Investor permit and residence in Rwanda, for foreign founders
Live in Kigali on a permit that matches your business
We choose the permit class that fits your company and investment certificate, prepare every letter and certificate, and file through Irembo with licensed partners in Kigali. You end up holding a resident permit for up to two years, permits for your family on the same date and a plan for the recurring five-year permit.
- The right sector class, consistent with your registration
- Police clearance from the right country, ordered at the right time
- Family permits and renewals on one calendar
Scope
What we do for you
A permit, uruhushya (permit, licence), covers residence and work. A visa covers a visit. We handle the work between deciding to move and holding the card.
- Permit class selectionThe letter is the sector and the digit is who you are. An investor in software holds W1, in manufacturing F1, in hospitality O1. The class must agree with the company registration and the investment certificate.
- Investor or entrepreneurIf the company is not registered with RDB, the entrepreneur class for the same sector is the usual route. We compare both before the business plan is written.
- Application letter and CVWe draft the letter naming the class and the company, and shape your CV so the experience that fits the sector is easy to find.
- Police clearance from homeThe certificate comes from the country where you lived for the six months before applying, and must be no older than six months. We tell you which authority issues it and when to order it.
- Legalisation and translationWe confirm the accepted form per country: apostille for most member states, legalisation for Germany, the UAE and Qatar, and certified English translations.
- Irembo filingLicensed partners in Kigali submit the application under the right class on Irembo and pay the fee in Rwandan francs. We track the DGIE stage.
- Dependants on M2Spouse and children apply for M2 permits at half the principal's fee, with the same validity. We file them straight after your permit is issued, so the dates line up.
- RenewalsA renewal of the first permit needs a copy of the trade licence. We put the date in your compliance calendar well ahead of expiry.
- Recurring five-year permitAfter two temporary resident permits, you can move to the recurring permit. It needs a tax clearance certificate from RRA, so we keep the company's filings in step.
Sources: DGIE, business investor, entrepreneur and dependant permits (migration.gov.rw, accessed October 2026); Ministerial Order N° 06/01 of 29/05/2019 (Refworld, UNHCR); MINAFFET on the Apostille Convention (in force for Rwanda 05/06/2024); HCCH status table (objection by Germany of 28/03/2024).
Process
How it works
The immigration decision is rarely the long part. What takes time is everything the permit rests on. DGIE does not publish a fixed processing time, and we do not promise one.
- Within 2 working days
Class and quote
You tell us who is moving, the company's activity and where you have lived. We reply with the class, the government fees and our fixed fee in writing.
- Depends on the company
Underlying status
Company registered with ORG, and for investor classes the RDB certificate, decided within two working days of a complete file.
- Allow 2–6 weeks (our estimate)
Documents from home
CV, letters, certificates and the police clearance, scheduled backwards from the filing date so nothing expires while you wait.
- DGIE stage, not published
Filing and card
The application is filed on Irembo. DGIE decides and issues the permit and the identity card your family's files refer to.
| Permit | Who it is for | Fee | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 · B1 · F1 · O1 · W1 · X1 · Z1 | Investor with an RDB-registered project: mining, agriculture, manufacturing, hospitality, IT, transport and logistics, any other sector | RWF 150,000 | Up to 2 years |
| Recurring investor permit | Investor who has held a temporary resident permit at least twice, with RRA tax clearance | RWF 250,000 | Up to 5 years |
| M2 | Spouse or child of a temporary resident permit holder | Half the principal's fee | Same as the principal |
Sources: DGIE, business investor permits and dependant permits (migration.gov.rw, accessed October 2026); Law N° 006/2021, Art. 18; Fragomen, Rwanda immigration updates.
Sources: Refworld (UNHCR) legal database; UNCTAD Investment Laws Navigator; Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr; October 2026.
The police certificate is the document that most often arrives too early or too late. Ordered first, it can pass the six-month limit while the investment certificate is still in progress. Ordered last without courier time, it holds up an otherwise complete file. We set its order date from the planned filing date.
