This service allows users to renew their expired visa. Only foreigners living and working in the country can apply for this service. The visa renewal application is received and processed by the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration (DGIE) office.
A visa’s processing time is 7 days and the price depends on the type of visa.
Prerequisites:
Applicants with or without an account can apply for this service.
Applicants should have a Nationality and Document Type.
If the applicant is not sure about the Visa Type they should apply for, they are advised to contact the office of the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration on visa@migration.gov.rw or call +250 722 17 29 74 before applying.
Attachments differ depending on the “Visa Type.” Common attachments are Application letter, Copy of passport biodata page, and Photo with white background.
Click here to learn more about Visa Types.
List of Visa Classes that can be extended:
SUB CLASS V1 (Holiday) and SUB CLASS V2 (Family Visit): are valid for 30 days on a single entry and 90 days for multiple entries together
SUB CLASS V3-2 (Accredited Diplomat): is valid for 2 years
SUBCLASS V4 (Job Search): is valid for 90 days
SUB CLASS V6 (Prospective Investor, Entrepreneur or Trader): is valid for 90 days
SUBCLASS V7 (Medical Treatment): is valid for 90 days
SUBCLASS V9 (Itinerant Business): is valid from 2-10 years
SUB CLASS V12 (Reciprocity): is valid for 10 years are renewable
SUBCLASS V10 (Bridging Visa): validity that’s not exceeding 90 days may be extended in exceptional circumstances
NOTE:
Extension of a visa should be applied while the initial visa is still valid
A grace period of 5 days after a visa has expired is allowed for a person to either depart the country or renew their visa without a penalty; otherwise, the person will be subjected to a penalty and a visa extension may be denied.
To avoid penalties, the applicant should apply/renew the visa in time before expiration of the current visa. Penalty fee is Rwf 50,000 for a delay of 6 to 15 days. Article 58 of the Ministerial Order establishing procedures and regulations categorizes other penalties from 16 days to 9 months and above.
Applicants should have a valid phone number and email address.
Follow these simple steps to apply for a visa renewal:
Visit Irembo platform: www.irembo.gov.rw and under Immigration and Emigration, click on
Visa Application
Choose “Renew Visa” under the Request Type and Click on Apply
Enter the Applicant details (Payment for this service depends on the Visa Type.)
Enter the Demographic details.
Enter the Request and Travel Details. The Collection Office is automatically set depending on the applicant’s residence details.
Attach all the required documents in the right format and size.
Click on Next to proceed.
Verify that the information is true, enter a phone number and/or email address, check the verification box, and click Submit.
If the visa applied for is free of charge, the application will immediately be sent to DGIE’s system for processing.
If the visa applied for is NOT a free visa, a billing Number/ID (88…) will be generated for payment, Click Pay.
Applicants choose the mode of payment: offline (Bank of Kigali) or online (Visa or MasterCard). For more information about payment modes, click here.
NOTE: After applying and successfully paying via IremboGov, the Applicant receives a notification from the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration with the application’s status update.