Rwanda Travel Information
All incoming and outgoing passenger flights will be
stopped from midnight on March 20, including the
national airline RwandAir, for a provisional period of
30 days. For more information about coronavirus, see the
entry Entry and Health.
Safety
Most journeys to Rwanda are made without special
problems and the country is generally considered safe to
travel in. Armed groups have stayed on both sides of the
border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) and Burundi on a regular basis. The Ministry
of Foreign Affairs encourages travelers to exercise
caution when traveling to or staying in these border
areas.
Since April 2015, some 70,000 refugees from Burundi
to Rwanda have arrived, and the situation in the border
areas can be unstable and unclear. Insurgents carried
out attacks on villages at Nyungwe Forest in southern
Rwanda in June/ July 2018, and several civilians were
killed in the latter attack. For additional information
on security in Rwanda, please refer to the US and UK
Foreign Ministry's respective websites.
Norway is represented by an honorary consulate in the
capital Kigali. Responsible Norwegian Embassy for Rwanda
is the Embassy in Kampala, Uganda.
The risk of terrorist incidents in Rwanda is
considered low. Crime in the country is low in the
African context. Nevertheless, certain precautions
should be taken to avoid crime: Be careful about walking
on the streets after dark, not walking around with large
sums of money. Pocket theft in public places with lots
of people is common.
Driving outside Kigali should be avoided while it is
dark. There may be landslides that close roads after
heavy rain. Minibuses and motorcycle taxis should be
avoided as these are often involved in accidents. In
Kigali, one should stick to the official city buses and
established taxi companies.
- Countryaah: Kigali is the capital
of Rwanda. Check to find information of population, geography, history,
and economy about the capital city.
Norwegian citizens staying for a shorter or longer
period in Rwanda are encouraged to register on
reiseregistrering.no. Norwegian citizens are encouraged
to have valid travel insurance.
In crisis and emergency situations, it is encouraged
to contact the Norwegian Consulate in Kigali or the
Norwegian Embassy in Kampala:
Royal Norwegian Consulate General
Address: KG 5 Ave, No. 18, Kacyiru
Kigali, Rwanda
Phone: +250 788 381 900
Mobile: +250 788 840 401
E-mail: nhcg.kigali@gmail.com
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 08.30 - 17.00.
Embassy in Kampala
Address: Plot 18B Akii-Bua Road, Nakasero,
Kampala, Uganda
Phone: + 256 312 246 000/+47 23 95 30 00
E-mail: emb.kampala@mfa.no
Opening hours: Monday - Thursday 07.30 - 15.30/Friday
07.30 - 13.00
Outside the embassy's opening hours, the UD's 24-hour
operating center can be contacted by phone + 47 23 95 00
00 or by e-mail: UDops@mfa.no
Entry
Please note that entry regulations may change. The
Foreign Service is not responsible if the following
information on entry regulations or visa requirements is
changed at short notice. It is the responsibility of the
traveler to ensure that travel documents are valid for
entry and to familiarize themselves with the current
entry rules for each country.
All incoming and outgoing passenger flights will be
stopped from midnight on March 20, 2020, including the
national airline RwandAir, for a provisional period of
30 days. It must be expected that new measures and
restrictions can be implemented in the time to come.
Norwegian citizens have a visa requirement when
entering Rwanda. Visas can be purchased at the Kigali
airport without prior application. Passport must be
valid for at least six months after scheduled departure
date. It is possible to purchase joint e-visas for
Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya. For more information, see
information from Rwanda's migration authorities.
It is the traveler's responsibility to ensure that
travel documents, or any visa, are valid.
Authorities are requesting a valid yellow fever
vaccine certificate upon entry. Without such a
certificate you may be required to take the vaccine when
you arrive in Rwanda. It is strongly advised that you
arrive at the country with a valid certificate rather
than take the vaccine on arrival.
New guidelines have been provided for travelers
coming to Rwanda from Ebola-affected areas in the DRC.
One should give advance notice of travel from DRC to
Rwanda to the Ministry of Health and expect a quarantine
time of 21 days from leaving Ebola-affected areas in DRK
until one can enter Rwanda.
Health
Coronavirus (covid-19): Cases of
coronary infection have been confirmed in Rwanda. All
incoming and outgoing passenger flights will be stopped
from midnight on March 20, including the national
airline RwandAir, for a provisional period of 30 days.
It must be expected that new measures and restrictions
can be implemented in the time to come.
Norwegian travelers should keep abreast of the
development of the corona virus. Follow local
authorities' advice, guidance and instructions on how to
deal with the situation. For general updates, refer to
the World Health Organization (WHO) website.
***
There are only limited medical facilities available
in Rwanda. Some medicines are in short supply or
inaccessible, and it is recommended to bring a
well-equipped travel pharmacy.
Malaria occurs across the country. Vaccination
against hepatitis, diphtheria and tetanus, as well as
jaundice, is recommended. In Kigali, the private King
Faisal Hospital offers 24-hour assistance. If you need
emergency medical assistance, call 112 or 912.
The ambulance service is simple and only works as a
transport, usually without medical treatment involved.
In the event of a serious accident or illness,
evacuation by air ambulance to Kenya or South Africa may
be necessary. Check the Rwandan Ministry of Health
website for updated information before traveling.
Practical information
There is no time difference to Norway when it is
daylight saving time. When it is winter time, it is one
hour more in Rwanda. The power supply in Rwanda is 230
volts. The same type of plug is used as in Norway.
There are either direct or non-stop flights in
Entebbe (Uganda) to Amsterdam (KLM), Brussels (Brussels
Airlines, Rwandair), London (Rwandair), Istanbul
(Turkish Airlines), Dubai (Rwandair), Doha (Qatar) and
Mumbai (Rwandair). There are direct flights from Kigali
to a wide range of cities in Africa. There are good main
road connections from Kigali to Uganda, Burundi and the
Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as to other major
cities in Rwanda. During the rainy season, many smaller
roads are only navigable by four-wheel drive cars. There
is a dispute between Uganda and Rwanda. Rwanda
recommends its own citizens not to travel to Uganda.
This recommendation does not apply to citizens of other
countries, but can have practical consequences for
border crossing by car, etc.
The area code for calls from Norway to Rwanda is
+250. Telephone communications to and from Rwanda are
usually reliable. Internet is increasingly available
throughout Rwanda, but high-speed connections may be
unavailable or unreliable and expensive.
Coin value: 100 Rwandan francs (RWF) = 0.95 kroner
(April 9, 2019)
Credit card payments are not common in Rwanda. It is
possible to use payment cards at some hotels,
restaurants and in major grocery stores in Kigali. There
are several ATMs where foreign cards can be used.
Outside Kigali, debit cards are very widespread. Most
banks will not accept US dollar pressure until 2006.
National Holidays: 1 January, 1 February, 7 April, 1
May, 1 July, 4 July, 15 August and 25 and 26 December.
English has replaced French as the official language
along with kinyarwanda.
It is forbidden to photograph official buildings. For
environmental reasons, plastic bags are prohibited. All
visible plastic bags will be seized at the airport.
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