Travel Safety in Rwanda
Overview
Rwanda is generally safe. Petty crime (mainly pickpocketing and theft) does occur in Kigali and to a lesser extent other urban centres. Violent crime is rare throughout the country.
Demonstrations occur infrequently in Rwanda, while terrorism and kidnapping are not notable concerns.
Rwanda has a recent history of conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi populations, but a renewed outbreak of ethno-political violence in the country is unlikely.
Risks generally increase in areas near Rwanda's shared border areas with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Burundi. This is mainly due to insecurity in these neighbouring countries that could spill over into Rwanda. Of particular concern is conflict in the DRC's eastern provinces between government forces and the M23 rebel group, which is said to be backed by Rwanda. This marginally increases the risk of conflict incidents in Rwanda-DRC border areas.
Private medical facilities are available in Kigali, but this is not the case elsewhere.
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Basic information
Medical:
112 (police, fire and ambulance). Response times and services are likely to be poor.
Money:
The currency is the Rwandan franc (RWF).
ATMs that accept foreign bank cards can be found in most towns and cities.
Credit cards are only accepted in some international hotels, restaurants and higher-end retailers in Kigali.
Language:
The country's main languages are Kinyarwanda, English and French.
Water:
Tap water is generally not safe to consume.
Connectivity:
3G, 4G and 5G available.