Rwanda and the Netherlands at a glance
- Stamp
- Apostille, Hague Convention in force for Rwanda since 5 June 2024
- Issued by
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the IremboGov portal (service “Legalisation of public documents from Rwanda to be used abroad / Apostille”)
- Language
- English, accepted as it is
- Register
- Rwanda Development Board (RDB), office of the registrar general (online)
- Tax treaty
- Outside the Dutch treaty list: Dutch rules apply (Rijksoverheid, 1 October 2026)
- EU trade
- East African partnership agreement, signed
- Moving here
- Residence permit needed
Documents from Rwanda
Passport copy, certified by a notary in Rwanda.
Proof of address in Rwanda, at most three months old.
Power of attorney. Sign the power of attorney before a Rwandan notary. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs then apostilles it online through IremboGov, with a QR code.
Ownership statement, one page from us.
The apostille. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the IremboGov portal (service “Legalisation of public documents from Rwanda to be used abroad / Apostille”). You select the notary who notarised the document and receive an e-certificate with a QR code by email.
Official page: https://www.minaffet.gov.rw/services/legalization-of-documents
Good to know. Several states objected to Rwanda’s accession. The Netherlands accepted the accession, so a Rwandan apostille is valid here. The apostille is a file with a QR code, so send the file.
If a company from Rwanda becomes a shareholder
Register extract, at most three months old: Rwanda Development Board (RDB), office of the registrar general. Order a certificate of registration and the company profile showing directors and shareholders. Plus articles, signing authority and ownership chart.
Trade between Rwanda and the EU
EU trade in goods with Rwanda reached €410 million in 2025, with €291 million of EU exports and €119 million of EU imports. The EU was the second-largest market for Rwandan exports in 2025, with 9.2% of the total.
Vegetable products made up 54.7% of EU imports from Rwanda in 2025, ahead of mineral products at 18.4% and textiles at 13.6%. Machinery and appliances led EU exports to Rwanda at 24.9%, followed by transport equipment at 16.1%.
Rwanda is on the United Nations list of least developed countries. The EU’s Everything But Arms arrangement therefore removes tariffs and quotas on all its goods except arms and ammunition. In February 2024 the EU and Rwanda signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a strategic partnership on critical raw materials.
The EU is the biggest foreign investor in Rwanda, with 211 million United States dollars in 2022.
Import duties: Access2Markets.
Your next step from Rwanda
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