Travel Summary
- There were three grenade attacks in Kigali on 19 February 2010. We understand that one person died and three people have been arrested. It is not yet clear why the attacks took place.
- We advise against all travel to the rural border areas with Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), except to the towns of Gisenyi, Kibuye and Cyangugu. We advise against all travel to Eastern DRC except for Goma and Bukavu. We advise against all but essential travel to Goma and Bukavu. This is because of the risk of cross-border incursions by armed guerrillas operating from DRC’s Kivu provinces and ongoing instability in Eastern Congo. Please see the Local Travel section for advice on gorilla trekking in Rwanda.
- We advise against all but essential travel to the rural border areas of Burundi. The security situation in Burundi has improved but banditry remains a problem.
- Rwanda is generally safe 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.
- Seven British nationals required consular assistance in Rwanda in the period 01 April 2008 – 31 March 2009 for the following types of incident; deaths (1 case); and arrests, for a variety of offences (3 cases). During this period assistance was also requested with regard to lost or stolen passports (2 cases).
- We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. See the General (Insurance) section of this Travel Advice.
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. For further information and advice see Terrorism Abroad.
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 just as you would in UK.
For more general information see our Victims of Crime Abroad page.
Political Situation
Rwanda Country Profile
Local Travel
Areas bordering Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
We advise against all travel to the rural border areas with Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), except to the towns of Gisenyi, Kibuye and Cyangugu. This is because of the risk of cross-border incursions by armed guerrillas operating from DRC’s Kivu provinces and the ongoing trouble in Eastern Congo where there is a UN peacekeeping force, MONUC, operating and the presence of various rebel groups. Please see DRC Travel Advice for more details. Please monitor FCO’s Travel Advice section for any updates.
Gorilla Trekking
It is still safe to visit the gorillas or climb volcanoes in the Parc National des Volcans (also known as Volcanoes Park) in Rwanda, despite the serious unrest in the neighbouring Virunga National Park in DRC. The Parc National des Volcans is well protected, and if you are gorilla trekking or climbing volcanoes you must be part of an organised tour. Burundi
We advise against all but essential travel to the rural border areas of Burundi. This is because there is a risk of cross-border incursions by rebel groups based in Burundi. Please see the Burundi Travel Advice for more details. 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.
For more general information see Driving Abroad.
Air Travel
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.
Five carriers fly in and out of Rwanda: Brussels Airlines, Kenya Airways, Rwandair, Ethiopian Airlines and Air Burundi. Please note Air Burundi is not IATA accredited. In 2008 Rwandair decommissioned one of its aircraft, affecting flights to Nairobi, Entebbe and Johannesburg. In the interim Rwandair has been outsourcing flights to Nairobi and Entebbe to Jetlink (Kenya), which is not IATA-accredited.
For more general information see Airline Security.
Local laws and customs
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 strongly advise you to obtain police clearance before travelling as this takes a minimum of 40 working days to process. 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.
Health
A (H1N1) (Swine flu)
There are confirmed cases of the A (H1N1) virus (Swine Flu) in Rwanda (source: the Ministry of Health’s Epidemic Infectious Disease Unit).
The government has set up an emergency working group to coordinate policy on the illness. The public are being advised to take health precautions such as covering mouth and nose when sneezing, increase hand-washing and report suspected cases to the authorities. Rwanda has 14,000 doses of Tamiflu available. Rwanda has for some months being asking travellers entering through Kigali Airport to complete health forms, but has not at present put in place similar checks at the land borders. The Government of Rwanda has set up a free hotline (3334 or 3335) to provide further information. You should monitor media reports for any developments.
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.In the 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 130,000 adults aged 15 or over in Rwanda were living with HIV; the prevalence rate was estimated at around 2.8% of the adult population. This compares to the prevalence rate in adults in the UK of around 0.2%. You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. For more general information on how to do this see HIV and AIDS. You should seek medical advice before travelling to Rwanda and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up to date. For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit the websites of NaTHNaC and NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.
For more general health information see Travel Health.
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
We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. For more general information see Travel Insurance.
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. More information about registering with LOCATE can be found here.
Passports
You should be aware that the British High Commission in Kigali offers only an Emergency Passport service.
