Before you travel
Rwanda visa requirements.
Every nationality can get a Rwanda visa on arrival. African Union, Commonwealth and Francophonie citizens, including the UK, get 30 days free.
Photo Ifeoluwa B. / Unsplash
Correct at the time of publishing, . Fees and entry rules are subject to change without notice, and many rules depend on the passport you hold. Confirm with the official source listed under each answer, or with your airline, before you travel.
Check the rules for your passport. Requirements differ by nationality, purpose and length of stay.
Check Rwanda visa requirements →Checker provided by VisaHQ. Site designer Charnette Labs may earn a commission if you apply through them, at no extra cost to you. Famous Africa is not an immigration adviser and neither party decides these requirements.
Do I need a visa to visit Rwanda?
Nationals of all countries can get a visa on arrival at Kigali International Airport and all land borders, or apply online through Irembo (irembo.gov.rw) and pay online or on arrival. Citizens of African Union, Commonwealth and Francophonie member states, which include the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, Belgium, Switzerland and South Africa, receive a 30-day visa free of charge.
For other nationalities, including the United States, a holiday visa costs US$50 for a single entry of 30 days or US$70 for multiple entries over 90 days. East African Community citizens can stay up to six months free.
Fees were correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change without notice.
Sources: Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration: visas under special arrangement; Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration: visitor's visa
Can I visit Rwanda on the East Africa Tourist Visa?
Yes. The East Africa Tourist Visa costs US$100 and allows multiple entries between Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya for 90 days, for tourism only. Rwanda issues it online through Irembo, on arrival or at its missions abroad. Your first entry must be through the country that issued it.
Fees were correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change without notice.
Sources: Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration: visas under special arrangement; Uganda Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control: East African Tourist Visa
What passport and health requirements does Rwanda have?
Passports must be valid for at least six months, and the UK government advises at least one blank page. A yellow fever certificate is required for travellers aged one year or older arriving from a country with yellow fever risk. Rwanda is on South Africa's list of risk countries, so a trip continuing to South Africa needs one.
Under Rwanda Biomedical Centre measures updated on 16 June 2026, foreign nationals who have been in or passed through the Democratic Republic of Congo in the previous 30 days are refused entry.
Sources: Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration: visas under special arrangement; UK government (FCDO): Rwanda entry requirements, for British citizens (updated 4 September 2026); World Health Organization: country list of vaccination requirements (revised 3 January 2023); South African High Commission: yellow fever requirements (modified 23 December 2025); Rwanda Biomedical Centre: Ebola (updated 16 June 2026)
What can't I bring into Rwanda?
Plastic bags are confiscated on arrival, so leave duty-free bags on the aircraft or at the point of entry. Vapes and e-cigarettes are illegal to bring in, including for personal use, and drones must be declared on arrival.
Source: UK government (FCDO): Rwanda entry requirements, for British citizens (updated 4 September 2026)
Where this sits in planning a trip
Entry requirements are the traveller’s responsibility, but they shape an itinerary — a routing through a third country can change what is needed, and documents for children can take weeks to obtain. Famous Africa raises them early when planning rather than leaving them to the week before departure.