RDB investment certificate and investor incentives

An investment certificate in Rwanda is issued by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) to register an investment project and make it eligible for incentives under Law No. 006/2021 on investment promotion and facilitation. It is not required to do business, but for many investors it is worth having: it supports investor residence permits and opens access to preferential tax rates in priority sectors.

A common misconception is that you need USD 250,000 or USD 100,000 to qualify. Those thresholds came from the old investment code. RDB's One Stop Centre now states there is no minimum capital for new investors registering projects. Kigali Business Setup helps you decide whether the certificate is worth it, prepares the business plan and application, and follows the file at RDB.

What the certificate costs and how long it takes

Item	Detail (as of October 2026)
Registration fee	USD 500, non-refundable, payable in RWF at the going rate
Where paid	RDB accounts at Bank of Kigali
Decision time	Within 2 working days of receiving the application (Article 18)
Validity	5 years, renewable for 5-year periods (Article 19)
Where to apply	RDB One Stop Centre online system
Collection	In person with ID, or by a representative with a power of attorney

Sources: RDB eRegulations portal (businessprocedures.rdb.rw) and Law No. 006/2021.

Documents you need

RDB's procedure lists:

• [ ] Application letter
• [ ] Proof of payment of the registration fee
• [ ] Certificate of registration of the company, branch or enterprise
• [ ] Business plan with five-year projections, financing plan and returns such as payback period, net present value and internal rate of return
• [ ] Environmental impact assessment certificate, where the project requires one
• [ ] Sector licence, if the activity is regulated
• [ ] Projected number of employees

If you have not yet registered your business, start with company registration in Rwanda. Registration is free and online.

How RDB assesses projects

Rather than a capital threshold, the law asks RDB to consider whether a project:

• Is a non-trading activity
• Creates quality jobs and transfers skills
• Uses local raw materials
• Has export potential and links with local businesses
• Brings innovation

A strong business plan addresses these points directly. Plain trading of imported goods is unlikely to qualify for the more valuable incentives.

Priority sectors

Law No. 006/2021, Article 4, names priority sectors including:

• Exports and export-oriented manufacturing
• Manufacturing of textiles, electronics, ICT equipment, pharmaceuticals, agricultural equipment and construction materials such as glass and ceramics
• Energy
• ICT, business process outsourcing and financial services
• Transport, logistics and e-mobility
• Affordable housing
• Tourism
• Horticulture and high-value crops
• Film and skills development
• Mineral exploration and specialised industrial or innovation parks

The main tax incentives

The incentives sit in the annexes to Law No. 006/2021. Each has detailed conditions, so treat this as a summary, not advice:

Incentive	Who may qualify
0% corporate income tax	International companies with a headquarters or regional office in Rwanda investing at least USD 10 million and meeting spending and transaction conditions
3% corporate income tax	Pure holding companies, special purpose vehicles and collective investment schemes meeting substance conditions, and some foreign-sourced trading and royalty income
15% corporate income tax	Investors in renewable energy, large freight or mass transport fleets, priority manufacturing, ICT, innovation, certain financial services, affordable housing, e-mobility and some tourism
25% or 15% rate for exporters	Companies exporting 30 to 50% (25%) or at least 50% (15%) of turnover, for up to 5 years
Tax holiday up to 7 years	Investments of at least USD 50 million with at least 30% equity in sectors such as energy, manufacturing, tourism, health and ICT
0% withholding tax	On dividends, interest and royalties for beneficiaries of the 15% and 3% regimes

For comparison, the standard corporate income tax rate is 28%. Our tax declaration guide explains the standard regimes and filing calendar.

Investors, permits and staff

The DGIE investor permit classes ask for both a business registration certificate and an investment certificate, so the certificate also matters for your residence. RDB's One Stop Centre offers facilitation with visas and work permits, and its page says an investor of at least USD 250,000 may recruit three foreign employees without proving local skills shortages. That statement may date from the previous investment regime, so we confirm it with RDB for each case. See our Rwanda work permit page for the classes and fees.

Is it worth applying?

It usually is if you:

• Operate in a priority sector and could qualify for a preferential rate
• Need an investor residence permit
• Plan to bring in foreign specialists

It may not be if you are a small trading business with no route to incentives, since the USD 500 fee and the business plan effort bring little return.

How Kigali Business Setup helps

• We check your project against the incentive conditions before you spend the fee.
• We help structure a business plan that addresses RDB's assessment criteria.
• We prepare and file the application, then follow it with RDB.
• We coordinate investor permits, accounting and payroll and tax registration so incentives are claimed correctly.
• We connect you with accredited lawyers and tax advisers for structuring.

Use the form on this page to describe your sector, expected investment and timeline. We will tell you which incentives may apply and quote for the application.