Rwanda visa

Rwanda VISA is a legal document that allows a foreigner to be able to enter Rwanda and access different features of the country for a certain period of the stipulated time. Touring Rwanda the land of a thousand hills is one of the most interesting things to do once in East Africa but for enjoyable safari tours in Rwanda as a tourist, you need to have a tourist VISA. A VISA is a legal document issued by an authorized representative to passport holders as permission to legally enter another country and live there for a given period of time. VISAs come in different types for different reasons such as Tourism, Education, and Business. For tourists intending to visit Rwanda on a tour, you need a Tourist Visa.

Tourist VISAs in Rwanda give details of the number of entries a person is allowed to enter into Rwanda and the number of days to stay in the country. Even those exempted from having a visa are only allowed to stay for not more than 90 days and the dates of arrival and departure into Rwanda. A Rwandan tourist VISA can be applied both online and on arrival at Kigali International airport by filling in a visa application form, manually. Alternatively one can apply using visa forms provided by the embassies in a given country. If you opt to use online VISAs, you are advised to do so using the official website of the directorate general of immigration and emigration (DGIE) at www.migration.gov.rw which is tasked with handling and managing all foreign affairs in the nation of Rwanda. www.irembo.gov.rw a government portal is also used to purchase visas online. Rwanda as a prominent tourist destination and its policies allows no agent to purchase a visa on behalf of visitors who plan to have a safari in Rwanda.

As of January 2018, all visitors receive their VISAs upon arrival at Kigali international airport and all official borders points’ offices. Costs of tourist visas are different according to type and the number of days to stay while on a Rwanda tour intending to stay while on your safari in the magical Rwanda.

Single entry tourist VISA costs USD 30 permitting 30 days of stay
Single entry conference tourist visa priced at USD 30 valid for 30 days
Multiple entry business costs USD 50 permitting a tourist one year time of stay in Rwanda on a safari tour
East African tourist visa costs USD 100, it allows a tourist to access all the East African countries i.e. Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda for 90 days stay.

Though tourists are allowed to be in possession of tourist visas, some nationals are exempted from having a tourist visa to participate in a safari in Rwanda. These nationals include Saint Kitts and Nevis, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Singapore, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Angola, Benin, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Mauritius and Philippines. Also tourists with diplomatic passports from nations like Mozambique, Namibia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, China, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, India, Israel, and Morocco.

Purchasing a Rwandan VISA, there are some requirements which need to be fulfilled before the application is successfully accepted and these are;

Visitors need to have a valid passport which is valid for at least 6 months from the day of entry
Contact of an authorized Rwanda travel agency
Tourist visa should be lodged in at least 3-4 days before the date of departure.
A tourist should be in possession of a credit card or pal pay account and able to finance his/her trip and all the needs of a trip.
Tourist should have a valid yellow fever certificate

Note; Staying in Rwanda with either no Rwanda Visa or an expired Rwanda Visa is very illegal and will cause you in trouble with the authorities leading to imprisonment or fined a reasonable sum of money as penalty. In case your Rwanda VISA expires while on a safari, Visa extension is accepted and it is advisable to apply for the extension before 5 days of the expiry of the VISA otherwise you might be denied the extension and face jail time.