Rwanda Visa and Passport Requirements

Passports

A passport valid for six months from the date of entry is required by all nationals referred to in the chart above to enter Rwanda. Passports must also have one blank page for stamps.

Visas

All tourists must have a visa to visit Rwanda.

From March 2020, citizens of the following countries can get a visa on arrival free of charge for a stay up to 30 days: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Belgium, Botswana, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cambodia, Comoros, Congo, Cyprus, Dominica, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Gabon, Grenada, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, India, Kiribati, Jamaica, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritania, Maldives, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Saharawi, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, The Bahamas, The Gambia, Tonga, Tuvalu, Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Citizens from the following countries can get a visa on arrival free of charge for a stay up to 90 days: Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Haiti, Mauritius, Philippines, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe, Singapore, St Christopher and Nevis, and Qatar.

Citizens of East African Community Member States (Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and South Sudan) can get a visa on arrival free of charge for a stay up to six months.

Nationals from countries not mentioned above can get a 30-day visa on arrival by paying US$50 for each visa.

An additional visa option is the East African Tourist Visa (EATV). This allows cross-border, multi-entry access to Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda for 90 days. The visa costs US$100 and can be applied for at country embassies or online. Please note that where you can obtain this visa depends on your first point of entry. For example, if you intend to visit Rwanda first, then you can apply it on this Rwanda immigration website.

Types and Cost

30-day tourist visa on arrival: free for specified countries, if not, US$50.

90-day tourist visa on arrival: free for specified countries, if not, US$70.

East African Tourist Visa: US$100

Validity

Single entry tourist visa: 30 days; multiple entry tourist visa: 90 days; East Africa Tourist Visa: 90 days.

Transit

Transit visas are valid for 72 hours. They can be obtained upon arrival at a border post or online. The cost is US$30.

Application to

Consulate (or consular section at embassy/high commission) or online via www.irembo.gov.rw.

Working days

When applying for visas in advance, allow three days for processing.

Sufficient Funds

All visa applicants must be able to show proof of sufficient funds to cover their stay.

Extension of stay

If you wish to extend your visa, you must apply to the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration in Kigali before your current visa expires. You are given a period of grace whereby you can leave the country up to five days after your visa expires without penalty. Beyond five days, you risk paying a fine and being refused a further visa. Beware that some visa types aren't extendable.

This page reflects our understanding of current rules for the most common types of travel to the said country. However, please note that each authority sets and forces entry rules, hence we strongly recommend that you verify critical information with the relevant embassy before travel.

Embassies and tourist offices

British High Commission in Rwanda

Telephone: +250 252 556 000.
Website: http://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-high-commission-kigali
Address: Kacyiru-Sud, KG 7 Avenue, Kigali, BP 576,
Opening times:

Mon-Thurs 0800-1200 and 1300-1700; Fri 0800-1200.

Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in the USA

Telephone: +1 (202) 232 2882.
Website: http://www.rwandaembassy.org
Address: , 1714 New Hampshire Ave, Washington, DC 20009,
Opening times:

Mon-Fri 0900-1700.

Rwanda High Commission in the UK

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7224 9832.
Website: http://www.rwandahc.org
Address: , 120-22 Seymour Place, London, W1H 1NR,
Opening times:

Mon-Fri 0930-1300 and 1400-1700.