Rwanda is finally easing up on covid guidelines and requirements for travelers entering the country. A new set of covid guidelines for 2021 were announced, by far the most important update for any traveler planning to visit Rwanda is; there is NO hotel quarantine for fully vaccinated travelers that are entering Rwanda. Over the last many months, all travelers, irrespective of vaccination status had to test on arrival at the airport and then transferred to a designated hotel to quarantine and wait for the results expected to come back in 12 hours. That meant all planning for travel to Rwanda had to include an extra day of quarantine, at own cost moreover. This was discouraging for many as it interrupted planning and increased costs. Those that couldn’t postpone their visit to Rwanda anymore and traveled found the quarantine quite unbearable, you know, having to keep to your room for more than 12 hours and the thought of the results coming back positive would cause paranoia and panic! It was quite dramatic finding travelers at the end of their quarantine and just received their negative results literally running out of their rooms like they were running out of a burning house!!! Unvaccinated travelers unfortunately will have to go through this experience – test on arrival and hotel quarantine.

Other covid requirements still in place for all travelers to Rwanda:

  • All travelers have to do a PCR test 72 hours before the time of arrival in Rwanda and produce the negative covid 19 PCR test results upon landing at Kigali Airport.
  • All travelers will be tested upon arrival at the airport for a cost of USD60. Vaccinated travelers will continue to their booked hotels or homes and self-isolate as they wait for their results. While unvaccinated travelers will be transferred to designated hotels for quarantine and await results.
  • All travelers must complete the passenger locator form and upload the COVID-19 test certificated and vaccination certificate (for those vaccinated) before taking the flight to Kigali. Here is the link to the passenger locator form: https://travel.rbc.gov.rw/travel
As more people have been vaccinated and countries now reopening up for travel now is good time to visit Rwanda for vacation, go gorilla trekking in the volcanoes, chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe or take a big game safari trip to Akagera National Park Rwanda’s only savannah destination. It is a good time before the crowds returned. The winter birds are also arriving and so it’s the right time to book a birding tour to Rwanda.

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