Rwanda · Retire or live on savings
Rwanda Assured income / retiree (K)
First stay: 2 yrs
K: Temporary residence permit - assured income, including retired persons not intending to be employed
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Assured income / retiree (K) is a retire or live on savings route for Rwanda. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Government fees
- RWF 150k ≈ $100
- Processing
- Up to 10 days
- First stay
- 2 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: government fee RWF 150k ≈ $100; decision: up to 10 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government feesRWF 150k ≈ $100
- RWF 150,000 (≈ $100)Application fee for a new or renewed permit.
RenewalRenewable
The permit is valid for up to two years. Renewal needs your retirement certificate, six months of Rwandan bank statements and local medical insurance.
Permanent residenceAfter 10 years of residence
A permanent residence permit (class L-1) may be issued to a foreigner who has legally lived in Rwanda for a total of ten years.
CitizenshipAfter 15 years of residence
You can apply for Rwandan nationality by residence after legally living and physically residing in Rwanda for at least 15 years, which the Directorate asks you to show with residence permits covering 15 consecutive years, with good conduct and knowledge of Rwandan culture.
Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and EmigrationDirectorate General of Immigration and Emigration, Rwanda
ProcessingUp to 10 days
Once you submit the required documents, the permit is to be granted within ten days of applying.
Where to applyInside the country
You apply for the residence permit after you arrive in Rwanda; first-time applicants have a 15-day grace period from arrival.
What you'll need
Who can apply1
- The applicant has an assured income and does not intend to be employed in Rwanda; a retired foreigner is the case the page documents.
What you must show and pay1
- A fee of RWF 150,000 (≈ $100) · Application fee for a new or renewed permit.
Documents6
- New applications need a detailed curriculum vitae.
- New applications need an original police clearance from the country of residence for the previous six months.
- New applications need a retirement certificate.
- New applications need a bank statement from a bank in Rwanda.
- New applications need an application letter.
- New applications need local (Rwandan) medical insurance.
After you arrive3
- Renewal needs a retirement certificate and an application letter.
- Renewal needs bank statements for the six preceding months.
- Renewal needs local medical insurance.
What happens at day 183
How Rwanda decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 2 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in the tax periodPresence in Rwanda in aggregate for 183 days or more makes an individual resident; permanent residence, habitual abode or a 122-day average over the two preceding periods are alternative tests.
- Foreign-source income
A resident taxpayer is liable to personal income tax on all domestic and foreign-source income; employment income is taxed monthly at 0% to RWF 60,000, (≈ $41) 10% to 100,000, 20% to 200,000 and 30% above.
All tax rules for Rwanda Tax records checked
What you need to arrange
- Health insurance
New applications need local (Rwandan) medical insurance
- Bank account / funds
New applications need a bank statement from a bank in Rwanda
- Police certificate and civil documents
New applications need an original police clearance from the country of residence for the previous six months
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Permit for a foreigner with assured income, including a retired foreigner, who does not intend to be employed in Rwanda. 1 2 3 4
What you must show and pay
- A fee of RWF 150,000 (≈ $100) · Application fee for a new or renewed permit. 1
Requirements
- The applicant has an assured income and does not intend to be employed in Rwanda; a retired foreigner is the case the page documents. 1
- New applications need a detailed curriculum vitae. 1
- New applications need an original police clearance from the country of residence for the previous six months. 1
- New applications need a retirement certificate. 1
- New applications need a bank statement from a bank in Rwanda. 1
- New applications need an application letter. 1
- New applications need local (Rwandan) medical insurance. 1
- Renewal needs a retirement certificate and an application letter. 1
- Renewal needs bank statements for the six preceding months. 1
- Renewal needs local medical insurance. 1
Stay
- Up to two years.
- First stay: up to 24 months, decided case by case.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
EAC citizens do not pay for residence permits.
Work
Not employed in Rwanda.
Family
Spouse and children may apply for a dependent permit (M2) with the same validity as the holder; the application fee is half of the holder's fee.
Fine print
The page states no minimum income or bank balance; it asks for a retirement certificate and a statement from a bank in Rwanda.
Official sources
- DGIE permit services: other permits (including Class K assured income) · Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, Rwanda · checked 2026-10-12
- Dependent permits (M1, M2, M3) · Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, Rwanda · checked 2026-10-12
- EAC Partner States · East African Community · checked 2026-10-11
- DGIE permit services: general information · Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, Rwanda · checked 2026-10-10
- Ministerial Order N°06/01 of 29/05/2019 relating to Immigration and Emigration · Government of Rwanda · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2019-05-30
- Organic Law No 002/2021.OL of 16/07/2021 relating to Rwandan nationality · Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration (Official Gazette) · checked 2026-10-12
- Citizenship: required documents for Rwandan nationality by acquisition · Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, Rwanda · checked 2026-10-12
Assured income / retiree (K) and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assured income / retiree (K) | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Own-means residence card Morocco | – | 10 yr, renewable | – |
| PR · Financially independent South Africa | Needs assets of ZAR 12M+ ≈ $725k | – | – |
| Retired non-citizen permit Mauritius | Needs income of $2,000+ a month | 10 yr, renewable | No |
| Retiree permanent residence Cabo Verde | – | – | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Assured income / retiree (K)?
A fee of RWF 150,000 (≈ $100). Application fee for a new or renewed permit.
How long can I stay on the Assured income / retiree (K)?
Up to two years.
How long does the Assured income / retiree (K) take to process?
Once you submit the required documents, the permit is to be granted within ten days of applying.
Can I work on the Assured income / retiree (K)?
Not employed in Rwanda.
Can I bring my family on the Assured income / retiree (K)?
Spouse and children may apply for a dependent permit (M2) with the same validity as the holder; the application fee is half of the holder's fee.
Does the Assured income / retiree (K) lead to permanent residence in Rwanda?
Time on the Assured income / retiree (K) counts toward permanent residence in Rwanda, which the rules allow after 10 years of residence. Time on the Assured income / retiree (K) counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 15 years of residence.
How are Assured income / retiree (K) holders taxed in Rwanda?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Assured income / retiree (K). The standard rules apply: A resident taxpayer is liable to personal income tax on all domestic and foreign-source income; employment income is taxed monthly at 0% to RWF 60,000, (≈ $41) 10% to 100,000, 20% to 200,000 and 30% above.
More in Rwanda
Retirement and live-on-savings visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
Ask the AI about this route AI
An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.
How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 7 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- DGIE permit services: other permits (including Class K assured income) · Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, Rwanda · checked 2026-10-12
- Dependent permits (M1, M2, M3) · Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, Rwanda · checked 2026-10-12
- EAC Partner States · East African Community · checked 2026-10-11
- DGIE permit services: general information · Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, Rwanda · checked 2026-10-10
- Ministerial Order N°06/01 of 29/05/2019 relating to Immigration and Emigration · Government of Rwanda · checked 2026-10-10
- Organic Law No 002/2021.OL of 16/07/2021 relating to Rwandan nationality · Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration (Official Gazette) · checked 2026-10-12
- Citizenship: required documents for Rwandan nationality by acquisition · Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, Rwanda · checked 2026-10-12
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.