RWANDA VISA REQUIREMENTS, FEES & HOW TO APPLY
At the offices of the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, you can apply for a visa renewal. The Information for applicants for each type of visa goes into more detail about what you need to do to get a visa.
People who need to extend their visas should do so while their original visas are still good.
People who want to travel to all three countries (Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda) at the same time can get an East Africa Tourist Visa (EATV) online at https://irembo.gov.rw/rolportal/web/dgie/east-africa-tourist-visa, at the airport, or from a Rwandan diplomatic office abroad. You must enter the country through which you applied for the EATV visa as your first point of entry if you got the visa before you leave. This East Africa Tourist Visa costs $100, is good for 90 days, and lets you enter and leave three countries.
Keep in mind that there isn’t a single linked agent who can apply for a visa for you. These agents might trick you and charge you more than the visa fees.
Visitors and East Africa Tourist Visas should not be used to get a job.
The Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration wants to let everyone know that the current Visa Regime from June 21, 2019, has been changed in the following ways:
People who are citizens of countries that are part of the African Union, the Commonwealth, or La Francophonie Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Belgium, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Comoros, Canada, Cape Verde, Congo, Cyprus, Dominica, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, France, Gabon, Grenada, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Luxembourg, Kiribati, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Moldova, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Saharawi Arab Republic, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Switzerland, The Bahamas, The Gambia, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe –
get visa upon arrival and are waived visa fees for a stay of 30 days.
People from certain countries don’t have to pay to enter Rwanda with an ordinary, service, or diplomatic passport. Any person from Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, or South Sudan who is a citizen of an East African Community member state will be given a pass/entry visa that lets them stay for six months.
People from Angola, Benin, the Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Haiti, Mauritius, the Philippines, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Singapore, Sierra Leone, the State of Qatar, and the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis will not have to pay an entry visa fee when traveling with an ordinary passport.
People with foreign or service passports from countries that don’t charge entry fees can travel. A group of countries, including Angola, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, India, Israel, Haiti, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, the Philippines, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, The Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates, have decided on their own that holders of Diplomatic and Service/Official Passports can enter their countries without having to pay visa fees. The visa is good for 90 days.
People from any country that isn’t on the list above can still get a visa upon arrival for 30 days, without having to apply ahead of time or pay a fee.
Dual-nationality Rwandans living abroad can use their national IDs to get in. Rwandans living abroad don’t have to pay for a visa if they have a Rwandan Identity Card and are going on a foreign passport.
Residents from other countries can use their resident ID cards to get in. Returning residents with valid residence permits and resident cards will still be able to use them to get in, even at Kigali International Airport’s electronic gates (Automated Passenger Clearance System).
Children younger than 16 traveling with their parents—Children younger than 16 traveling with their parents on a foreign passport who have a Rwandan Identity Card will not have to pay for an entry visa when they arrive in Rwanda.
When an East African Community member state person arrives, they will be given a free pass/entry visa that lets them stay for six months. These countries are Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, and South Sudan.
When people arrive from Angola, Benin, the Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, The Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Haiti, Mauritius, the Philippines, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe, Singapore, and the state of Qatar, they will be given a 90-day visa that is valid for free.
General information for people who want to get a tourist visa to visit Rwanda:
Tourist ID: Applicants must have a valid passport or another accepted form of travel ID. The document must be good for at least six months on the day you enter Rwanda.
Health Needs: At the border stop, you may need to show proof that you’ve been vaccinated. If there was a big disease outbreak, the people could be told about certain rules that need to be followed.
Fees for visas: These are the costs of finishing your application. If an application is turned down or dropped by the applicant, the fees will not be refunded.
How Long A Visa Is Valid: The Information for Applicants for each visa class lists the maximum and minimum lengths of time that a visa is valid.
Entry One or More Times: In the Information for Applicants for each visa class, it says whether a visa is good for one or more visits.
Conditions about money: Those who want to apply must have enough money to pay for their stay in Rwanda. You can be asked to show proof of these funds online, at the Rwandan foreign office, or at the entry point.
Extensions of Visas for Some Groups: Extensions of visas may be given to some groups. Information for candidates for each class has all the information you need. People who need to extend their visas should do so while their original visas are still good.After 5 days, a person with an expired visa has the option to leave the country or renew their visa without being fined. If they choose to stay, they will be fined and their visa extension may be refused.
Change of Status for Some Classes: While in Rwanda and while their present visa is still valid, a person can apply to the Director General for a different class of visa. For the group tourist visa, you can’t change your position. If changing your status is possible, information for people applying for that type of visa will say so.
Rwanda Types of Visas and Fees:
People who are eligible for a transit visa (VT) are those who are traveling through Rwanda.
There are several places to apply for it: when you arrive at the border, online, or anywhere else the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration says is appropriate.
Travel document: Any real, legal travel document that is good for at least 6 months.
Visa fees: $30 fee. People from countries in the African Union, Common Wealth, and La francophonie are not required to have a visa to enter Rwanda.
Entry one or more times: Entry one
Work: You can’t do any work.
Not able to change your status.
Validity of visa: Can be used for up to 72 hours maximum.
TOURIST/HOLIDAY VISAS (V1):
Who can get one: This visa is for a visitor who wants to visit Rwanda for a short time for reasons other than work, like a vacation, to see the sights, to meet new people, for fun, or for social reasons.
If you want to apply, you can do so online, at the border post, at the office of immigration and emigration, at the office of Rwanda’s foreign mission in the country where you live, or anywhere else the Directorate General decides is appropriate. To use, click here
Travel document: Any real, legal travel document that is good for at least 6 months.
There are 50 USD visa fees for a single entry, but people from countries in the African Union, Common Wealth, and La francophonie do not have to pay these fees. 70 USD for more than one entry
Entry one or more times: Entry one or more times
Work: You can’t do any work.
Possible to change your state.
Visas are good for thirty (30) days if they are used for a single entry and ninety (90) days if they are used for multiple entries.
Visa extension: In rare cases, the visa may be renewed.
EAST AFRICAN TOURIST VISA (V11):
This visa is for a foreign tourist who wants to visit countries that have signed an agreement on the creation of the East Africa Tourist Visa and its revenue sharing, or an agreement similar to that.
Dependents are not permitted.
There are several places where you can apply for this visa: at the border, online, at the office of Rwanda’s foreign mission in the country where the applicant lives, or anywhere else the Directorate General decides.
Travel document: Any real, legal travel document that is good for at least 6 months.
Fees for visas: $100 USD
One or more entries: More than one entry
Work: You can’t do any work.
Visa validity: How long it is good for, how it can be used, and how many times it can be entered depend on what the parties agree to.
Visa extension: In rare cases, the visa may be renewed.
GROUP TOURIST (V8):
This visa is for a foreigner who is traveling with four to ten other tourists.
Dependents are not permitted.
What place should I apply? This visa can be given at the office of a Rwandan diplomatic station in the applicant’s home country, online, or anywhere else the Directorate General decides. It can also be given out at the point of entry if proof of approval from the Directorate General is shown.
Travel document: Any real, legal travel document that is good for at least 6 months.
150 USD for a visa.
Entry one or more times: Only one entry
Work: You can’t do any work.
Not able to change your status.
There are thirty (30) days that the visa is good.
Extension of visa: May be extended in special cases
