🦍 Rwanda

Official government travel advice

Advice changes quickly. Check it before you travel and again before you leave.

Costs

Prices here are about 27% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.

Practical information

Entry

The visa rules that apply are set by your passport; see the official site below. Either a Rwandan embassy or the Rwanda immigration service can confirm the rules, so ask before booking. Travellers should carry a return ticket, hotel details and a passport with 6 months of validity. People arriving from a risk country need a yellow fever certificate. A doctor can advise on malaria prevention.

Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration OfficialOfficial immigration authority.
Irembo (government services) OfficialOfficial online government services.
Visit Rwanda OfficialOfficial tourism site, including gorilla permits.

Culture and practical - take note

Rwanda is notably clean and orderly. Do not bring plastic bags, as they are banned. 'Umuganda' (community work) takes place on the last Saturday of every month, and during that morning shops and traffic are slower. A permit for gorilla trekking is expensive and sells out, so book early via the official tourism authority. Pack sturdy shoes, maintain the required distance and stay away if you have a cold. At the genocide memorials, show respect, dress modestly and never photograph in places where it is forbidden. Government and military sites must not be photographed, and drones are restricted. In areas close to the DR Congo border, some governments advise against travel, so check advisories. A tip for guides is appreciated. Outside Kigali, halal food is limited.

Emergency

112 is the general emergency number. Ask your hotel or guide for local police and ambulance numbers.

Good to know

Plugs and voltage

A Rwandan embassy information page gives the supply as 220 volts at 50 hertz and describes the sockets as rounded two-pronged, European style, adding that most hotels lend adaptors on request. The national tourism board lists 230 volts and 50 hertz instead. Neither page gives plug type letters.

Source: Embassy of Rwanda in Germany: Practical info (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Source: Visit Rwanda: Practical information (checked 4 Nov 2026)

Cash, cards and cash machines

Canadian advice calls Rwanda a cash-based economy that uses the Rwandan franc, with electronic payments becoming more common. Cards are usually accepted at hotels, lodges and most Kigali businesses. Cash machines are in large cities, though some may not take foreign cards, and a bank counter withdrawal with a passport is possible. Most shops will not take older US dollar notes.

Source: Government of Canada travel advice: Rwanda (checked 4 Nov 2026)

Local laws and customs

Drugs, vapes and plastic bags

UK advice says drugs, cannabis included, bring severe penalties even in airport transit, and that photographing some government buildings is illegal. Vapes and e-cigarettes are banned, and plastic bags brought in are confiscated on arrival. Canadian advice asks visitors to dress conservatively and get permission before photographing people. UK advice says same-sex sexual acts are not illegal but can be frowned upon by locals.

Source: UK FCDO travel advice: Rwanda, safety and security (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Source: Government of Canada travel advice: Rwanda (checked 4 Nov 2026)

Taxis and scams

Licensed taxis and moto-taxis

Licensed public bus and auto taxi companies are the only ones Canadian advice recommends in Rwanda. Motorbike taxis, it says, belong to the kinds of public transport that can be dangerous because drivers are reckless, and passengers should confirm the fare with the driver prior to departure. According to UK advice, shared taxis (minivans) and motorbike taxis make up the most common public transport and are highly vulnerable to accidents.

Source: Government of Canada travel advice: Rwanda (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Source: UK FCDO travel advice: Rwanda, safety and security (checked 4 Nov 2026)

embassy

Foreign embassies in Rwanda (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation)

Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy. The ministry's page says 47 missions are based in Kigali and links PDF lists of them.

Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or consulate.

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

Cities and places

Volcanoes National ParkA trek through misty bamboo forest on the Virunga volcanoes' slopes leads to golden monkeys and mountain gorillas.Photo: Dave Proffer, CC BY 2.0

KigaliHilly and clean, the capital is the main gateway, with lively markets, cafés, art galleries and the Kigali Genocide Memorial.Photo: Emmanuelkwizera, CC BY-SA 4.0

Akagera National ParkRwanda's savannah safari park offers lakes and wetlands as well as the chance of seeing hippos, rhinos, elephants and lions.Photo: Louis Dewame, CC BY 3.0

Nyungwe National ParkChimpanzee tracking and many monkey species are the draws of this ancient mountain rainforest, which also has a canopy walkway high up above the trees.Photo: Jonkmania, CC BY-SA 4.0

Lake Kivu (Rubavu and Karongi)Kayaking, boat trips, sandy shores and lakeside towns are found around this large, calm lake; relaxed resorts there suit unwinding after a safari.Photo: Kisambira, CC BY-SA 4.0

City selection based on: Rwanda Development Board tourism brochure plus major safari and travel guides

Festivals and events

culture

Kwibuka - week of remembrance (from 7 April)

7-13 Apr 2027 · Kigali

Some activities stop in this week of genocide remembrance, a quiet and respectful time.

culture

Kwita Izina (gorilla naming)

around Sep-Oct 2027 · Musanze (Volcanoes NP)

Newborn mountain gorillas receive their names at a national ceremony.