Immigration
Visa-on-arrival for all nationalities, with EAC free movement
The 2021 immigration law governs entry and residence. Rwanda grants visa on arrival to all nationalities as a matter of policy, and EAC nationals may enter with an identity card and work without a permit.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — The Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration administers status; the courts review decisions.
- Deadline — Visa on arrival: available to all nationalities, 30 days
- Deadline — Residence permit: applied for online through the Directorate General of Immigration
- Deadline — EAC nationals: may work without a permit under the Common Market Protocol
Governing law
- Law n° 057/2021 relating to immigration and emigration
- Law n° 13ter/2014 relating to refugees
- EAC Common Market Protocol
In practice
Rwanda's open-entry policy is a deliberate economic strategy rather than a consequence of treaty obligation, and it goes further than the EAC requires. Rwanda has also entered controversial migration arrangements with third states, including the agreement with the United Kingdom that the UK Supreme Court held unlawful in 2023.