Rwanda
Rwanda visa
Africa · Eastern Africa
In Rwanda, visas fall under the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration. The pages consulted on 17 September 2026 publish a detailed table of visitor visa classes, each designated by a code, with its purpose, its duration and its fee in United States dollars. The application is filed online on the national service portal, at a Rwandan diplomatic mission, at the headquarters of the Directorate General or, for certain classes, at a border post.
Updated on 10 October 2026 · Official sources consulted on 17 September 2026
At a glance
- Authority
- Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration — the directorate general of immigration and emigration of Rwanda
- Submission channel
- Online on the national service portal to which the official page refers, at a Rwandan diplomatic mission, at the headquarters of the Directorate General, or at a border post for the classes the page flags as issuable on arrival
- Electronic visa
- The official page refers to a national service portal for an online application; it does not describe the permit issued as an electronic visa
- Portal language
- English
Do you need a visa?
Uzbekistan passport: visa on arrival for a short tourist stay.
For a short tourist stay with an ordinary passport. To work, study or stay longer, the rules are different: check your situation.
Good to know
General rule stated by the source: since 1 January 2018, citizens of all countries can obtain a visa on arrival without prior application. Fees waived for 30 days (African Union, Commonwealth and Francophonie members); free entry pass of six months (East African Community).
Official source: Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration (DGIE, Rwanda) — Visa on arrival (new tab) Verified on 24 September 2026
VisaGuideline helps you prepare your application. The decision belongs to the country’s authority: check the official page before paying or applying.
Rwanda visa: who needs one?
Based on the verified entry rules, for a short tourist stay with an ordinary passport.
Visa on arrival 197
List of nationalities
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Andorra
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo
- Costa Rica
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macao
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Palestine
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russia
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- South Sudan
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Türkiye
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
A nationality missing from this list does not establish a visa exemption. Consult the official authority.
Documented visa types
- "V1" — holiday visa
- According to the official page: holidays, tourism, social or recreational purposes and other short-term purposes. Duration: 30 days single entry, 90 days multiple entry. Official page (new tab)
- "V2" — family visit visa
- According to the official page: visiting family. Duration: 30 days single entry, 90 days multiple entry. Official page (new tab)
- "V5" — conference and meeting visa
- According to the official page: conference, meeting, workshop or any similar activity. Duration: 30 days. Official page (new tab)
- "V6" — business exploration visa
- According to the official page: investor, entrepreneur or trader coming to explore business opportunities. Duration: 90 days. Official page (new tab)
- "V7" — medical treatment visa
- According to the official page: treatment or medical consultation confirmed by a recognized practitioner. Duration: 90 days. Official page (new tab)
- "V11" — East Africa tourist visa
- According to the official page: a tourist wishing to visit the countries signatory to the agreement establishing the East Africa tourist visa. Duration set by that agreement. Official page (new tab)
Where and how to apply
The official visitor visa page states four submission channels: online, through the national service portal to which it refers; at the office of the Rwandan diplomatic mission in the applicant's country; at the headquarters of the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration; and, for certain classes, at a border post on arrival.
The page notes in particular that classes V1, V2, V5 and V11 are among those that can be issued at a border post. It groups all the permits by code, from VE-1 to V12, with the purpose, the duration and the fee for each.
Steps in the procedure
- Identify, in the table published by the Directorate General, the visa class matching the purpose of the stay.
- Check the duration and the fee announced for that class, as well as the number of entries authorized.
- Obtain a genuine and acceptable travel document, valid for at least six months.
- File the application online on the national service portal, at a Rwandan diplomatic mission or at the headquarters of the Directorate General.
- For the classes the page flags as issuable on arrival, the application may be made at a border post.
- The later steps are not stated on the pages consulted.
Documents mentioned by the authority
- Genuine and acceptable travel document, valid for at least six months.
- For class V7, treatment or medical consultation confirmed by a recognized practitioner.
- For class V6, the status of investor, entrepreneur or trader coming to explore business opportunities.
- The other supporting documents are not listed on the pages consulted.
The exact list depends on the visa type and on the situation; only the official page is authoritative.
Stated fees and processing times
According to the portal consulted on 17 September 2026: class V1 and class V2, 50 United States dollars single entry and 70 dollars multiple entry; class V5, 50 dollars; class V6, 50 dollars single entry and 70 dollars multiple entry; class V7, 30 dollars; class V11, 100 dollars. The table also publishes the fees for the other classes, including 150 dollars for the tourist group visa and 200 dollars for the itinerant business visa.
The page also provides for exemption from charges for certain classes and for nationals covered by an exemption arrangement; these cases depend on nationality and are not reproduced here. Refer to the nationality selector on this page and to the official page. Processing times are not stated on the portal consulted.
After the decision
The decision rests with the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration. The published table states, for each class, the length of the authorized stay and the number of entries.
The official page mentions a class V10, called transitional, intended for a foreign national who has lost their status and is preparing to leave or to make a new application. The grounds for refusal and the avenues of appeal are not described on the pages consulted.
Prepare your application
-
Tourism (short stay)
Visa on arrival: documents, fees and steps See my document list — Tourism (short stay)
Frequently asked questions
Where is the application filed?
Online on the national service portal to which the official page refers, at a Rwandan diplomatic mission, at the headquarters of the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, or at a border post for the classes the page flags as issuable on arrival.
How are Rwandan visas designated?
By a code. The official page publishes a table running from VE-1 to V12: V1 for holidays, V2 for a family visit, V5 for conferences, V6 for business exploration, V7 for medical treatment or V11 for the East Africa tourist visa.
What are the stated fees?
According to the portal consulted on 17 September 2026: 50 United States dollars single entry and 70 dollars multiple entry for classes V1, V2 and V6; 50 dollars for class V5; 30 dollars for class V7; 100 dollars for class V11.
What is the processing time?
Not stated on the portal consulted.
What minimum passport validity is required?
According to the official page, the applicant must present a genuine and acceptable travel document, valid for at least six months.
Points to check with the authority
- The official table has about twenty classes; only six can be shown here.
- No processing time is published on the pages consulted.
- The classes based on an exemption arrangement or on membership of a regional community belong to the per-nationality rules and were not carried over.
Official links
Authority marks the official website of an administration of the destination country.
- Visas et permis — Direction générale de l'immigration et de l'émigration (new tab) consulted on 17 September 2026 Authority
- Visas — page d'ensemble (new tab) consulted on 17 September 2026 Official portal
- Visas de visiteur — classes, durées et tarifs (new tab) consulted on 17 September 2026 Official portal
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