The Rwanda batch and interactive Advance Passenger Information (batch API and iAPI) implementation guide, provides technical guidelines, data formats, iAPI testing procedures and data required.

All carriers operating to and from Rwanda will be required to submit information of passengers and crew during check-in prior to issuing a boarding pass requesting for authority to carry and the NPIU will respond with an "okay to board" or "Do not board" message.

At flight close, the carrier will be required to send a closeup message as batch iAPI. This does not remove the requirement to transmit batch API data for passengers and crew on the flight at off-blocks or gate close.

1. Persons who are assessed by the DGIE to pose a direct threat to the security of a carrier
2. Persons wo are using an invalid travel document, or travel document that has been declared as lost, stolen or cancelled or has less than 6 moths' validity if not Rwandan Citizen.
3. Persons whom the DGIE has reasonable grounds to believe are intending to be transported to Rwanda for the purposes of human trafficking.
4. Persons whom the DGIE has reasonable grounds to belive are involved in serious crimes or intending to carry out such crimes on the territory of Rwanda.
5. Persons who the DGIE considers inadmissible, prohibited or irregular within the meaning of Rwandan relevant immigration laws.
6. Persons on the United Nations and Interpol travel restriction lists.

1. The carrier shall provide passenger and crew information as stipulated in the implementation guide to the NPIU in advance of departure in a specified form and manner and at passenger check-in. The submission of this information shall constitute a request from the carrier to the NPIU through its PDCS to board a passenger or crew.
2. The carrier will be given a reply in  the form of Okay to Board or Do Not Board interactively.
   • if a carrier receives an advice to not board a passenger or crew, the passenger should not be carried to or from Rwanda.
   • In case a passenger or crew believes they have been mistakenly identified, the carrier can contact the NPIU liaison office available 24*7 for clarification. The NPIU liaison may request for more information to be able to clear the passenger or crew.
   • If a mistake identify is confirmed, NPIU through the PDCS will notify the airline with an Okay to board.
   • If not confirmed, the carrier may provide contact and telephone number of the NPIU to an individual to make further inquires.
3. If at any time prior to departure the NPIU may send an unsolicited message to change the Okay to board or Do not board decision that previously issued.
4. At flight close, the carrier will be required to send a closeup message as batch iAPI this does not remove the requirement to transmit batch API data for passengers and crew on the flight at off-blocks or gate close.

Under special conditions or upon consultation, a passenger that had received an Okay to board and issued a boarding pass by the carrier might be rquired to provide specific information later on or be issued a Do not board by unsolicited message from the NPIU. The carrier should ensure to revoke the passenger clearance status before the airplane takes off. On the other hand, if the passenger that had been previously issued a Do not board receives another unsolicited message later on of Okay to board, the carrier should issue a boarding pass.

In case of an unscheduled stop or diversion, the carrier must send an updated message.

If the stop of diversion changes the flight number, then the airline should send an updated CLOB message.

1. If due to a technical failure on the carrier side, in which a carrier is unable to send the required information:
   • The carrier must contact the airline liaison of the NPIU by phone and later by email informing them of the issue/malfunction, stating the totla number of flights that might be affected and seek advice on if they should board passengers or crew who have not been subjected to pre-departure checks. The NPIU airline liaison contact numbers are +250727005179 / +250729977444. Email: liaison@migration.gov.rw, npiuoperations@migration.gov.rw
   • In an event that the carrier is alloed to board the passenger as a result of a malfunction or technical failure on the carrier side, the carrier will be required to send the PAXLST data once the connection is restored.
2. If due to a technical failure on the DGIE side, after 3 attempts from the carrier with no response from the PDCS or if the carrier operator detects any abnomality, the carrier is required to notify the NPIU airline liaison. Once the connection is restored, the carrier will be required to send accumulated PAXLST messages and the PDCS will respond to all messages.
3. If all other options for providing information have been exhausted, the DGIE NPIU will liaise with the carrier to discuss appropriate next steps.
4. If the carrier does not receive an iAPI response within 7 seconds, the carrier is entitled to issue a boarding pass with intention of boarding the passenger. If the DGIE should subsequently issue a Do not board notification when connection is restored prior to gate close, the passenger should not be boarded or should be removed from the flight.

1. These can come into force in case of a technical failure where a carrier may carry passengers or crew who have not been subjected to pre-departure checks and the NPIU believes there is a person on board that should have not been carried by the carrier.
2. These can also come into force in case a carrier decides to carry an individual whom the NPIU has issued a Do not board.
3. In the event that the carrier has carried an individual that poses a direct threat to the carrier the NPIU will notify the carrier of the assessed threat and may advise the carrier to put down the aircraft as soon as possible.

1. All carriers are required to provide and keep an update 24*7 contact details for operations and for contact during contigency situations. The contct should have authority to make security related decisions. Information to be provided:
   • Phone number
   • Email
   • Names of contact person (keep updating in case it changes)
   • Email of superior to always copy if applicable.
2. NPIU will contact the carrier's 24*7 contact person using phone or email to confirm any contigency related scenarios.

1. This does not affect any other obligations on carriers. Carriers will continue to be responsible for detention and removal costs should any of their passengers be refused entry on arrival into Rwanda by the border security agencies due to various reasons.
2. A carrier may be liable to administrative penalty if they have breached a requirement to not carry a person who they have received a Do not board. If they do not provide required information at a speicified time and if they provide the required information in the wrong format.

1. Failure to comply with this notification of requirement will lead to administrative sanctions as laid down in Ministerial Order Number 06/01 of 29/05/2019 or as may be determined by other relevant laws.
2. The sanctions are specified in Article 60 of the above Order for liability concerning the obligation to communicate passenger information.
3. in order to avoid data errors that could lead to fines, it is recommended that where possible airlines use electronic reading (Swipe) of the Machine-Readable Zone of the travel document.

Please review implementation guide for relevant articles of the Rwanda Law on Immigration and Emigration.