Our staff is undertaking analysis for this metric. Please check back later.
Disclaimer / Limitations
This country’s legal measures were reviewed by our legal staff in consultation with in-country lawyers and/or CRVS legal experts. All efforts were made to ensure the accuracy of the legal analysis, however, if you consider there to be any discrepancies or if there have been changes in the law of the country since our staff last updated the legal analysis, we welcome any additional information or insights. Please contact us via this form.
Birth Registration
Uganda
Responsive Image
Uganda
Birth Registration
Specific Situations
Specific Situations
Foundling
If surrogacy is legal, is there a defined process to register the internationally recommended data for surrogate births?
No
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The registration officer is required to maintain an adopted children register containing the particulars of adoptions made in terms of the Children Act, which covers both domestic adoptions and inter-country adoptions (limited to situations where a person who is not a citizen of Uganda is allowed to adopt a Ugandan child in exceptional circumstances). This register must contain the name of adopted child (as stated in the adoption order), the child’s sex, the full name, address and occupation of the adopter(s), the child’s date and country of birth, the date of the adoption order and a description of the court that issued it. The standard form for adoption orders directs the registrar of births and deaths to enter this information in the adopted children register. It also directs the registrar of births and deaths to mark the child’s birth entry in the register of births, as “adopted”. There are no other directions on amendments to the birth record of an adopted child, or on record-keeping in respect of adoptions of children born outside Uganda. However, the Act states that a child who has been entered in the register of births and issued with a birth certificate shall be issued with another birth certificate upon adoption – implying that the identification of the parents on the birth certificate is to be amended. The law does not make any specific provision for changing the name of a child in the course of an adoption, so the general name change procedures may apply (see question on Amendments).
Does the law provide for a third sex marker option or a sex-neutral marker at birth registration?
No, the law only provides for registration of sex as male or female
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Law Source
Uganda
Legal Analysis
The law makes no provision for a third sex marker option or a sex-neutral marker at birth registration. However, the parents or guardian of a child born intersex (referred to in the law as “a hermaphrodite”) may apply to update the sex of the child after an operation. The application must include certification from a medical doctor, and the change must be approved by the Executive Director of the National Identification and Registration Authority. The Act mentions a prescribed fee, but none appears to have been imposed.
The Ugandan Constitution provides that a child of unknown parents found in Uganda who is under age five is presumed to be a citizen of Uganda by birth. The Registration of Persons Act states that any person who finds a child whose parents are unknown, or any person who is taking care of such a child, must immediately report the situation to the nearest police station or health center. The person in charge of that police station or health center is then responsible for notification of the child's particulars to the registration officer in the registration area where the child was found. The Registration of Persons Regulations set out a contradictory procedure, placing the responsibility to notify the birth on the person who finds a child whose parents are unknown or is taking care of such a child – after making a report at the police station nearest to where the child was found and obtaining a police report stating the circumstances.
The registration officer is required to maintain an adopted children register containing the particulars of adoptions made in terms of the Children Act, which covers both domestic adoptions and inter-country adoptions (limited to situations where a person who is not a citizen of Uganda is allowed to adopt a Ugandan child in exceptional circumstances). This register must contain the name of adopted child (as stated in the adoption order), the child’s sex, the full name, address and occupation of the adopter(s), the child’s date and country of birth, the date of the adoption order and a description of the court that issued it. The standard form for adoption orders directs the registrar of births and deaths to enter this information in the adopted children register. It also directs the registrar of births and deaths to mark the child’s birth entry in the register of births, as “adopted”. There are no other directions on amendments to the birth record of an adopted child, or on record-keeping in respect of adoptions of children born outside Uganda. However, the Act states that a child who has been entered in the register of births and issued with a birth certificate shall be issued with another birth certificate upon adoption – implying that the identification of the parents on the birth certificate is to be amended. The law does not make any specific provision for changing the name of a child in the course of an adoption, so the general name change procedures may apply (see question on Amendments).
Does the law provide for a third sex marker option or a sex-neutral marker at birth registration?
No, the law only provides for registration of sex as male or female
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Law Source
Uganda
Legal Analysis
The law makes no provision for a third sex marker option or a sex-neutral marker at birth registration. However, the parents or guardian of a child born intersex (referred to in the law as “a hermaphrodite”) may apply to update the sex of the child after an operation. The application must include certification from a medical doctor, and the change must be approved by the Executive Director of the National Identification and Registration Authority. The Act mentions a prescribed fee, but none appears to have been imposed.
