Buying Property in Uganda From the USA

Can I buy land in Uganda from the USA?

Yes. Ugandans living in the US can buy plots and houses without living in Uganda. The United States is the largest source of remittances to Uganda: Bank of Uganda data reported by Daily Monitor put 2025 inflows from the US at US$702 million, 28 percent of the total of about US$2.5 billion. Land buying is a different task from sending family support, though, and it needs an advocate, a verified title and a payment plan.

Citizenship decides what you can hold. Under the Land Act (Cap. 236) a non-citizen cannot acquire or hold mailo or freehold land and cannot be granted a lease of more than 99 years (section 41 of the 2023 edition). If you hold a US passport and are also Ugandan, check your position before paying; see How to Buy Land in Uganda From Abroad (12 Steps) and the land buying checklist.

How do I wire money safely from the US?

Wire to an advocate's client account whose name appears in the signed sale agreement, in stages, and never to a person's personal or mobile money account. Before every wire, call the advocate on a number you already hold to confirm the account details, because changed payment instructions are a classic fraud trick. Ask your US bank about wire fees and limits, and keep the confirmation of each transfer.

Bank of Uganda data show that most remittance transactions are small, under US$499 in more than 93 percent of cases, so apps built for family support may not suit a land price. For more, see send money to Uganda for land. Stage payments as described in our guide to paying for land in stages.

What notarisation do I need in the US?

Documents such as a power of attorney or a signed instruction to your advocate are normally signed before a notary public in the US. Whether Uganda's embassy or a consulate must also attest the signature depends on the document and the registry's current practice. Section 147 of the Registration of Titles Act lists who may witness a power of attorney signed outside Uganda, but its wording does not clearly name notaries in the US, so do not assume yours is accepted without asking. Some Ugandan missions notarise documents you sign in front of a consular officer (the embassy in Abu Dhabi publishes such a procedure), so ask the mission nearest to you. Ask your Ugandan advocate to send a sample of the form and tell you in writing which attestation the registry will accept before you sign.

Keep the power narrow: name the plot, state each act allowed and set an end date. Read video land inspection advice and consider an escorted site visit before you sign anything.

Do I report Uganda land to the IRS?

This is a US tax question, so confirm with a US tax professional. The IRS says an FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) is required if you have a financial interest in or signature authority over foreign financial accounts whose combined value exceeded US$10,000 at any time in the year. It is due on 15 April of the following year, with an automatic extension to 15 October, and is filed electronically through FinCEN's BSA E-Filing System, not with your tax return. Ugandan bank accounts, for example one used to receive rent or hold sale proceeds, can count.

The IRS says foreign real estate held directly is not reportable on Form 8938, the form linked to FATCA. Real estate held through a foreign entity is not separately reported, but the entity itself is a specified foreign financial asset, and its value includes the real estate. Form 8938 thresholds are higher for people living abroad: for an unmarried individual living outside the US, more than US$200,000 on the last day of the year or more than US$300,000 at any time. Form 8938 is attached to your income tax return and does not replace the FBAR.

These pages cover reporting, not tax owed on Ugandan rent or gains; read UK Tax on Uganda Property for a parallel example on the UK side, and ask a US adviser about yours.

Is there a US-Uganda tax treaty?

PwC's list of Uganda's double tax treaty partners names Denmark, India, Italy, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Zambia. It does not name the United States (as of November 2026). Absence from a secondary list is not proof, so ask a tax adviser or the Uganda Revenue Authority to confirm. Without a treaty, relief for Ugandan tax usually depends on US foreign tax credit rules, which your adviser can explain.

Can I get a Ugandan mortgage from the US?

One lender that serves non-US residents is UNFCU, a credit union that lends to its own members. Its Uganda mortgage page says applicants must not be US residents and must intend to occupy the property, and that investment properties are not eligible. It states that most eligible members need a down payment of 20 to 30 percent, depending on credit quality, and a processing fee of 1 percent of the approved amount. Terms change, so ask the lender for the current offer. Currency swings matter too; see Shilling vs Dollar.

Plan a trip of several days if you can: see visit Uganda to buy land. For retirement plans, see retire in Uganda buy house and the Uganda Diaspora Bond update. Auctions are covered under property auction. Buyers in other countries can read Buying Property in Uganda From the UK and From the UAE. When ready, browse plot listings.

Listings available now

Live from Land & Property on 4 November 2026. Prices are the sellers' asking prices.

• 25 Decimals in Bunga at Ugx820m Buziga, Kampala · Plot UGX 820,000,000
• 1 acre for sale in Kololo at $2,500,000 Kololo, Kampala · Plot UGX 9,250,000,000
• Plot For sale in Masoli kitetika at 80m Kasangati, Wakiso · Plot UGX 80,000,000
• 33 Decimals in Bukoto Town at Ugx1.4bn Bukoto, Kampala · Plot UGX 1,400,000,000
• 53 decimals commercial Plot in Bukoto Bukoto, Kampala · Plot UGX 3,500,000,000
• 71 decimals in Kira Bulindo at Ugx500m Kira, Wakiso · Plot UGX 500,000,000

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Buying Property in Uganda from Abroad: Diaspora Hub
• Buying Property in Uganda From the UK
• Buying Property in Uganda From the UAE
• How to Buy Land in Uganda From Abroad (12 Steps)
• Planning a Two-Week Property Trip to Uganda