How RURA's 2024 regulation registers a visitor
Regulation 18/R/SM-ICT/RURA/2024, dated 9 August 2024, deals with SIM card registration. Article 9 covers foreigners without a resident permit: the applicant must present the travel document used to enter Rwanda, a passport or ID; the operator must carry out a fingerprint verification with the immigration directorate, take a live facial image and match it against the travel document; and the SIM is activated only after the identity checks are complete. Where a visitor has a defaced fingerprint or a disability, the regulation allows registration by facial image alone.
The same regulation limits foreigners registering under a passport to one SIM card per network, and restricts SIM registration to one SIM per ID within 24 hours. A tourist's SIM is deactivated by the operator five days after the visa expires or is cancelled. For a short stay the practical consequences are: go in person, bring the passport you entered with, expect biometric steps and do not count on buying several SIMs on one network.
The regulation also lets operators deactivate a SIM that has been inactive for 90 days and place it in dormancy, so a visitor who intends to return should keep the line topped up or expect to register again.
MTN's starter pack and registration
MTN Rwanda's help pages say a new SIM card is free and available at MTN kiosks, service centres and Connect Shops, and that registration needs a valid ID or passport. Its starter pack was listed at RWF 200 for 48 hours, including unlimited MTN-to-MTN calls, 300 minutes to other networks, 1 GB of data and 100 SMS to MTN numbers, bought by dialling *100# and choosing My Deals then option 99. It is available to new SIMs for 90 days from registration and is valid in Rwanda only, with no international calls or roaming.
That is a very short bundle, so a stay of more than a couple of days needs an ordinary data bundle bought afterwards. MTN's pages we opened do not list a visitor-specific package, so ask at the counter which bundles suit a week of mapping and messaging.
We could not open Airtel Rwanda's visitor or eSIM details. Its homepage mentions prepaid and visitor SIM options, eSIM services and registration, but gives no figures.
The MTN eSIM is an in-person purchase
MTN says its eSIM costs RWF 500 and must be bought, or swapped from a physical SIM, at an MTN Service Centre with your original ID or passport and a supported phone. It says activation over the phone is not available. Dial *#06# to see whether the phone has an eSIM identification number, and MTN says you can keep a physical SIM and the eSIM at the same time for two numbers.
In other words the local eSIM is not a way to land with a connection already working. If you need data on arrival, arrange another route for the first hours, and bring the handset, not just a photo of it, to the service centre.
The 3G switch-off and what it means for older phones
The Ministry of ICT and Innovation announced on 28 July 2026 that 3G would be switched off nationwide on 30 June 2027, with 2G retirement targeted for December 2028 subject to assessment. During 2026 operators are to expand 4G coverage, confirm Voice over LTE reliability and run trial shutdowns in selected areas, and the government says it will proceed only once 4G coverage and call quality, including in rural areas, meet standards.
For a visitor in 2026 the point is compatibility: a phone that works only on 2G or 3G, or that does not support Voice over LTE, is a poor candidate for a trip taken close to or after the switch-off. Most smartphones from recent years handle 4G, but check your handset's supported bands before travelling.
Visas, passports and a rule about drones
The UK Foreign Office says British citizens can obtain a free 30-day visa on arrival as Commonwealth citizens or apply in advance, that a passport must be valid for six months after arrival with a blank page, and that a yellow fever certificate is needed from countries with transmission risk. It also says drones must be declared on arrival and may be confiscated or held until you leave.
Rwanda's immigration visa service runs on the Irembo portal, where Irembo's support page describes a four-day processing time, document uploads including a passport biodata page and photo, and payment by card or at the Bank of Kigali. Entry rules differ by nationality, so check the portal for your own.
Emergency numbers and your home line
The UK Foreign Office lists 112 for police and ambulance in Rwanda, and 111 for fire.
Apple says an iPhone should be unlocked for a local eSIM and that you pick the data line in Settings, Cellular. Google says Pixel 3a and later phones can combine one physical SIM and one eSIM. Samsung describes SIM manager for eSIM setup. Since MTN's eSIM is issued in person, check the handset's list before the visit. Our Rwanda plan page is an option for data bought before the flight.
Networks our Rwanda plans use
These are the operators named on our plans for Rwanda, taken from the plan data, so the list follows the catalogue.
- Airtel4G
- Airtel Rwanda Limited4G
- MTN4G
- MTN RwandaCell4G
- MTN-RWA4G
- Tigo Ruwanda4G