Rwanda COVID-19 Requirements For Arriving And Departing Travellers – March 2022

In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Government of Rwanda has issued updated Rwanda COVID-19 Requirements For Arriving And Departing Travellers. If you are planning a Rwanda safari, such as the Rwanda gorilla safari, chimpanzee trekking safari, Rwanda wildlife safaris, or any other Rwanda tours, please read the following mandatory Rwanda Covid-19 requirements for arriving and departing travelers, announced on March 5, 2022:

Entry/Arrival COVID-19 Requirements To Rwanda

All travelers will be required to meet the following guidelines on arrival in Rwanda:

A Negative Covid-19 Certificate

All travelers arriving in Rwanda (regardless of vaccination status) must have an authentic and valid negative Covid-19 certificate.
We encourage visitors on Rwanda wildlife safaris to carry printed copies of their negative test results on their flight to Rwanda.
The only accepted test is the RT-PCR performed within 72 hours prior to departure.
Therefore, you must be tested and get results within 3 days of your first flight.
Other tests, such as Rapid Diagnostics Tests, are not accepted for international travelers.
COVID-19 Test is not mandatory for accompanied children under 5 years.

Full Vaccination

At Kigali International Airport, all incoming travelers eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine/aged 12 years and above must be fully vaccinated before their travel to Rwanda.

Rwanda Passenger Locator Form

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

Covid-19 Tests On Arrival

Covid-19 PCR & Antigen Rapid Tests will be taken upon arrival in Rwanda at your own cost
Travelers will do self-isolation until they get negative PCR test results taken on arrival.
At the airport, the payment for Covid-19 tests taken on arrival of 62,200 Frw or 65 USD 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 a refund for any previous payment made.

Transiting/Connecting Travelers

All travelers transiting for more than 12 hours through Rwanda will be screened upon entry and take RT-PCR and rapid tests at their own cost.
But 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.

Rwanda Land borders

Land borders re-opened, starting Monday 07^th March 2022.
People may be subject to random Covid-19 testing by the Ministry of Health upon entry
You are encouraged to be vaccinated before crossing the border to Rwanda.

Self-Isolation & Test Results For RT-PCR Taken On Arrival

Test results for RT-PCR taken on arrival will be checked on the RBC website of the covid-19 results portal.
To check the results, you will use the phone number you entered while filling Passenger Locator Form and the Unique code received when you submitted Passenger Locator Form prior to departures or by SMS and/or email.
The turnaround time for results is 24 hours from the time a sample is collected.
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 until they have fully recovered, at their own cost.
The National Covid-19 Management Guideline is available on rbc.gov.rw
If you planning your safari Rwanda tours, you are encouraged to have international travel insurance.

COVID-19 Guidelines During Your Rwanda Safaris

While on your wildlife or gorilla safaris in Rwanda, you must observe the Covid-19 preventive measures announced by the Ministry of Health, especially:

Frequent hand-washing or sanitization
Proper wearing of face masks in public
Maintaining safe physical distance from others (at least one meter apart).
Regular temperature screening of all guests at different Rwanda tourist attractions/destinations and Rwanda hotels
Visitors are required to use cashless transaction methods at all times while on safari

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

Exit/Departure COVID-19 Requirements From Rwanda

All passengers will be required to meet the following guidelines prior to departure:

Covid-19 Departure Test

All travelers departing from Rwanda must test negative for COVID-19.
The only accepted test is a SARS-CoV 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.
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.
Travelers are not allowed to go to the airport without negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test results.

Self-Isolation If You Test Positive While In Rwanda

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.
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.

Conclusion

The above COVID-19 travel guidelines for Rwanda are meant to guide you in properly planning for your Rwanda gorilla trekking safaris to Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda Chimpanzee trekking tours to Nyungwe Forest National Park, Rwanda wildlife safaris to Akagera National Park, Kigali city tour, and other Rwanda safari activities (things to do in Rwanda).

And prior to visiting the primate parks of Volcanoes and Nyungwe, an RT-PCR negative test certificate remains mandatory and should be taken within 72 hours prior to the visit. Please note that Gorillas, Chimps, and humans share more than 98% DNA, meaning humans, chimpanzees, and Rwanda gorillas can suffer from the same diseases and that includes Covid 19.

Feel free to contact us at any time should you need any more clarification on Rwanda safari COVID-19 travel requirements and restrictions.