Rwanda permanent residence: classes, fees and conditions

Article 20 of Ministerial Order N° 06/01 sets the classes. L-1 may be issued to a foreigner who has been legally resident in Rwanda for an aggregate of ten years. L-2 is for a foreigner who made an exceptional contribution to Rwanda or is of particular interest to Rwanda. L-3 is for senior staff of a multinational organisation or company of special interest operating in Rwanda, while they work there. L-4 is for members of the Rwandan community abroad who took a nationality of a country that does not accept dual nationality.

L-5 is for a foreigner married to a permanent residence holder, L-6 for a child of a permanent residence holder who has reached 25, and L-7 is issued on humanitarian grounds to a foreigner in need of protection because of personal circumstances or circumstances beyond their control.

Annex IV of Ministerial Order N° 06/01 sets the fees in Rwandan francs: L-1 FRW 300,000, L-2 free, L-3 FRW 300,000, L-4 FRW 150,000, L-5 and L-6 half of the principal applicant’s fee, and L-7 FRW 50,000. A resident identity card costs FRW 5,000. Fees are not refunded if the application is refused.

The DGIE’s permanent permits page gives one instruction: applicants should contact the DGIE before making any application. It does not publish a document checklist, so the Directorate tells each applicant what to file. Contacts for permit questions are permit@migration.gov.rw and permitdocs@migration.gov.rw; the main line is +250 788 152 222.

For L-1, keep records of your continuous legal status, such as past permits and resident cards, since the ten years are counted as an aggregate of legal residence.

A permanent residence permit may be cancelled if the holder is convicted of a felony, if the holder has been out of Rwanda for more than three consecutive years, unless abroad in the service of the State or as the dependant of such a person, or for any other reason relating to national security. The three-year rule does not apply to members of the Rwandan community residing abroad.

A permanent resident and his or her family members have the right to stay in Rwanda in accordance with the Order. A child living with parents who hold permanent residence is registered on the parents’ permit at the DGIE until age 25, when the child applies for an own permanent permit (L-6). Close relatives of a permanent resident can obtain an M3 permit for three years.