Information for Visitors to CMU-­‐R Visas for Rwanda Nationals of Australia, Germany, Israel, New Zealand, Republic of South Africa, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States of America will be issued with entry visa valid for a period up to 30 days and pay for a visa ($30) upon arrival without prior application. Nationals of other countries should apply online or at a Rwandan embassy in advance for a visitor visa. Note that the online visa takes 3 working days to process. However, always check with www.migration.gov.rw or your embassy for the latest updates about visas. Health in Rwanda It's vital that you always check the latest recommendations with your own doctor or travel clinic before you travel. Yellow fever certificate is required for entry into Rwanda. Malaria is widespread throughout Rwanda, so malaria precautions are generally essential. The hospital of reference is King Faisal in Kacyiru, emergency contact: (250) 252 58 88 88. Weather and climate in Rwanda Rwanda presents visitors with a pleasant tropical highland climate, although rainfall is not uncommon; most of the times the temperatures in Kigali range from 70-­‐85 degrees Fahrenheit (21-­‐30C) with moderate humidity. Time in Rwanda Rwanda is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2) in the Central Africa Time Zone (CAT). We do not observe summer time so there is no time difference between the months in the year. Time differences with your location can be checked at www.timeanddate.com Currency in Rwanda Rwanda's currency is the Rwandan franc (RWF). Currently (Apr 2016), US$1 = Rwf 780; you can check the latest exchange rates with www.bnr.gov. rw but you will be given better rates in different forex bureaus throughout the city. The above rate applies for $100 bills that are dated 2006 or newer. If you have bills older than 2006 the exchange rate will be less, and this applies also to bills of low denominations like $20, $10 and $5. Visa/ Mastercard ATM machines are found in many neighborhoods in Kigali and there are many in the city centre. You can transact with your Mastercard or Visa card from Bank of Kigali/ Ecobank ATM or points of sales merchant at increasing numbers of locations countrywide. Opposite Serena, there is a Bank of Kigali ATM and you can make payment in hotels, restaurants and supermarket using your card but please note that credit cards are not yet accepted everywhere in Rwanda so it is wise to ask the merchant beforehand. Rwanda's International Dialling Code Rwanda's International Dialling Code is +250. Calling from Rwanda, you need to dial +1 for the United States, followed by an area code and local number. Cellphone information The different mobile networks are called MTN, Airtel and Tigo. The price for a SIM card is 500Frw (less than 1USD) and can be found in any place having those logos. You will need to register in order to get a new SIM card using your Identity card or passport, the SIM will give you access to calls and data and the best rates are available using bundles or packets. To get Internet data packet, you can dial *345# follow the instructions for the bundles you need with MTN, *456# for Airtel and *222# for Tigo. Travelling in Rwanda Regular car taxi will cost you 3-­‐5,000RWF for a trip from downtown to the surrounding neighborhoods, 3,000 for a local down town trip. Expect those prices to be increased by 1-­‐2,000RWF at night. Airport taxis from Kigali Airport to CMU-­‐R will cost 7,000 RWF. CMU-­‐R transportation is available for CMU-­‐R related appointments. Please call our Administrative coordinator Flavia Mugire -­‐ 078 862-­‐4384 or Alphonse – 078 852-­‐2412 Language in Rwanda The main language spoken in Rwanda is Kinyarwanda. French is widespread and English is also spoken by many people who are in contact with visitors. Shopping for Rwandan souvenirs Azizi Life and Inema Arts are both located at Heaven Restaurant in Kiyovu. Caplaki is the Kigali’s largest souvenir market and is located in Kiyovu-­‐ Rugunga. Local jams and honeys can be purchased at supermarkets such as Frulep in Gikondo. Tourism in Rwanda Visit http://www.rwandatourism.com/ for the places to visit in Rwanda and for travel arrangement, check out the following agency http://www.primatesafaris-­‐rwanda.com/ Quick References CMU-­‐R Administrative Coordinators CMU-­‐R Transportation (Alphonse) CMU-­‐R Operations Ramba Methode (Help with searching for Housing) Hospital Emergency Contact (Faisal) HelloFood for food deliveries Airport Taxi Car Rental Car Rental Rwanda USA Embassy +250 (0) 786183378/ +250 (0) 788624384 +250 (0) 788 522412 +250 (0) 788407270 +250 (0) 7880720834 +250 (0) 252 58 88 88 +250 (0) 788 553338 +250 (0) 782 862 540 +250 (0) 252 571355 +250 (0) 783 188794