Rwanda Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in rwanda, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Import Requirements and Documentation
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Import documentation to Rwanda may be found in the Rwanda Trade Portal and includes:

  1. Air Waybill (Airfreight) or Bill of Lading (Sea freight)
  2. Commercial Invoice(s) or equivalent document(s)
  3. Packing List
  4. Import Declaration Form (IDF)
  5. Importer’s Tax Identification Number (TIN) and VAT numbers
  6. Duties and Taxes Exemption Certificates
  7. National Drug Authority Certificate or permit for import of drug and pharmaceuticals
  8. Phytosanitary certificates for import of agricultural products.
  9. Registration/De-registration Card of country of origin of old/used vehicles
  10. Gift Certificates, if gifted to any organization eligible for duty free clearance
  11. Passport of the individual for clearance of personal effects
  12. Certificate of Origin, especially for goods imported from COMESA countries

Resources on Rules of Origin:

Since 2012, the RRA has employed the One Single Electronic Window, an online system for filing, issuing, and modifying export and import declarations.  Through scanning and uploading of key documentation such as certificates of origin or quality and customs declarations, the system allows importers, exporters, or their brokers to send or receive information or documents to the concerned agencies related with the clearing process at one point without moving from one agent to another.

More information on

Procedures for importing goods into Rwanda include the following steps:

  1. Obtain notice of arrival of the goods (avis d’arrivee)
  2. Submit goods arrival notice for verification by Rwanda Standards Board
  3. Obtain manifest.
  4. Submit import document to the clearing agent for tax calculation.
  5. Pay import tax.
  6. Obtain an invoice for warehouse handling fees.
  7. Pay warehouse fees for goods handling.
  8. Obtain goods exit note.

In addition to documented and physical verification at border posts, importing taxpayers may be subject to Post-Clearance Audits (PCA). 

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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