Visa on Arrival Policy in Africa; Rwanda, a Perfect Example!

Who would have imagined that there is a country in Africa that has declared VISA ON ARRIVAL for all African nationals. That is one milestone that other African countries have to emulate.

My travel life has been characterized by queuing up at embassies or consulates to pick up travel visas. My Chinese, Macau, and American embassy experiences planted a stereotype in my head that traveling to any destinations entails a whole long process of paper work, visa application, interview appointment, and of course visa issuance or denial. Looking back at my hurtful experience at the American Embassy Yaounde in 2013 makes me want to think that embassies should review their best practices. After having celebrated the prestigious invitation to Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2013, an opportunity that doesn't come easily, the American Embassy Yaounde denied me a visa, on grounds that I didn't provide enough evidence that I was going to come back to Cameroon after the meeting. Disappointed at the whole drama, I lost interest in ever making an appointment with that particular embassy because I realized that visas are issued to those who are good at faking papers and telling lies. Well, that's not the story for today.

From January 1st 2013, Rwanda kept to its promise of issuing visa on arrival for all African nationals, sparing Africans the often cumbersome process of having to apply weeks in advance. Rwanda, a country that is fast recovering from a 100 days long genocide that took place in 1994 has one of the most technologically advanced immigration that uses biometric data and finger printing, according to News24.

When I decided to travel to Rwanda in November 2013, I never thought that it was going to be that easy. I did online research and contacted friends in East Africa to educate me on the visa procedure for Rwanda and i was told that Rwanda was actually implementing the 'visa on arrival' policy for all Africans. Not satisfied with the results I got, I picked up the address of Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration by email and they confirmed to me that visa is given at  the port of entry provided you can produce a letter of invitation from your host in Rwanda. That settled, I got my air ticket and headed for the Douala International Airport on my travel date, still not sure I was going to sail through, but I did. The panic increased when I landed Kigali, I could not come to terms with the fact that there was no Rwandan Visa on my passport. But hey, the immigration officer took my passport, looked at me and asked:

"What is your mission to Rwanda, madam?" he asked with a broad smile.

"I am here to attend a 10 days journalism training," I replied.

"Can I see your invitation," he asked again in a rather friendly and hospitable manner.

"Yes sir," I answered quickly and handed him my invitation.

Ah! That was it. I was instantly approved a one month stay in Rwanda. "Welcome to Rwanda madam. Enjoy your stay here." Really? Seriously, really? I kept saying to myself. I walked away, towards the baggage pull section, still not believing that I have entered Rwanda without a visa from port of departure. Now, the Rwanda policy is one very important policy that other countries, especially African countries, have to emulate. It is stress free! And simple to!

 Rwanda/Cameroon exit and entry visas!

Now, this is what you need to know if you are planning a trip to Rwanda.

1. Have your invitation letter ready from whoever is inviting you to Rwanda. You will need to present it at your port of departure and port of entry [for the case of Cameroon].
2. Get your yellow fever shot/vaccination done.
3. Your passport should be valid.
4. Buy your flight ticket and be at the airport on time.
5. Kigali is a bit cold, so remember to go along with warm clothing.
6. Kigali doesn't allow non-biodegradable plastics so if you get there in non-biodegradable plastic wrapped bags, be sure to watch them peel it off your bags at the airport. 
7. Rwanda uses the Rwandan Francs but you will need to change your local currency to Dollars or Euro, or to Rwandan Francs itself. 
8. Rwanda is the internet hub of Africa and so you can access the fastest internet you can ever imagine.
9. All Rwandan bikers and their passengers wear helmets, at all times. 
10. No one dares to throw thrash along the road. If you do, you will be fined, so beware. The streets are very clean.
11. Rwanda has MTN. You can receive MTN calls from Cameroon for a while. Ecobank is also available. 
12. The 'visa on arrival' policy is for African nationals only. I can't say for other countries out of Africa.

Enjoy your trip to Rwanda!