FIA goAML Registration in Uganda: Step by Step for Accountable Persons (2026)

Short answer: Every accountable person in Uganda must register with the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA), and since 5 January 2024 the only way to do it is on the FIA's goAML portal. The money laundering control officer (MLCO) registers the institution as a "Reporting Entity", acting as its goAML administrator, and uploads the incorporation certificate, business licence, their ID and Forms 1 and 3. The FIA approves or rejects within 72 hours and e-mails an electronic certificate. Not registering brings a directive, then a fine of up to UGX 10 million for a company.

This guide is for MLCOs, compliance officers and owners at Ugandan banks, microfinance institutions, SACCOs, insurers, forex bureaus, payment providers, accountants, lawyers, real estate agents and the other accountable persons in the Anti-Money Laundering Act. It follows the FIA's January 2024 registration guidelines. It is a practical guide, not legal advice: if the FIA tells you something different, follow the FIA.

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Who must register

The duty is in the Anti-Money Laundering Regulations, 2015: "Every accountable person shall register with the Authority", applying on Form 1 (regulation 4). The Act gives the FIA the matching power to register accountable persons and keep a register of them, and the FIA publishes that register on its website. In October 2026 it listed 1,140 accountable persons.

An accountable person is anyone listed in the Second Schedule to the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2013 (now Cap. 118). The list includes:

• advocates, notaries and accountants in practice;
• trustees and trust and company service providers;
• casinos, real estate agents, and dealers in precious metals and gems;
• financial institutions, capital markets firms and insurers;
• the Registrars of Companies and of Land, the Uganda Investment Authority and licensing authorities;
• a list of other financial businesses;
• virtual asset service providers, added in 2020.

Non-governmental organisations, churches and charities were removed from the list in February 2025.

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Before you start

Each entity needs its own username and e-mail address: the system rejects duplicates. Passwords are 5 to 10 characters. The MLCO's National Identification Number is mandatory if they are Ugandan, and a passport number if they are not.

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Step by step: registering the organisation

The production portal is goaml.fia.go.ug/PRD. The FIA also runs a test environment at goaml.fia.go.ug/TST "for training and system testing".

1. Open the registration form. Choose "Register an Organisation" and then "Reporting Entity", even if you are a sole proprietor trading in your own name.
2. Reporting Entity tab. Enter the institution's details.
3. Administrator tab. Enter the MLCO. The FIA's guidelines name the MLCO as "The person authorized to register the accountable person on goAML", and the MLCO gets administrator rights.
4. Attachments tab. Upload the documents listed above, including the completed Forms 1 and 3.
5. Preview and Submit. Check the details and submit. goAML shows a reference number, and two e-mails are sent: one to the entity and one to the MLCO.

The FIA's decision. The FIA approves or rejects the request within 72 hours. On approval it e-mails an electronic certificate of registration, with a registration number in the FIA's Register of Accountable Persons. Since 1 July 2023 the FIA no longer issues paper certificates, and the e-certificate carries a QR code that confirms your registration status.

The FIA can reject a request, for example where the person registering is not authorised to do so, or where the organisation is not an accountable person.

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Adding other users

Other staff can register only after the FIA has approved the organisation.

1. Choose "Register a User" and then "User (Reporting Entity)".
2. Enter the Organisation ID, which the MLCO received when the organisation registered.
3. Attach the user's ID and an authorisation letter signed by the managing director or chief executive.

The FIA approves users within the same 72-hour window. It also verifies goAML users' identities against their original national ID cards.

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After registration

Once registered, the FIA authorises your institution as a goAML user. You then file suspicious transaction reports and large cash transaction reports electronically, and you receive an automatic acknowledgement when the FIA accepts a report. The FIA raises questions about individual reports through goAML's secure message board. For help with the system, the FIA runs a goAML helpdesk at goamlhelpdesk@fia.go.ug.

See our guides to suspicious transaction reports in Uganda and large cash transaction reports.

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Keeping your registration current

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Penalties

• Not registering. The FIA first issues a written directive to register. If you still do not comply, the fine is up to 500 currency points (UGX 10 million) for a corporate body, or 250 currency points (UGX 5 million) for an individual. The FIA's circulars add that failing to register is also an offence under the Act.
• Not appointing an MLCO. After a directive, the fine is up to 1,250 currency points (UGX 25 million) for a corporate body, or 250 currency points (UGX 5 million) for a natural person.

A currency point is UGX 20,000 (First Schedule to the Act).

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Registration checklist

1. Confirm that your business is in the Second Schedule, and which supervisory body covers you.
2. Appoint an MLCO at senior management level who is neither the internal auditor nor, in most businesses, the chief executive.
3. Complete Forms 1 and 3, and scan the incorporation certificate, licences and the MLCO's ID as PDF, JPEG or PNG.
4. Register as a "Reporting Entity" on goaml.fia.go.ug/PRD with the MLCO as administrator, and keep the reference number.
5. Watch for the FIA's decision within 72 hours, and file the e-certificate.
6. Register other users with the Organisation ID and an authorisation letter from the managing director or chief executive.
7. Diarise the 15-day deadlines for changes in your particulars or your MLCO.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I register with the FIA in Uganda?

On the FIA's goAML portal. The MLCO chooses "Register an Organisation", then "Reporting Entity", completes the four tabs (Reporting Entity, Administrator, Attachments, Preview and Submit) and uploads the documents, including Forms 1 and 3. The FIA decides within 72 hours.

Can I still register with the FIA manually?

No. Since the FIA's January 2024 guidelines took effect on 5 January 2024, goAML is the only way to register.

What documents are needed for FIA registration?

The certificate of registration or incorporation, the business licence, the MLCO's identification, completed Forms 1 and 3, and any documents your sector requires, such as a regulator's licence or practising certificates.

Who can register an organisation on goAML in Uganda?

The money laundering control officer. They register the organisation and become its goAML administrator; other users register afterwards with the Organisation ID and an authorisation letter from the managing director or chief executive.

What is the penalty for not registering with the FIA?

After a written directive, a fine of up to 500 currency points (UGX 10 million) for a corporate body or 250 currency points (UGX 5 million) for an individual. The FIA also treats failure to register as an offence under the Act.

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