Rwanda has issued new vehicle registration fees, raising rates across nearly all categories based on engine size, hiking special number plates costs, and providing for charges for electric vehicles which were not covered previously.

The updated fees are provided for by a ministerial order of determining the amount of registration fees for imported and already registered vehicles in the country.

The order, signed by Finance Minister Yusuf Murangwa and published in the official gazette on April 17, repeals that of 2009.

The new rates reflect a Cabinet approval of February 10.

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Regarding engine capacity (cc), the higher the capacity the more registration fees a vehicle is subject to. Higher engine capacity reflects the potential to generate more power for a vehicle to accelerate faster and reach higher speed but implies consumption of more fuel.

Overall, registration fees for vehicles based on their engine capacity saw an increase of 78 per cent compared to the previous ones, except those with the capacity not exceeding 1,000cc which remained the same.

Here are the fees based on vehicle engine capacity

For a vehicle with an engine capacity (cc) from 0–1,000cc: Rwf75,000 (unchanged compared to the 2009 rates).

A vehicle with 1,001–1,500cc saw its registration fee rise to Rwf285,000, up from Rwf160,000, implying slightly over 78 per cent increase.

The registration fee for a vehicle with 1,501–3,000cc rose by 78 per cent, reaching Rwf445,000, up from Rwf250,000.

The registration fee of a vehicle with 3,001–4,500cc Rwf748,000, up from Rwf420,000; while that a vehicle with 4,501cc and above rose to Rwf997,000 from Rwf560,000.

New fees for electric vehicles

The new ministerial order set Rwf285,000 as a registration fee for an electric vehicle (car), and Rwf75,000 for an electric motorcycle.

Electric vehicles were not included in the 2009 regulation -- because they are relatively new on Rwanda’s market.

But data from Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) points to their growing presence on the country’s roads.

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Meanwhile, other vehicles (unclassified vehicles or those not indicated in the ministerial order), will be charged Rwf1 million, each.

For a personalised vehicle number plate, the new fee is Rwf5 million, which is more than double the Rwf2 million that was set in 2009.

There were 330,166 vehicles registered in Rwanda as of 2023, according to the 2024 statistical yearbook by National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda.

Data from RRA shows that from 7,172 and electric and hybrid cars were imported into Rwanda from 2020 to 2024 — comprising 512 electrics and 6,660 hybrids.