Rwanda customs allowances for travellers

Where the rules come from

Rwanda applies the East African Community Customs Management Act 2004. The revised edition of 2011 published by the Rwanda Revenue Authority says passenger allowances are set in Part B of the Fifth Schedule of the Act ⁵. The Fifth Schedule text could not be opened for this page, so the figures below have not been checked against the Act itself.

The figures on this page come from a Rwanda Revenue Authority page on passengers' baggage and personal effects. It carries a 2016 copyright notice and no other date, so the figures may be out of date ¹. On 24 October 2026 the authority's main website showed an upgrade notice in place of its travellers pages, and no current RRA page with these figures could be opened. Help is on 3004 or WhatsApp +250 739 008 010 ⁴.

Duty-free allowances for adults

The allowances apply to a traveller aged 18 or over. They do not apply to unaccompanied baggage ¹.

Conditions on baggage and the US$500 allowance

• Goods must belong to the passenger, travel with the passenger and be for personal or household use, in kinds and quantities the customs officer allows ¹.
• Alcoholic drinks, perfumes and tobacco beyond the allowances, fabric in pieces, most motor vehicles and goods for trade are excluded from the baggage exemption ¹.
• The US$500 allowance covers goods other than those above. They must be accompanied and declared to an officer, and the traveller must have been outside the Partner State for more than 24 hours ¹.
• Baggage exemptions apply to baggage imported within 90 days of arrival. The Commissioner General may extend this to 360 days ¹.
• A person who receives an exemption and leaves the Partner States within 90 days must export the effects within 30 days, or 60 days with the Commissioner's approval. Otherwise duty becomes payable from the date of import ¹.

Residents, returnees and visitors

A person changing residence may bring clothing and household effects used at the former residence, plus one personally owned vehicle used abroad for at least 12 months. Buses and minibuses with more than 13 seats and load vehicles over two tonnes are excluded. The person must be at least 18 ¹.

For the returnee vehicle exemption, the returnee must have lived abroad for at least one year and owned the vehicle for at least 12 months ¹. The documents listed are a letter from a Rwandan embassy confirming the stay abroad and the return, the vehicle registration certificate, the original invoice, the bill of lading and a passport. The vehicle must be left-hand drive ¹.

Temporary visitors staying up to three months may bring non-consumable goods they will take back out, plus reasonable amounts of consumables and non-alcoholic drinks ¹. Returning residents who are not changing residence may bring clothing and personal or household effects ¹.

Declaring cash

Regulations No 002/FIC/2021 of the Financial Intelligence Centre were published in the Official Gazette on 26 August 2021 ². A traveller entering, leaving or passing through Rwanda may carry up to USD 10,000 or its equivalent in other currencies without declaring it. Amounts above that must be declared ².

The declaration goes to a competent authority at the border, airport or port, such as immigration, the Rwanda National Police or the Rwanda Revenue Authority. It can be made in writing, electronically or on a form available at the entry point ². The authority sends declarations to the Financial Intelligence Centre within two days ².

For a false declaration or a failure to declare, officials may hold the cash for up to two hours and question the carrier. They may impose an immediate administrative fine of 5 percent of the value, without prejudice to criminal sanctions ².

Plastic bags

Law N° 17/2019 of 10/08/2019, published in Official Gazette n° 37 bis of 23/09/2019, prohibits the manufacturing, use, importation and sale of plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items ³. Customs is among the bodies the law names for inspection ³. A person who imports these items loses them and faces an administrative fine of ten times their value ³. The law does not set a separate rule for travellers' bags ³.