Sub Saharan Africa

No restrictions in this travel advice

Avoid all but essential travel to part(s) of country

Avoid all but essential travel to whole country

Avoid all travel to part(s) of country

Avoid all travel to whole country

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

• During 2011 and 2012 there have been a series of grenade attacks in various places throughout Rwanda but predominantly in Kigali. Further indiscriminate attacks cannot be ruled out, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. We advise you to remain vigilant. See Safety and Security – Grenade Attacks.
  
  
• We advise against all but essential travel to within 1 km of the border with Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burundi, except the towns of Cyangugu (Rusizi) and Gisenyi (Rubavu), and major border crossings to Burundi. This is because of instability in those countries’ border areas.
  
  
• Please see the Local Travel section for advice on gorilla trekking in Rwanda.
  
  
• Crime levels are relatively low but there have been recent incidents of street crime. You should exercise caution at night.
  
  
• There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. See the General - Insurance section of this Travel Advice.

Safety and Security – Grenade Attacks

During 2011 and 2012 there have been a series of grenade attacks throughout  Rwanda but predominantly in Kigali. Further indiscriminate attacks cannot be ruled out, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. We advise you to remain vigilant.

On 30 March 2012 the Rwandan Police confirmed that there had been two grenade attacks in Kigali at about 18:45 hours that evening, one outside a market in the city centre (Nyarurgenge) and one in a market area of Kibagabaga, injuring seven and four people respectively.

There was a confirmed grenade attack at approximately 19:00 on 23 March at a bus station in Musanze (Ruhengeri). One person was killed and a small number were injured. Similar confirmed grenade attacks occurred in Gitarama (Muhanga) at 19:45 on 24 January (causing approximately 14 casualties but no deaths) and in the Gasabo District of Kigali at 18:40 on 3 January (killing two people and injuring 18).

There have been previous reports of random grenade attacks, resulting in fatalities and injuries. There were three in 2011: in January and March in Kigali and in July in Rusizi town in the Western Province. There were five in 2010. Some people have been arrested and convicted but it remains unclear who is behind these attacks and we advise travellers to maintain at least the same level of personal security awareness as in the UK.

Safety and Security - Terrorism
There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.

See our Terrorism Abroad.

Safety and Security - Crime  
Levels of crime remain relatively low in Rwanda. There has, however, been an increase in reports of bag snatching and mugging incidents targeting expatriates and tourists.  

You should take sensible precautions i.e. exercise caution when walking at night, arrange transport, do not carry large amounts of money and do not leave cars unsupervised in the town centre. Take care who you talk to, who you invite to your home or hotel and who you hire as a taxi driver just as you would in UK.

See our Victims of Crime Abroad page.

Safety and Security - Local Travel
We advise against all but essential travel to within 1km of the border with DRC and Burundi, except to the towns of Gisenyi (Rubavu) and Cyangugu (Rusizi), and major border crossings to Burundi. This is because of instability in those countries’ border areas.

The FCO advises against travel to parts of DRC and Burundi.

The areas close to the borders with Uganda and Tanzania are less dangerous but we advise travellers to keep to main roads and use recognised border crossings. .

Safety and Security - Gorilla Trekking
You can visit the gorillas or climb volcanoes in the Parc National des Volcans (also known as Volcanoes Park) in Rwanda. If you are gorilla trekking or climbing volcanoes you must be part of an organised tour.

Safety and Security - Road Travel
UK and international driving licences are acceptable for three months, after which you should apply for a Rwandan licence. The road infrastructure from Kigali to all major towns is good. There can be landslides on some of the major roads during the annual rains in late spring and autumn. Road travel after dark should be avoided as roads are unlit and driving standards are poor. Shared taxis (mini-vans) and motorbike taxis are the most common form of public transport within towns and around the country. However, they are also the most vulnerable to accidents, and incidents.

See our Driving Abroad page.

