Rwanda Travel Guide
Visa summary
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Guide
Rwanda is one of the easier places in Africa to get a visa, with a very serious exception in 2026. Since 1 January 2018, citizens of all countries have been able to get a visa on arrival without applying in advance, fees are capped at 50 US dollars for a single entry and 70 for multiple entry, and citizens of African Union, Commonwealth, and La Francophonie countries get 30 days with the fee waived. East African Community citizens can stay six months free, and the East African Visa, code V11, is a 90 day multiple entry visa for 100 dollars.
The exception is Ebola. On 22 May 2026, Rwanda's Ministry of Health announced that foreign nationals who had traveled to or transited through the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the previous 30 days would be refused entry, with no stated end date, and as of mid September the ban was reported as still active. Rwandan citizens and residents may enter but must quarantine if they were recently in the DRC. The ban applies at Kigali airport and land crossings, and it hits anyone combining a Rwanda gorilla trek with a Congo trip in the same month.
Border crossings
- Goma and Gisenyi, closed since May
The border around Goma and Gisenyi was closed on 18 May 2026 in response to the Ebola outbreak, affecting the Petite Barrière, Grande Barrière, and Kabuhanga posts. A local trade crossing near Goma reopened in July, but that does not change Rwanda's national entry policy.
- Burundi, closed
The Rwanda and Burundi border remains closed in 2026, and travelers connecting to Burundi have to go through Tanzania, whose border with Burundi is open.
- Gatuna and Rusumo, the busy open ones
Gatuna faces Uganda's Katuna, and Rusumo is the Tanzanian crossing. Overland gates are described as opening at 6 am and closing at 6 pm, with an extra hour worth budgeting at both, though the Uganda guide on this site describes Katuna as open around the clock, so check hours before you rely on either.
Transit routes
- Plan Rwanda before the Congo, or leave 30 days
The entry ban looks back 30 days, so the order of a two country trip matters more than anything else in your itinerary.
- Kigali is the airport gateway
Kigali International Airport handles most arrivals, and enhanced entry controls were reported there.
Entry point notes
- Visa on arrival is the default
You do not need to apply beforehand, but carry documents that support your trip, and the visa rules do not override the health-based ban.
- Check Rwanda's Ministry of Health before you travel
The entry policy is a health measure and has no announced end date, so read the official position close to your travel date.