The Ugandan Constitution provides that a child of unknown parents found in Uganda who is under age five is presumed to be a citizen of Uganda by birth. The Registration of Persons Act states that any person who finds a child whose parents are unknown, or any person who is taking care of such a child, must immediately report the situation to the nearest police station or health center. The person in charge of that police station or health center is then responsible for notification of the child's particulars to the registration officer in the registration area where the child was found. The Registration of Persons Regulations set out a contradictory procedure, placing the responsibility to notify the birth on the person who finds a child whose parents are unknown or is taking care of such a child – after making a report at the police station nearest to where the child was found and obtaining a police report stating the circumstances.
The registration officer is required to maintain an adopted children register containing the particulars of adoptions made in terms of the Children Act, which covers both domestic adoptions and inter-country adoptions (limited to situations where a person who is not a citizen of Uganda is allowed to adopt a Ugandan child in exceptional circumstances). This register must contain the name of adopted child (as stated in the adoption order), the child’s sex, the full name, address and occupation of the adopter(s), the child’s date and country of birth, the date of the adoption order and a description of the court that issued it. The standard form for adoption orders directs the registrar of births and deaths to enter this information in the adopted children register. It also directs the registrar of births and deaths to mark the child’s birth entry in the register of births, as “adopted”. There are no other directions on amendments to the birth record of an adopted child, or on record-keeping in respect of adoptions of children born outside Uganda. However, the Act states that a child who has been entered in the register of births and issued with a birth certificate shall be issued with another birth certificate upon adoption – implying that the identification of the parents on the birth certificate is to be amended. The law does not make any specific provision for changing the name of a child in the course of an adoption, so the general name change procedures may apply (see question on Amendments).
Does the law provide for a third sex marker option or a sex-neutral marker at birth registration?
No, the law only provides for registration of sex as male or female
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Law Source
Uganda
Legal Analysis
The law makes no provision for a third sex marker option or a sex-neutral marker at birth registration. However, the parents or guardian of a child born intersex (referred to in the law as “a hermaphrodite”) may apply to update the sex of the child after an operation. The application must include certification from a medical doctor, and the change must be approved by the Executive Director of the National Identification and Registration Authority. The Act mentions a prescribed fee, but none appears to have been imposed.
The Ugandan Constitution provides that a child of unknown parents found in Uganda who is under age five is presumed to be a citizen of Uganda by birth. The Registration of Persons Act states that any person who finds a child whose parents are unknown, or any person who is taking care of such a child, must immediately report the situation to the nearest police station or health center. The person in charge of that police station or health center is then responsible for notification of the child's particulars to the registration officer in the registration area where the child was found. The Registration of Persons Regulations set out a contradictory procedure, placing the responsibility to notify the birth on the person who finds a child whose parents are unknown or is taking care of such a child – after making a report at the police station nearest to where the child was found and obtaining a police report stating the circumstances.
The registration officer is required to maintain an adopted children register containing the particulars of adoptions made in terms of the Children Act, which covers both domestic adoptions and inter-country adoptions (limited to situations where a person who is not a citizen of Uganda is allowed to adopt a Ugandan child in exceptional circumstances). This register must contain the name of adopted child (as stated in the adoption order), the child’s sex, the full name, address and occupation of the adopter(s), the child’s date and country of birth, the date of the adoption order and a description of the court that issued it. The standard form for adoption orders directs the registrar of births and deaths to enter this information in the adopted children register. It also directs the registrar of births and deaths to mark the child’s birth entry in the register of births, as “adopted”. There are no other directions on amendments to the birth record of an adopted child, or on record-keeping in respect of adoptions of children born outside Uganda. However, the Act states that a child who has been entered in the register of births and issued with a birth certificate shall be issued with another birth certificate upon adoption – implying that the identification of the parents on the birth certificate is to be amended. The law does not make any specific provision for changing the name of a child in the course of an adoption, so the general name change procedures may apply (see question on Amendments).
Does the law provide for a third sex marker option or a sex-neutral marker at birth registration?
No, the law only provides for registration of sex as male or female
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Law Source
Uganda
Legal Analysis
The law makes no provision for a third sex marker option or a sex-neutral marker at birth registration. However, the parents or guardian of a child born intersex (referred to in the law as “a hermaphrodite”) may apply to update the sex of the child after an operation. The application must include certification from a medical doctor, and the change must be approved by the Executive Director of the National Identification and Registration Authority. The Act mentions a prescribed fee, but none appears to have been imposed.
The Ugandan Constitution provides that a child of unknown parents found in Uganda who is under age five is presumed to be a citizen of Uganda by birth. The Registration of Persons Act states that any person who finds a child whose parents are unknown, or any person who is taking care of such a child, must immediately report the situation to the nearest police station or health center. The person in charge of that police station or health center is then responsible for notification of the child's particulars to the registration officer in the registration area where the child was found. The Registration of Persons Regulations set out a contradictory procedure, placing the responsibility to notify the birth on the person who finds a child whose parents are unknown or is taking care of such a child – after making a report at the police station nearest to where the child was found and obtaining a police report stating the circumstances.