Safety and Security - Air Travel
Five carriers fly in and out of Rwanda: Brussels Airlines, Kenya Airways, Rwandair, Ethiopian Airlines KLM, Qatar Airways and South African Airlines.

Before using internal or regional flights that are not with major international carriers, you should check the airline’s accreditation and see whether the airline operates in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) safety standards. Rwandair leases its aircrafts from GECAS.

The EU has published a list of air carriers that are subject to an operating ban or restrictions within the community. You should check the following link to see whether this will affect your travel - European Commission Transport - Air.

For more general information see Airline Security.

Political Situation
Rwanda Country Profile 

Photography of government buildings is prohibited. Due to environmental reasons, plastic bags have been banned. Visible plastic bags will be confiscated on arrival at the airport.

For more general information for different types of travellers see Your Trip.

Entry Requirements - Visas
British nationals do not need a visa to enter Rwanda for up to three months. If you intend to travel to Rwanda more frequently or you are working there you should contact the Rwandan Immigration Department for a longer duration visa. Further information is available from the Rwandan High Commission.

Please note that if you are planning to apply for resident/business or missionary multiple entry visas upon entry to Rwanda you will need to obtain UK police clearance. We advise you to obtain police clearance before travelling as this takes a minimum of 40 working days to process.

Entry Requirements - Passport Validity
You must hold a valid passport to enter Rwanda. Your passport must be valid for the proposed duration of your stay. No additional period of validity beyond this is required. However, it is always sensible to have a short period of extra validity on your passport in case of any unforeseen delays to your departure. You do not have to wait until your old passport expires to apply to renew it. Any time left on your old passport when you apply will be added to your new passport, up to a maximum of nine months. For passport applications in the UK, you should apply to the Identity and Passport Service. 

Entry Requirements - Yellow fever vaccination certificate
You may be asked for your yellow fever vaccination certificate on arrival at Kigali International Airport, especially if you are entering Rwanda from a country where yellow fever is present.

Contact your GP around eight weeks before your trip to check whether you need any vaccinations or other preventive measures. Country specific information and advice is published by the National Travel Health Network and Centre, and useful information about healthcare abroad, including a country-by-country guide of reciprocal health care agreements with the UK, is available from NHS Choices.

Only limited medical facilities are available. In the event of serious accident or illness an evacuation by air ambulance to Kenya or South Africa may be required. Malaria is common to Rwanda.  Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation.

In the 2010 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 140,000 adults aged 15 or over in Rwanda were living with HIV; the prevalence percentage was estimated at around 2.9% of the adult population compared to the prevalence percentage in adults in the UK of around 0.2%. For more general information on how to do this see HIV and AIDS.

If you need emergency medical assistance during your trip, dial 112 and ask for an ambulance. You should contact your insurance/medical assistance company promptly if you are referred to a medical facility for treatment.

Our Travel Health  pages offer further advice on how to stay healthy when overseas.

Natural Disasters - Earthquakes
The last reported earthquake was on 3 February 2008. It was 6.0 magnitude and recorded in Bukavu (eastern DRC) and a second earthquake of magnitude 5.0 struck near the Lake town of Cyangugu in South-West Rwanda.

General - Insurance
You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  Check for any exclusions and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. See our Travel Insurance page.

If things do go wrong when you are overseas then see our When Things Go Wrong page.

General - Registering with the British High Commission
All British nationals should register at the British High Commission on arrival. You may also register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency.

General - Passports
You can apply for a full UK passport at the British High Commission in Kigali but the application is send to South Africa for processing. Therefore you should plan ahead to renew passports or apply for an an Emergency Passport at the British High Commission in Kigali.

General - Money
Credit cards are not used widely and few cash machines take foreign credit cards.

General - Consular Assistance Statistics
Five British nationals required consular assistance in Rwanda in the period 01 April 2010 - 31 March 2011 for the following types of incident; two deaths; and one hospitalisation.