Before you start

Valid foreign driving licence
Residence permit
Medical certificate from a registered doctor
Irembo account

Step-by-step

1
Drive on your foreign licence for the first twelve months
Rwanda allows a resident to use a foreign licence for twelve months from when they start using it. Carry an International Driving Permit alongside as translation.
In personWho: You12 months
2
Get a medical certificate
A registered doctor must certify you are in sound health, with particular attention to eyesight. This is a required document, not a formality.
In personWho: You
3
File the exchange on Irembo
Rwanda National Police handle testing and licensing. Upload the foreign licence, medical certificate and identity documents and pay through the portal.
OnlineWho: YouRWF 50,000
4
Attend for processing and collection
Police publish a maximum of twenty-one days for the exchange.
In personWho: YouUp to 21 days
5
Adjust to right-hand driving and moto traffic
Rwanda drives on the right, unlike Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Motos are everywhere, roads are steep and well surfaced in the centre, and enforcement of speed and seatbelt rules is real.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Foreign driving licence
Medical certificate
Passport and residence permit
Passport photographs
Irembo payment reference

Things most newcomers don’t know

Rwanda drives on the right — the only one of the four countries in this cluster that does.

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania all drive on the left. If you are relocating within East Africa, or driving a car up from Dar or Mombasa, that is a genuine adjustment rather than a footnote, and it shows up worst at roundabouts and on the first night drive.

Source: Rwanda National Police road rules

Twelve months is a use-based window, not an arrival-based one.

The rule is that a foreign licence may be used for twelve months, so the clock runs on your driving here rather than on your permit. Do not assume a renewed residence permit resets it. Exchange it well inside the year and the whole question disappears.

Source: Rwanda National Police — exchanging a foreign driving licence

Most Kigali residents use motos rather than owning a car, and the motos are metered.

Motorcycle taxis are the city's real transport layer, drivers carry a spare helmet by law, and app-based meters have largely replaced haggling. For a compact hilly city with light traffic this works better than car ownership, and it makes the licence exchange optional for many people.

Source: community-reported, consistently

The medical certificate is a required document and people discover it late.

It has to come from a registered doctor and it is checked. Booking it at the same time as you start the Irembo application, rather than after the portal asks for it, saves a week — and clinics in Kacyiru and Kimihurura know exactly what is wanted.

Source: Rwanda National Police licensing requirements

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming Rwanda drives on the left because its neighbours do.
Letting the twelve-month window pass and driving on a licence that is no longer valid here.
Arriving at the exchange without the medical certificate.
Riding a moto without the helmet the driver offers — it is required and it is enforced.
Bringing a left-hand-drive habit to Kigali's roundabouts, where local practice is confident and fast.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.