Rwanda entry requirements

What the law requires at entry

Article 4 of Law N°57/2018 sets the conditions for entry. A person must pass through a legally established border post or another authorised crossing point ¹. The person must hold a valid travel document, a national ID where applicable, or another document recognised under bilateral or multilateral agreements ¹. The person must register as the law provides and hold a valid visa or permit where one applies ¹.

Rwandan citizens returning home must hold a valid travel document or other acceptable proof of nationality ¹. The law lists three visa types: entry, transit and tourist ¹. It sets two classes of residence permit, temporary and permanent ¹. The law was published in the Official Gazette on 20 September 2018 ¹. DGIE publishes the law and its implementing orders on its laws page ⁷.

Travel documents and visas

DGIE says travel documents must be valid for at least six months ². Its visitors visa page says a genuine travel document valid for at least six months is needed for all visa types ³.

From 1 January 2018 nationals of all countries can get a visa on arrival at Kigali International Airport and at all land borders, according to DGIE ². Citizens of African Union, Commonwealth and La Francophonie member countries get a visa on arrival with fees waived for a visit of 30 days ². East African Community citizens receive a free pass or entry visa on arrival for a stay of six months ². DGIE lists 19 countries whose nationals get 90 days visa-free on arrival ².

• Visa-free for 90 days: Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, DR Congo, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Haiti, Mauritius, Philippines, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, São Tomé and Príncipe, Singapore and Qatar ²
• Holiday visa fee for other nationals: US$50 single entry or US$70 multiple entry ³
• Applications before travel: online through Irembo or at a Rwandan diplomatic mission ²

Health checks on arrival

The Ministry of Health information for travellers says a yellow fever certificate is mandatory for travellers from endemic countries or countries with an active outbreak ⁵. No certificate is required for travellers from non-endemic countries without an active outbreak ⁵.

A certificate issued less than 10 days before arrival is not valid, and the traveller is quarantined until it becomes valid ⁵. Travellers from an endemic or outbreak country without a certificate are vaccinated on arrival ⁵. The traveller pays for quarantine or vaccination on entry, and a person who refuses the measures is not admitted ⁵. The same page says no COVID-19 test is required on arrival at Kigali International Airport ⁵.

Border posts and special cases

DGIE lists 19 land border posts. Six face Uganda, six face DR Congo, six face Burundi and one, Rusumo, faces Tanzania ⁴. It lists Kigali International Airport and Bugesera International Airport as international airports, Kamembe as a local airport and Nkora and Ruganda as ports ⁴.

Residents near the border may receive a border pass or jeton for daily cross-border activities under bilateral or regional agreements ⁴. A child under 16 must travel with a parent or authorised person or carry approved parental or guardian consent ⁴. A person accompanying a deceased person must show a death certificate to an immigration officer ⁴.

Data sent before you travel

Carriers flying to, from or through Rwanda must send passenger data to DGIE. Under Ministerial Order No 001/01 of 10/05/2024, airlines send Advance Passenger Information at check-in closure and at boarding closure ⁶. They send Passenger Name Record data at 72 hours, 24 hours and 90 minutes before departure and after boarding closure ⁶. The data must match the traveller's valid travel document ⁶.