RWANDA COVID-19 TRAVEL GUIDELINES & UPDATES – 7th March 2022

March 7, 2022 - 10 minutes read

As part of Government measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the  following guidelines have been put in place effective 05th March 2022: 

  1. All travelers arriving in Rwanda must have a negative Covid-19 certificate.  The only accepted test is a SARS-CoV 2 Real Time Polymerase Chain  Reaction (RT-PCR) performed within 72 hours prior to departure (meaning  travelers must be tested and get results within 3 days of their first flight).  Other tests, such as Rapid Diagnostics Tests (RDTs), are not accepted for  international travelers. COVID-19 Test is not mandatory for accompanied  children under 5 years. At Kigali International Airport, all incoming travelers  eligible (aged 12 years and above) for Covid-19 vaccine must be fully vaccinated before their travel.

  2. All travelers arriving or transiting in Rwanda must complete the passenger locator form and upload the Covid-19 PCR test certificate before heading to the airport. Please see passenger locator form on www.rbc.gov.rw.

  3. Covid-19 RT-PCR and Antigen Rapid Tests will be taken upon arrival at own cost and travelers will do self-isolation until they get negative PCR test results taken on arrival. This means, there’s more quarantine since arriving visitors are allowed to go and isolate themselves at places of their choice.

  4. At the airport, the payment for Covid-19 tests taken on arrival of 62,200  Frw or 65 USD (55USD for covid-19 tests and 10USD for specific logistics to the airport) will be done as per the indications of the passenger locator form. For passengers who opt for a cash payment at arrival, the balance will be given in Local currency (FRW). The passenger who wouldn’t use the payment methods on the passenger locator form may be required to pay again at arrival and claim for a refund for any previous payment made.

  5. In order to facilitate Rwandan citizens to test regularly for Covid-19 and to know their status, including Rwandans returning home, the Government of  Rwanda will subsidize the cost of Covid-19 tests whereby for the mandatory  Covid-19 tests taken on arrival, Rwandan citizens will pay Rwf 45,000 or 45  USD (35USD for covid-19 tests and 10USD for specific logistics to the airport) instead of the current cost.

  6. All travelers transiting for more than 12 hours through Rwanda will be screened upon entry and take an RT-PCR and rapid tests at their own cost while transiting/connecting travelers who are not leaving the airport for less than  12 hours will be screened upon entry and not required to take a second test (This is not applicable for transiting passengers by land borders, in that case, passengers will be tested using RT-PCR and rapid tests on arrival), PCR  test results will be fast-tracked.

  7. Land borders are re-opened, effective Monday 07th March 2022.  Travellers may be subject to random Covid-19 testing by the Ministry of  Health upon entry and are encouraged to be vaccinated before crossing the border.

  8. In line with G above, all Adventure Consults’ Cross-border safaris by road  (Uganda to Rwanda and vice-versa) shall resume.

  9. An additional Ag, RDT COVID-19 test, is required on day 3 from the arrival date at designated testing sites (Camp Kigali or nearest Provincial or District hospitals for those out of the City of Kigali).

  10. RBC offers rapid antigen testing without an appointment at dozens of accredited private hospitals/clinics throughout Rwanda. Rapid antigen tests cost approximately $5 (RWF 5,000). A complete list of accredited private clinics offering this service is found here. Rapid antigen test results are available shortly after the sample is taken and are delivered in person and/or via text message.

  11. Both mandatory tests, taken on arrival and day 3, will be paid for upon arrival at the Kigali International Airport.

  12. An RT- PCR COVID-19 test is required for all visitors wishing to see primates at Volcanoes, Nyungwe, and Gishwati-Mukura National parks.

  13. All guests intending to stay in hotels and other accommodation establishments must provide valid negative Ag RDT or RT-PCR COVID-19  test results taken within 72 hours.

  14. A facilitation request accompanied by guest identification details as well as their travel itinerary is required to be submitted by the tour operator or hotel to visitrwanda@rdb.rw 72 hours prior to your arrival.

  15. Masks/face coverings are required in public.

  16. Tourism activities continue normally but in strict adherence to COVID-19 health guidelines. Highly recommend booking through a registered and licensed tour operator for the smooth execution of your trip.

  17. Tourists, including children, visiting the National Parks will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours. Please get in touch (sales@adventureconsults.com) if you need any clarification.

  18. A negative RT-PCR test result is required for Volcanoes, Nyungwe, and Gishwati-Mukura National Park.

  19. A negative antigen rapid COVID-19 test result is accepted for Akagera National Park.

SELF-ISOLATION 

Once self-isolated at home or a place of your choice, the process is as follows: 

  1. Test results for RT-PCR taken on arrival will be checked on RBC website of  covid-19 results portal by using phone number entered while filling  Passenger Locator Form and Unique code received when submitted  Passenger Locator Form prior to departures or by SMS and/or email, and the turnaround time for results is 24hrs from the time a sample is collected.  If the results are not out and you are beyond 24 hours, please contact RBC  Medical Team on Duty at Airport 24/7: (+250) 781415724 for help or ask your/Adventure Consults’ guide for assistance.

  2. If a traveler’s test result is positive for COVID-19 (even if asymptomatic)  while in Rwanda, they will be treated as indicated in the National Covid-19  Management Guidelines available on www.rbc.gov.rw until they have fully recovered, at their own cost. We encourage all travelers to have international travel insurance.

DEPARTURE 

  1. All travelers departing from Rwanda must test negative for COVID-19. The  only accepted test is a SARSCoV 2 Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction  (RT-PCR) performed within 72 hours before departure. The PCR test must  be performed by the Rwanda Biomedical Center/National Reference  Laboratory, Provincial or District Hospitals. Other tests, such as Rapid  Diagnostics Tests (RDTs), are not accepted for international Travelers.

  2. COVID-19 Test is not mandatory for accompanied children under 5 years.  Travelers must take their tests 2 days prior to departure. Travelers are advised to check with airlines about the COVID-19 requirements of the final destination and/or transit countries and plan for their RT-PCR test  accordingly.

  3. All Rwandans travelers eligible (aged 12 years and above) for Covid-19  vaccine departing from Rwanda must be fully vaccinated.

  4. Travelers are not allowed to go to the airport without negative COVID-19  RT-PCR test results, if the results are not yet out within 48 hours as mentioned above, please contact BIOS LAB HELP DESK on (+250)  787243836 or (+250) 788793446 or (+250) 784026239 or ask your/Adventure Consults guide for assistance.

  5. If travelers test results are positive for COVID-19 (even if asymptomatic)  while in Rwanda, they will be treated as indicated in the National Covid-19  Management Guidelines available on www.rbc.gov.rw until they have fully recovered, at their own cost. We encourage all travelers to have international travel insurance.

  6. Travelers who test positive and undertake 10 days of isolation but remain positive on PCR with CT values above 37, negative rapid diagnostic test and without any Covid-19 symptoms will be given a recovery certificate which may be used for travel out of Rwanda provided their transiting and final destination countries allow it.

The preventive measures announced by the Ministry of Health must be observed by all, especially frequent hand-washing, proper wearing of face masks in public,  and maintaining safe physical distance from others (at least one meter apart). For  

more details about COVID-19 clinical management guidelines, please visit  www.rbc.gov.rw 

Important to note is that guidelines keep changing and sometimes at last minute,  so we recommend that you get in touch with Adventure Consults’ team (sales@adventureconsults.com) or check updates on this link 

https://www.adventureconsults.com/news/stories-updates.html for the latest/more up-to-date information.  

We look forward to hosting you in Rwanda – The Land of a thousand Hills!  

sales@adventureconsults.com
www.adventureconsults.com