Comparison
Doing it yourself, or with us
Irembo is a well-built portal. The difficulty lies in the documents from abroad and in keeping several dates aligned.
| Task | On your own | With Voixa |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing the class | Seven investor codes and seven entrepreneur codes. A software company whose founder applies under Z1 instead of W1 invites a question. | Class matched to the ORG registration and the RDB certificate before anything is ordered. |
| Police clearance | Residence decides the country, not the passport. A move within six months raises the question of which certificate DGIE accepts. | We name the issuing authority and check the accepted country before you order two. |
| Legalisation | Apostille, legalisation and translation rules differ by country, and German documents follow their own chain. | Accepted form confirmed per document before it is requested. |
| Family files | Marriage and birth certificates, a police clearance for each dependant over 18, a copy of your card. | Filed straight after your permit, so every family permit ends on the same date. |
| Tax clearance for five years | RRA issues it only when the company's returns are filed and its taxes paid. | Permit renewal sits in the same calendar as the tax deadlines. |
| Resident director | A founder who stays abroad cannot fill the company's resident director seat. | A founder who moves can. Otherwise we introduce resident professionals through partners, and the company appoints them. We never provide nominees. |
Sources: DGIE permit pages (migration.gov.rw, accessed October 2026); Law N° 007/2021, Arts. 7(4) and 157, via Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr.
Profiles
Who this is for
Three illustrative profiles. None of them is a client.
A manufacturer moving to run the plant
A founder with a registered project in the Special Economic Zone, applying under F1, with key engineers on employment permits.
Read the permit classes → Umujyi wa KigaliA family relocating to Gasabo
An IT founder on W1, a spouse and two children on M2, a lease in Kibagabaga or Nyarutarama and private health insurance with evacuation cover.
Read living in Kigali → Murakaza nezaAn investor who visits first
A director flying in for the bank and the board on a visa on arrival, applying for residence only once the project is ready.
Read visas →Your country of residence decides the police certificate and how it is legalised. A German resident orders a Führungszeugnis from the Federal Office of Justice, which then needs legalisation. A UK resident uses ACRO. A Russian citizen living in Spain provides the Spanish certificate. A German founder resident in Dubai provides the UAE one, legalised, because the UAE is outside the Apostille Convention.
Sources: DGIE, permit requirements (migration.gov.rw); German Federal Office of Justice; ACRO Criminal Records Office; HCCH Apostille Convention status table; accessed October 2026.
Questions
What founders ask before they sign
What will this cost?
The investor permit fee is RWF 150,000 for up to two years, and each M2 permit costs half that. Police certificates, legalisation and translations are paid in the issuing country. Our fee is fixed and quoted in writing within two working days.
How long does it take?
The company and the RDB certificate come first, and RDB decides within two working days of a complete file. Documents from abroad depend on the issuing country and the courier. DGIE publishes no fixed processing time, so we schedule the steps we control and track the rest.
Do I need to be in Rwanda to apply?
The application is filed online on Irembo. You will be in Kigali to live and work once the permit is issued, and some original documents may need to be presented there. Until then, every nationality can get a visa on arrival for visits.
What if the application is refused or queried?
The avoidable risks are a class that does not match the registration and certificate, and a police clearance past its six months. We check both before filing. If DGIE asks for more, we prepare the reply and refile under the right class.
Do I need an investment certificate?
For the investor classes, yes: it is part of the file. If registration with RDB does not make sense for your business, the entrepreneur class for your sector is the usual route and does not need the certificate.
Can my family come with me?
Yes. A spouse and children apply for M2 permits at half your fee, with the same validity. Each dependant over 18 needs a police clearance from the country of residence.
Can we work in Russian?
Yes. Advice is in English and Russian. Applications to DGIE are filed in English, with certified translations of foreign documents.
What happens after the permit is issued?
You hold the identity card, dependants follow, and we track renewal. After two temporary permits you can apply for the recurring permit at RWF 250,000 for up to five years, with a tax clearance certificate from RRA.
Sources: DGIE permit pages and visa on arrival policy (migration.gov.rw, accessed October 2026); Law N° 006/2021, Art. 18.
Fixed quote
Tell us about your plan
We reply within two working days with the steps, the government fees and our fixed fee in writing.
Your enquiry
Guides
Read before you decide
Investor and work permits
Permit classes by sector, fees, the recurring five-year permit and dependants.
Read more → Murakaza nezaVisas and business visits
Visa on arrival, fee waivers, flights to Kigali and a business week planned.
Read more → Umujyi wa KigaliLiving and working in Kigali
Neighbourhoods, housing, healthcare, schools and permits for family.
Read more →Sources for this page: DGIE, permit categories, dependant permits and visa policy (migration.gov.rw, accessed October 2026); Law N° 57/2018 and Ministerial Order N° 06/01 of 29/05/2019 (Refworld, UNHCR); MINAFFET and HCCH on the Apostille Convention; Law N° 007/2021 via Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr; October 2026.