Entry requirements · Rwanda

Traveling to Rwanda

What to do before you leave, checked against official sources.

Visa
Visa on arrival · 30 days
Yellow fever vaccine
Depends on where you come from
Safety
Increased caution

Yes, you need a visa

With a US passport, the visa is issued on arrival in Rwanda, for a stay of 30 days. Check the steps to complete online before you leave.

Paid visa on arrival: 50 USD (single entry) or 70 USD (multiple entries). Bring cash dollars.

Our advice: apply one to two weeks before you leave, even if the answer often comes sooner.

Apply on the official site

Entry and visa

Visa depends on your nationality, passport valid 6 months
  • Whether you need a visa depends on your nationality. Check with the passport selector above or on the website of the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration (migration.gov.rw, in English).
  • For French travelers: a free tourist visa is issued on arrival, valid for up to 30 days, for a single entry. Each time you leave the country, you have to apply for a new one.
  • You can get the visa at the airport, at land borders, at a Rwandan embassy or online at migration.gov.rw. No processing time is given.
  • Our advice: if you apply online, do it one to two weeks before departure, even though the answer often comes faster. A rejected document or a blocked payment can hold everything up.
  • Your stay can be extended in the country by 30 days for 50 US dollars, up to two times, for a total of 90 days without leaving. The East Africa Tourist Visa (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda), valid for multiple entries, costs 100 dollars for 90 days.
  • Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the date of entry. Otherwise the authorities may refuse entry, even with a visa.
  • A yellow fever certificate is required if you have stayed in a country where the disease is present. It is not required if you arrive from a country with no risk.
  • The land border with Goma (DR Congo) is closed because of the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda, and checks have been stepped up at the Congolese border.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Rwanda, Entry and stay (updated October 16, 2026), France Diplomatie, Rwanda, Latest news (updated September 17, 2026)

Health

Malaria everywhere, Ebola in neighboring countries
  • Yellow fever: the certificate is required of travelers coming from a country where the disease is present, from the age of 1 according to the Institut Pasteur. It is not requested if you come from a country with no risk, and the Institut Pasteur generally does not recommend the vaccine for Rwanda. If your trip goes through a country at risk, get it at least 10 days before departure.
  • Reminder: since 2016, a single dose is valid for life for most adults, and so is the certificate (WHO). A second dose is recommended before a new trip if you were vaccinated before the age of 2, during pregnancy, or if you live with HIV or a weakened immune system. Keep your yellow booklet (international certificate of vaccination) with your passport, and ask the vaccination center if in doubt.
  • Malaria is present year round throughout the country. Protect yourself from mosquitoes and talk to your doctor about preventive treatment. Any fever during your stay or in the 3 months after you return means seeing a doctor without delay.
  • Update your routine vaccines. Hepatitis A is recommended for everyone. Typhoid, hepatitis B, rabies, dengue and chikungunya are worth discussing depending on your trip. Measles is on the rise in the region: check that you have had both doses.
  • An Ebola outbreak is affecting DR Congo and Uganda (an international emergency declared by the WHO). Avoid bushmeat and any contact with sick people. If you have symptoms within three weeks, see a doctor right away and mention your trip (in France, call 15).
  • Drink only sealed bottled, filtered or boiled water.
  • Insurance covering all medical costs and repatriation is essential. Your embassy never pays for them.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Rwanda, Health (updated June 30, 2026), France Diplomatie, Rwanda, Latest news and alerts, Institut Pasteur, Rwanda page

Money

Rwandan franc, cards accepted in Kigali
  • The currency is the Rwandan franc (RWF). France Diplomatie gives €1 = 1,135 RWF (page from May 2026). Check the rate when you leave.
  • The euro and the US dollar are the usual foreign currencies.
  • Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in most hotels, supermarkets, shops and restaurants in Kigali and the secondary towns.
  • You can withdraw cash with a Visa or Mastercard at the major banks. Western Union transfers are possible.
  • Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Overview of Rwanda (updated May 13, 2026), France Diplomatie, Rwanda, Security (updated September 15, 2026), Belgian foreign ministry, Rwanda, Practical information (updated June 3, 2026)

Safety

Whole country at heightened vigilance
  • The French foreign ministry (France Diplomatie) places all of Rwanda at heightened vigilance (yellow). No area is advised against.
  • Be very careful near the border with DR Congo, where armed groups operate, and in the tri-border area (Rwanda, DR Congo, Uganda) because of the fighting around Goma. The Gisenyi/Goma and Cyangugu/Bukavu crossings open only during the day and can close without notice. Incidents have also occurred on the border with Burundi.
  • Crime is low, but bag snatching, pickpocketing and burglaries do happen, especially in Kigali. Keep your documents in the hotel safe and carry a photocopy of your passport when you go out.
  • Road accidents are the main risk. Avoid driving at night outside Kigali, and choose car taxis over motorcycle taxis.
  • In the parks, go with a guide and stay on the trails. Volcanoes National Park can only be visited with a guide, and Nyungwe Forest with tourism professionals.
  • Also check the travel advice from your own government, which may be stricter.
  • For French travelers: French Embassy in Kigali, +33 5 24 09 23 79.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Rwanda, Security (updated September 15, 2026, map dated March 12, 2026), France Diplomatie, Rwanda, Latest news and alerts, France Diplomatie, Rwanda, Useful contacts (updated September 15, 2026)

On the ground

Plastic bags banned, calling code +250
  • The official languages are Kinyarwanda, English, French and Kiswahili. Kinyarwanda is the common language.
  • Plugs are type C, E, F and G, at 230 V and 50 Hz: an adapter for British plugs can be useful.
  • Rwanda is on UTC+2 all year: the same time as Paris in summer, 1 hour ahead in winter. The country calling code is +250.
  • For French travelers: a French driving license is enough to drive.
  • Seat belts are mandatory, phones at the wheel are banned, and there is zero tolerance for alcohol, punishable by five days in prison.
  • Plastic bags are banned and confiscated at the airport. Littering in the street and walking on lawns are prohibited, and photographing official buildings is forbidden.
  • On the last Saturday morning of the month, Rwandans take part in Umuganda, community service work.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Overview of Rwanda, France Diplomatie, Rwanda, Useful information (updated June 30, 2026), France Diplomatie, Rwanda, Useful contacts, WorldStandards, Rwanda: plugs and voltage, timeanddate, Rwanda time zone

When to go

Dry season from June to August
  • The climate is equatorial, tempered by altitude: Kigali sits at 1,500 m.
  • There are two rainy seasons, from March to late May and from September to December. They often cause flooding and landslides, and secondary roads can become impassable.
  • Temperatures generally range between 16 °C and 28 °C all year. April is the wettest month.
  • The long dry season runs from June to August, with the least rain in July: it is the most pleasant time for outdoor activities.
  • The national holiday is July 4.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Rwanda, Useful information, WeatherSpark, climate in Rwanda, France Diplomatie, Overview of Rwanda

Rules can change without notice: before you leave, always check with the embassy of Rwanda and your own government's travel advice.

Discover Rwanda