The Rwanda Immigration and Emigration website also has downloadable visa forms in portable digital format (PDF).
Visitors from as far as North America and Europe need not travel looking for the nearest Rwandan Embassy, the whole process is summarised online at the click of a mouse and a print out will grant one an authorised entry facility into the central African country. Surfer applicants can use either the English or French versions.
While speaking to stakeholders during the Rwanda Information Technology Authority (RITA) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) meet on e-governance developments at Hotel Intercontinental Kigali on September 29, the director general of Immigration and Emigration brought to light some of the innovations on the ground.
"The passport application forms on the internet in kinyarwanda are meant for Rwandans. With online tracking you only come to collect documents when they are ready. We want to eliminate the syndrome of telling people to come tomorrow," Mr. Anaclet Kalibata said. He is at the helm of the time saving web based system and says it is cheaper for one to use the internet than spend money on transport costs travelling now and again to the immigration offices.
Kalibata told over 100 delegates from both the public and private sector that his department was getting positive feedback from around the world on the internet immigration technique.
"It is the most efficient procedure I have ever come across in any country," praised the project manager, International department, Danish Institute for Human Rights, Jens Ellenhauge Hansen in an email shown to Business Week.
By using web based techniques of visa issuing and passport application, the immigration and emigration department wants to save US$45,000 annually.
This money is absorbed by application forms for passports, Visa application paper work and other local immigration purposes.
For the online visa application, the applicant incurs his or her own cost for printing. When approved, the print out is presented on entry into Rwanda.
The immigration and emigration department has 250,000 hard copy files for visas.
Autor(en)/Author(s): Daniel Karibwije
Quelle/Source: All Africa, 23.10.2006
