fee should not be substituted for the SIMPO tariff.

Legal documents, searches and copies

Fees under the Registration of Documents rules

Service	Official registration fee
Application or request to register a document	UGX 40,000, plus applicable stamp duty
Search of the register of documents	UGX 35,000
Inspection of a registered document	UGX 35,000
Certified copy of a registered document	UGX 35,000
Uncertified copy of a registered document	UGX 35,000
Other application to the Registrar of Documents	UGX 55,000

The 2024 document-registration rules set the registration charge at UGX 40,000. For an instrument carrying UGX 15,000 stamp duty, the two charges total UGX 55,000. The stamp-duty treatment depends on the instrument: an ordinary agreement, affidavit, power of attorney and transfer do not all have the same duty. Registration, notarisation, commissioning and certification are also distinct services.

For the general application to the Registrar of Documents, the gazetted rules specify UGX 55,000. Some summary fee pages display a different figure. Match the assessment to the relevant statutory service and request clarification where necessary.

Insolvency-practitioner services

Selected insolvency fees under the 2024 regulations

Service	Official fee
Registration of an insolvency practitioner or renewal of the certificate	UGX 155,000
Annual return by an insolvency practitioner	UGX 55,000
Search of the insolvency-practitioners register	UGX 35,000
Filing a company statement of affairs	UGX 35,000
Filing a list of contributories	UGX 35,000
Filing a report required under the Insolvency Act with the Official Receiver	UGX 55,000

Use the Insolvency (Fees) Regulations, 2024 and the updated schedule on URSB’s insolvency-fees page. Older panels on that page still show UGX 150,000 for practitioner registration and UGX 50,000 for annual returns; those are not the updated rates above. A company restoration application is different from an insolvency or winding-up procedure.

Stamp duty and realistic cost examples

A registration fee pays for the registry service. Stamp duty applies to the instrument or transaction under the stamp-duty rules. Keep both visible in your budget so that neither is omitted or counted twice.

Selected URA stamp-duty rates

Instrument or transaction	Ordinary published rate
Nominal share capital of a company incorporated in Uganda with limited liability	0.5% of the total nominal capital, subject to statutory exemptions
Increase of nominal share capital	0.5% of the increase, subject to statutory exemptions
Articles of Association	UGX 15,000 per instrument, subject to the listed exception
Memorandum of Association	UGX 15,000 per instrument, subject to the listed exception
Ordinary share transfer falling under the general transfer category	1.5% of the chargeable total value, subject to applicable exemptions or special treatment
Shares in a listed company transferred through stock-exchange trading	0.5% under the specific listed-share category
Affidavit; power of attorney; solemn or statutory declaration	UGX 15,000 for the relevant instrument
Ordinary agreement or memorandum of agreement	Nil under the current published schedule

Source: URA stamp-duty schedule for 2026/2027. The UGX 5 million incorporation-fee threshold is not a general exemption from capital duty. Specific exemptions, including qualifying investment and financing arrangements, require the conditions in the law to be met.

Worked examples you can use when planning your budget

Illustrative registration and transaction calculations

Example	Calculation	Subtotal
Business name: reservation and registration	35,000 + 55,000	UGX 90,000
Company with UGX 5 million nominal capital: name and incorporation only	35,000 + 105,000	UGX 140,000
Same company: name, incorporation, ordinary capital duty and separately chargeable Memorandum and Articles	35,000 + 105,000 + 25,000 + 15,000 + 15,000	UGX 195,000
Company with UGX 10 million nominal capital: same five components	35,000 + 150,000 + 50,000 + 15,000 + 15,000	UGX 265,000
Company without share capital: name and incorporation only	35,000 + 105,000	UGX 140,000
Capital increase from UGX 5 million to UGX 15 million: registration and ordinary capital duty on the UGX 10 million increase	150,000 + 50,000	UGX 200,000
Ordinary share transfer with UGX 10 million chargeable value: registration and general transfer duty	35,000 + 150,000	UGX 185,000
Document registration where the instrument attracts UGX 15,000 stamp duty	40,000 + 15,000	UGX 55,000

What the subtotals cover: only the components named in each row. Add separately assessed forms or notices, resolutions, certification, publication, postal services, professional work and relevant licences where required. The company examples assume no exemption and separately chargeable Memorandum and Articles; use the instruments and assessment generated for the actual transaction.

For share transfers, the duty calculation uses the chargeable value, not the bare number of shares. For example, 1% of “1,000 shares” cannot be treated as a UGX 10 filing fee. The URSB registration charge for the transfer document is UGX 35,000; stamp duty is assessed separately.

Trademarks, intellectual property and related registries

URSB also administers intellectual-property and secured-transactions services. Start with the official service link on URSB’s website where a specialist registry is required. Company incorporation does not automatically protect a logo, register a patent or perfect every form of security.

Trademark and logo registration

The standard process involves a search, application, examination, publication and registration if the requirements are met. URSB’s trademark guidance specifies a 60-day advertisement period for opposition. The overall process therefore takes longer than the publication period alone.

Selected trademark fees for the standard stages

Stage	National applicant	Foreign applicant
Search	UGX 25,000	USD 65
Application	UGX 50,000	USD 150
Registration after the required process	UGX 100,000	USD 250
Three-stage subtotal	UGX 175,000	USD 465

These figures come from URSB’s intellectual-property fee schedule. Publication is paid separately. The mark, applicant category, classes and any objection, opposition or additional service affect the final assessment. Select the correct class of goods or services and assess both similar wording and similar marks.

Copyright, patents and utility models

These are separate rights with their own procedures and fees. Copyright concerns protected creative expression; patents and utility models concern qualifying inventions. Use the relevant URSB intellectual-property service and its specific schedule. A company-name certificate does not establish ownership of every design, work or invention used by the business.

Movable-property security interests

The Security Interest in Movable Property Registry, commonly called SIMPO, is a distinct registry. Lenders and borrowers should use the correct security-interest filing and search procedures. The official SIMPO fee page is the appropriate starting point for that tariff, while company-charge registration follows the separate Companies Act schedule above.

Practical consulting support

Registration support for your business or organisation

Robert Mwesige provides business-registration and procedural support for founders and organisations. Select the assistance you need and request a written scope with the professional fee, official charges and disbursements clearly itemised.

Registration support