Currency
The Rwandan Franc is the local currency (RWF)
It is denominated in 500, 1000, 2000, and 5000 notes. The National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) formally issues and controls the currency.
The US$ is widely accepted across the country and in most hotels/lodges as well as shopping centers. Travellers are however encouraged to have some local currency just in case they want to offer some cash to the locals. Forex Bureaus are available in all major towns and can only be withdrawn in local currency. Please note that prints before 2006 are not acceptable.
Time
The Rwanda time zone is +2 hours ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time – (GMT) in the Central Africa Time Zone (CAT).
Language
The national language is Kinyarwanda while English and French are the official languages.
Credit Cards
Visa and MasterCard can be used in Kigali. Payments by card attract a mandatory 3% surcharge.
Climate
Located a few degrees south of the equator, its geography is dominated by mountains in the west and Savana to the southeast, with numerous lakes throughout the country. The climate is temperate to subtropical, with two rainy seasons and two dry seasons each year.
Monthly Cultural Events
Umuganda is a community work program that happens every last Saturday of the month and requires the full participation of all citizens in their cells from 08h00 – 11h00, purposely to keep the country clean.
Rwanda Visa Requirements
Visas can be issued on arrival at the Kigali International Airport without prior application. The cost for a single-entry visa is US$ 50. Travelers must ensure that they have a 6 months valid passport with at least 2 fresh pages. Here’s a link for the new visa guidelines – Rwanda’s new visa regime
Luggage
Travelers are encouraged to carry soft-sided bags because the safari vehicles don’t have much luggage space, the helicopters also have weight restrictions with any extra luggage to be transferred by road. Guests must ensure that they are in possession of full travel insurance including luggage cover.
Others
In 2018, Rwanda passed a law banning the production and usage of single-use plastics for environmental reasons since then, plastic bags are illegal including the customary plastic duty-free bags. Usage of said bags carry a US$ 100.00 – US$ 150.00 fine. Thus, Rwanda is one of the least littered countries in Africa.
Public holidays
Based on the Ministry of Public Service and Labour, Official public holidays that have been declared by the Ministry of Public Services and Labour are as follows;
• 01st January New Year’s Day
• 01st February National Heroes Day
• April Good Friday
• 07th April Tutsi Genocide Memorial Day
• 01st May Labour Day
• Eid El Fitr (actual date to be announced each year by The Rwanda Muslims’ Association)
• 01st July Independence Day
• 04th July Liberation Day
• 15th August Assumption Day
• 25th December Christmas Day
• 26th December Boxing Day
NOTE: For all public holidays that fall on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday automatically becomes an additional public holiday
Vaccinations
There are no mandatory vaccinations for entry into Rwanda however we recommend some vaccines for travelers to Africa i.e. Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Rabies, Meningitis, and Yellow Fever.
Dress Code
Appropriate dressing is recommended for comfort, it usually gets quite hot during the day and tends to be chilly at night.
For gorilla trekking, you will be in a rainforest and the rains are unexpected therefore, warm clothing is required as well as walking or hiking boots, lightweight raincoat, gaiters, Garden gloves, to avoid stinging nettles, and a hat are recommended.
For guests visiting Akagera National Park, we recommend neutral colors like brown, Khaki, and green to avoid attracting animals which can be dangerous. Also, avoid blue clothing because it attracts tsetse flies which are common in the park.