Kigali - Post Report Question and Answers

How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?

We made use of dip pouch. There is local postal services but from what I know, it is not reliable. - Oct 2023


We use the mail service through the embassy. - Aug 2023


We only have pouch mail. No DPO. Which means you cannot send any mail out larger than a small envelope. We also used DHL to send some documents back to the States. - Jan 2022


Through the pouch. Items from Amazon, for example, take three weeks on average to get here. Local postal facilities aren't the best, but you can mail stuff; it will just be expensive and take a long time for the item to reach its destination. - Jul 2020


Local mail is poor and spotty, but it is possible to FedEx or DHL something. As a diplomat, I could use pouch mail, but it takes three airplane hops at low priority, so one year we had zero packages delivered in December. - Sep 2019


Yes, through the diplomatic pouch, though sending is much more restricted. I have never tried to use the local postal facilities. - Jun 2018


We don't send mail unless they are letters or small envelopes...the mail room will only send very small packages. Receive mail through diplomatic pouch. I've never used the local post. - Dec 2017


There is not a DPO here, although the process for getting one has been started, for what that's worth. We use the Embassy pouch mail. The downside is that you can't send packages out, only bring them in. Also, the pouch has some more strict regulations than the DPO. - Jan 2017


We get mail through the pouch. There's been talk of a DPO for some time but as of now, can't mail anything out except returns. - Apr 2016


Pouch. - Oct 2014


Pouch. Supposedly getting DPO soon. - Jul 2014


Pouch. - Sep 2013


Rwandan mail is not reliable. DHL, UPS, and FedEx are in town, but be prepared to spend hundreds of dollars to send a small package. The Embassy is limited to diplomatic pouch, which means you can receive decent size packages, but only send letters out. - May 2012


The Embassy has its own mail facilities. DHL is available to use, but pricey. - Apr 2012


Send mail through the Embassy. - Jul 2011


Diplomatic pouch only. - Oct 2010


Rwanda has no APO, we use the pouch. - Jan 2010


Local is actually pretty good. Though don't expect them to deliver your packages. You need to go to the post office and look through their log book to find your package. Also there are several different logbooks depending on the size and weight of your package. - Sep 2008


DSL is available but costly. Local delivery is unrealiable. Thus if friends are travelling home and are willing to be couriers is about the most reliable method. - Aug 2008


Subscribe to our newsletter


New book from Talesmag! Honest and courageous stories of life abroad with special needs.

Read More