Kinyarwanda (official) universal Bantu vernacular, French (official), English (official), Kiswahili (Swahili) used in commercial centers

Roman Catholic 56.5%, Protestant 26%, Adventist 11.1%, Muslim 4.6%, indigenous beliefs 0.1%, none 1.7%.

Rwanda is a landlocked developing country in central Africa. It continues to recover from the 1994 civil war and genocide in which at least 800,000 people were killed. Economic activity and tourism are on the rise in Rwanda.

Rwandan Defense Forces: Army, Air Force.

A passport is required and evidence of yellow fever immunization is recommended.  Visas are not required for American citizens entering Rwanda for less than 90 days.  U.S. citizens planning on working in Rwanda should apply for a work permit at the Directorate of Immigration as soon as possible after arrival in Rwanda.  Detailed entry information may be obtained from Rwanda’s Directorate of Immigration or from the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda, 1714 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington DC  20009, telephone 202-232-2882, fax 202-232-4544.  Overseas, inquiries may be made at the nearest Rwandan Embassy or Consulate. 

Information about dual nationality or the prevention of international child abduction can be found on our web site.  For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information sheet.

Airports: 9, Airports w/paved runways: 4

There are currently no travel restrictions in place within Rwanda, but there are in the neighboring countries. From time to time, travel by US Mission personnel may be restricted based on changing security conditions. Visitors are encouraged to contact the appropriate US Embassy Regional Security Office or Consular Section for the latest security information, including developments in Eastern Congo, Uganda and Burundi. While not currently recommended, many visitors to Rwanda enter Goma and the Nyirigongo Volcano area in Eastern Congo; visitors are strongly encouraged to read the Travel Warning and the Consular Information Sheet for Congo-Kinshasa.
Pick-pocketing in crowded public places is common, as is petty theft from cars and hotel rooms. Although violent crimes such as carjacking, robbery, and home invasion occur in Kigali, they are rarely committed against foreigners. Americans are advised to remain alert, exercise caution, and follow appropriate personal security measures. Although many parts of Kigali are safe at night, walking alone after dark is not recommended since foreigners, including Americans, have occasionally been the targets of robbery.
 

Infant MR total: 85.27 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: TOTAL 48.99 years (male 47.87/female 50.16)

Required: Yellow Fever
Recommended: Hep A & B, Typhoid, Rabies, Polio, Boosters: MMR, DPT, as needed.

Many countries in this region have high incidence rates of tuberculosis and high HIV prevalence rates. There are periodic outbreaks of meningitis in Rwanda. Yellow fever can cause serious medical problems, but the vaccine, required for entry, is very effective in preventing the disease. Malaria risk area in Rwanda: All. Malaria is endemic to Rwanda, and the use of preventive medicines is encouraged for short-term visits. Anti-malarials are widely available in local pharmacies.

Medical and dental facilities are limited, and some medicines are in short supply or unavailable. In Kigali, Americans may go to King Faisal Hospital, a private facility that offers limited services and dental facilities. There is also a missionary dental clinic and a few private dentists. An American-operated missionary hospital with some surgical facilities is in Kibagora, in southwestern Rwanda. Another hospital with American physicians is located in Ruhengeri, near the gorilla trekking area, and a Chinese hospital is located in southeastern Rwanda in Kibungo.

Dengue, filariasis, leishmaniasis, and onchocerciasis (river blindness) are other diseases carried by insects that also occur in East Africa. African trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness) has increased in Africa (it is epidemic in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Sudan; and highly endemic in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mozambique, Uganda, and Tanzania; low levels are found in most of the other countries), and an increase in travelers has been noted since 2000. Most had exposures in Tanzania and Kenya, reflecting common tourist routes.

Plague occurs sporadically or in outbreaks. Outbreaks have occurred since 2000 in Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, and Tanzania. Ituri Distric (Oriental Province) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo reports about 1,000 caes per year and was the site of an outbreak in 2006.Highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) has been found in poultry populations in several countries in Africa. Avoid all direct contact with birds, including domestic poultry and wild birds, and avoid places such as poultry farms and bird markets where live birds are raised or kept. For a current list of countries reporting outbreaks of H5N1 among poultry and/or wild birds, view updates from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and for total numbers of confirmed human cases of H5N1 virus by country see the World Health Organization (WHO) Avian Influenza website. Polio outbreaks were reported in several previously polio-free countries in Central, Eastern, and Western Africa beginning in 2003.

Country Code: +250 
Internet Code:  .rw