Travellers into the country can now pay their visa fees online after Rwanda Online introduced the payment service through its web platform, Irembo.

While passengers were able to apply for their visas online, the fees would be paid on arrival, causing long queues and delays for passengers.

The Directorate of Immigration and Emigration said the new move will save time for passengers.

"We have been processing visas online but then it was impossible to make payment online. This is, therefore, another good step, that we hope is going to help foreigners by reducing the time they used to spend through the processes,” noted Ange Sebutege, the head of communication and customer care at the Directorate of Immigration and Emigration.

Andreas Nørlem, a Danish national living in Rwanda, said that streamlining online application for visas is of much help for people living far from Rwandan embassies abroad.

"Five years ago, the process of applying for a three-month tourist visa for Rwanda involved mailing the passport as well as cash from Denmark to the Rwandan embassy in Stockholm, a process that was costly as well as time consuming,” he told The New Times.

The online visa application and payment option is the latest service offered by Irembo, an online platform introduced by the government to improve service delivery using technology.

Through the www.irembo.gov.rw portal, people can also apply for driver’s licenses, birth certificates, among other state issued documents.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw