fRwanda
Guidelines on arriving into Rwanda post Covid
Guidelines on arriving into Rwanda post Covid : For any arrivals into Rwanda, there are a few guidelines that you will be expected to follow. Rwanda is a landlocked country with a booming tourism industry and big numbers of arrivals. Even after the Covid-19 world pandemic, the tourism industry has continued to thrive along with the strict adherence to the standard operating procedures.
A few measures were enforced by the Rwandan government for all individuals using the Kigali International airport and this includes the travelers from foreign countries, returning Rwandan nationals and even the transit travelers.
First and foremost, all travelers landing or transiting from the Kigali International airport will be expected to have a valid negative COVID-19 test result and this test should have been taken within the past 72 hours and this should be ahead of your travel. The only accepted test result is that of the SARS-CoV 2 Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). The rapid diagnostics tests (RDTs) will not be acceptable and this goes for all travelers above the age of 5 years.
As you are planning on travelling to Rwanda, you will be expected to fill in a passenger locator form where you will upload your COVID-19 test result certificate verifying the test. This is done in advance of arrival at the airport. This passenger locator form can be accessed on this link on www.rbd.gov.rw . This form will require you to provide your passport information, reason for travel and period of travel, a negative PCR COVID-19 test, and also a hotel booking of a designated quarantine hotel where you will be quarantined for 24 hours as you await your test results.
Yes, you will have to take another test on arrival to Rwanda and quarantine for 24 hours as you wait for test results. The government of Rwanda has negotiated with a number of hotels in Kigali and Gisenyi. If you are spending more than 12 hours in Rwanda, you will be screened on arrival and after be subjected to take a second RT-PCR test. This RT-PCR test costs 50 USD and an extra 10 USD for the logistics involved in transferring of guests from the airport to the designated quarantine hotel.
If you are only transiting through Rwanda to connect to another country by land border, you will be screened on arrival to the Kigali International airport and after take a second RT-PCR test on pick up to the hotel. If you are booked into a designated hotel and will be spending more than 12 hours in the country, your test results will be fast tracked so that they are ready for you by the time of departure for your next flight out or land border crossing. The samples for the tests taken will be done at the airport once you land and then you will be free to transfer to your designated hotel to wait for the results from there.
For the travelers that are transiting through Rwanda and will not be leaving the airport and those spending less than 12 hours in the country, will only be screened at the airport and if you have no symptoms, you will be allowed to wait for your connecting flight at the airport.
For the travelers looking at connecting to the Virunga national park or the Kahuzi Biega national park of the Democratic republic of Congo from the Kigali International airport, you will be expected to do a SARS-CoV 2 Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test and this can be done at the Rwanda Biomedical Center/ National reference laboratory or any of the provincial and district hospitals and your driver guide will be able to guide you on this.
All the travelers that will take on a test result on arrival will be charged 60 USD per test per person and this is inclusive of the 50 USD for the RT-PCR test and the 10 USD for the logistics that will be involved in getting to the hotel and these are indicated while filling in the passenger locator form. This fee can either be paid in cash on arrival or by credit card in advance.
All travelers with a plan to spend or have a tour in Rwanda above a day will be expected to have a 24 hour quarantine stay at one of the designated quarantine hotels. This stay is so that you can wait for your test results that are taken on arrival and the Rwanda Ministry of Health is in charge of this activity. There are a number of designated hotels that you can opt to book yourself into and you can check them out on this link https://travel.rbc.gov.rw/travel/src/Designated%20Hotels.pdf and you will be expected to follow the ministry guidelines on your stay.
As of the 15th of June 2021, Rwanda enforced 7 day quarantine for all guests who had had previous travel to India and Uganda majorly because of the new Covid-19 variant, the Delta variant that was detected in both countries and this is a mandatory 7 day quarantine in selected hotels and that is the Ubumwe Grande hotel, Landmark Suites, Corina K Guest house and the Colors Club Spa and Garden resort. This is only if you have been in either of the countries in the past 7 days ahead of arrival to Rwanda and this stay will be at the traveler’s cost.
All the designated hotels have negotiated rates by the Government of Rwanda and are on a full board basis and only valid for this arrival 24 hour quarantine. Should you wish to extend your stay in the hotel, you will have to pay the usual rate offered by the hotel.
Your test results will be sent to the traveler by email or by text message depending on the preferred and indicated option you may have chosen and this should be within the 24 hour window. If the test results delay, you may contact the hotel reception to assist you follow up. Once your test result is negative, then you will then be accepted to check out and head to your next destination but once your test result turns out positive, you will be treated in the country until you test negative and this is still at the traveler’s cost.
On departure from Rwanda, individuals will be expected to have a negative COVID test result that has been taken in the last 72 hours ahead of departure. There are several testing centers around the country where may stop to have this done ahead of departure. Without a test result, you may be denied access to the airport. You are strongly advised to have travel insurance in such times but also be in touch with the airlines on guidance for the requirements for post Covid-19 travel in your next destination.
