Travel Smart
Honest, sourced guidance so you travel confident. Most of any country is calmer than the headlines suggest.
Safety
Countrywide advisory (Government of Canada)
Exercise normal precautionsExercise normal security precautions (with regional advisories) Regional advisories apply; see the source for zone-level detail.
Source: Government of Canada · Verified 2026-07-26
Kigali and Central Rwanda
Exercise normal precautionsCapital and surrounding areas are safe with normal precautions. Petty theft is rare. The city is clean, organized, and welcoming.
Common scams: Unlicensed taxis; use Uber or official taxi services.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
Volcanoes National Park and Northern Rwanda
Exercise normal precautionsPark and surrounding regions are safe and well-monitored for gorilla trekking. Park rangers and guides ensure security.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
Lakes Region and Western Rwanda
Exercise normal precautionsLake Kivu, Nyungwe Forest, and western regions are safe and increasingly touristed. Infrastructure is developing.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
Border Areas (Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, DRC)
Exercise increased cautionEastern and western borders are generally safe on the Rwandan side. DRC side should be avoided; seek advice before crossing.
Avoid: Do not cross into eastern DRC. Border crossings are safe; it is areas beyond that require caution.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
5 zones rated separately against Government of Canada, UK FCDO. Oldest check on this page: 6 July 2026.
Emergency Contacts
Rwanda National Police
police
112 reaches the police per the UK Foreign Office, and the same number is given for ambulance.
SourceAmbulance
ambulance
The UK Foreign Office gives 112 for ambulance as well as police. A separate number, 912, circulates widely for medical emergencies in Rwanda but does not appear on the Foreign Office page, so it is not carried here. If 112 does not connect you to medical help, ask your hotel for the current dispatch number.
SourceFire and rescue
fire
111 is the fire line per the UK Foreign Office, distinct from the 112 used for police and ambulance.
SourceKing Faysal Hospital
hospital · Kigali
Kigali's main referral hospital and the one most visitors are taken to, listed on the UK Foreign Office's own register of medical facilities in Rwanda. The Foreign Office notes that the list is not exhaustive and that it endorses no facility on it. The name is also commonly written King Faisal.
SourceDeva Medical Centre
hospital · Kigali
A private clinic in Kigali on the same Foreign Office register, useful for anything short of a major emergency.
Source