Rwanda
Regulations on entry, stay, residence, and treatment access for people living with HIV
The categories of restriction are:
- No restrictions on entry or staying.
Restrictions on entry to Rwanda
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on entry to Rwanda based on HIV status.
According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Rwanda does not have any HIV-related restrictions on entry.
The website of the Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration has a list of supporting documents that should be included with a visa application and none of those documents makes reference to HIV or the general health of the applicant.
Yellow fever vaccination is required if entering from a country where yellow fever is endemic and/or where there is an active outbreak of yellow fever.
Restrictions on short-term stay in Rwanda
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on short-term stay in Rwanda based on HIV status.
According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Rwanda does not have any HIV-related restrictions on short-term stay.
The website of the Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration has a list of supporting documents that should be included with an employment permit application and none of those documents makes reference to HIV or the general health of the applicant.
Restrictions on long-term stay in Rwanda
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on long-term stay in Rwanda based on HIV status.
According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Rwanda does not have any HIV-related restrictions on long-term stay.
Treatment access in Rwanda
The following summarises available information on access to healthcare for people living with HIV in Rwanda. There is some evidence that non-nationals are restricted from accessing treatment in the same way as nationals.
IOM reports that all refugees have equal access to healthcare as citizens. While migrants do not have access to public health care on the same basis as nationals, Law No. 48 Governing the Organization, Functioning and Management of Health Insurance Schemes in Rwanda (2015) stipulates in Article 3 that “[a]ny person, whether a Rwandan or a foreign national, who is on the Rwandan territory shall be required to have health insurance”. Any person entering the Rwandan territory without having any other form of insurance must subscribe to any insurance scheme of his or her choice within a period not exceeding 30 days. Therefore, migrants covered by the mandatory health insurance or upon full payment of fees may access public healthcare services.
Migrants do not formally have equal access to Government-funded education as nationals. The Constitution states that only “[e]very Rwandan has the right to education”. Although it does not distinguish between nationals and migrants, the Law Governing the Organization and Functioning of Nursery, Primary and Secondary Education (2012) states that primary education is compulsory and free across Rwanda. In practice, both migrants and nationals can access private secondary and vocational education under the same conditions.
Sources
The HIV Justice Network's Global HIV Criminalisation Database
Visit the Rwanda page on the Global HIV Criminalisation Database to see more information about known HIV criminalisation laws in this country, an overview of how the laws are used, and any significant advocacy developments.
UNAIDS Global AIDS monitoring data
This information about access to HIV services comes from UNAIDS https://lawsandpolicies.unaids.org/, a platform to view data on HIV-related laws and policies. This is information provided by national authorities and civil society and may contradict other sources.
Migrant populations
| Laws/policies enable documented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable documented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable undocumented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | No |
| Laws/policies enable undocumented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | N/A |
| Migrants are able to access HIV services | Yes |
Refugees and asylum seekers
| Laws/policies enable asylum seekers to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable asylum seekers to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable refugees to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable refugees to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | Yes |
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This site focuses on information about HIV travel. Please also consult your own Foreign Office/Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, or the local consulate of the country you are visiting, to see what restrictions there are specifically for you as a citizen of your country, regardless of your HIV status.
