Rwanda Explains How Many Years Foreigners Must Live in the Country before Applying for Citizenship
- Rwanda's government has outlined the residency requirement foreigners must meet before they can apply for citizenship by acquisition
- The application process is handled by the Directorate-General of Immigration and Emigration and carries a fee of RWF 10,000 (N9,263)
- Applicants need valid identification documents and must demonstrate integrity and good conduct to qualify for consideration
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Rwanda requires foreigners to have legally resided and physically lived in the country for a minimum of 15 years before they can apply for citizenship through acquisition based on residence.
The Rwandan government published the conditions governing this pathway to nationality, noting that the 15-year period must be completed by the date of application.
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Beyond the residency threshold, applicants must also demonstrate integrity and good conduct as part of the eligibility criteria.
How to apply for Rwandan nationality
The service is processed by the Directorate-General of Immigration and Emigration (DGIE), which handles all applications submitted under this category.
The application fee is set at RWF 10,000 (N9,263), and the government allows up to 180 days to process each submission. A follow-up period of six months is also observed after the reception of an application.
Applicants are not required to hold an existing IremboGov account before applying, meaning those without one can still submit their request.
Accepted forms of identification include a National ID, foreign ID, refugee ID, refugee travel document, CEPGL, laissez-passer, or any other recognised form of identification.
For those with passports, the document must be an ordinary, diplomatic, or service passport.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported on the list of African countries that are eligible for free visa on arrival in Rwanda for 90 days.
Nigeria approves visa waiver for Rwanda
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Nigeria had approved a 30-day visa waiver for citizens of Rwanda.
This policy serves as a direct response to a reciprocal travel gesture previously extended to Nigerians by the Rwandan government.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu initially made the policy announcement during the Africa CEO Forum held in Kigali, Rwanda.
Source: Legit.ng
