Photo: Jacques NIYIGENA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Third-party vs comprehensive motor insurance in Rwanda
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Side by side
| Third-party liability | Comprehensive | |
|---|---|---|
| Required by law | Yes | No — your choice (or your lender's) |
| Injury, death and property damage you cause to others | Yes, under Law n° 029/2025 | Yes |
| Damage to your own vehicle, theft, fire | No | As written in the policy |
| Excess and exclusions | As written in the policy | As written in the policy |
What third-party cover pays victims, under Law n° 029/2025: medical and pharmaceutical costs, transport, rehabilitation, prostheses (article 4); loss of income during temporary disability (article 5); economic loss, pain and suffering and other heads for permanent disability (article 6); funeral costs, economic loss and moral damage to the family of a person killed (article 7); property damage equal to the damage sustained (article 8) (Law n° 029/2025).
The 3,000 Frw a day rule
When a victim cannot prove his or her income before the accident, compensation is calculated at 3,000 Frw per day; a Minister's Order may raise that base rate (Law n° 029/2025, article 12). Parliament adopted the law on 17 September 2025 (Parliament of Rwanda).
What to check before choosing
- The insurer must disclose the terms, the scope of cover, the exclusions and all costs before the sale (BNR FAQ).
- An insurer cannot rely on a clause limiting its liability for a loss caused by a defect the policyholder did not know of and could not reasonably have known of (Law n° 030/2021, article 119).
- You must disclose every fact that could help the insurer decide whether to accept the risk and on what terms (article 91).
Already insured?
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Frequently asked questions
Does third-party insurance cover my car in Rwanda?
No. Third-party liability pays the people and property you damage. Your own vehicle is covered only by a wider (comprehensive) policy, on its terms.
How is compensation calculated if the victim has no proof of income?
At 3,000 Frw per day (Law n° 029/2025, article 12); a Minister's Order may raise this base rate.
Sources
- Law n° 029/2025 of 20/10/2025 on accident compensation — Official Gazette n° Special of 21/10/2025 (Special Guarantee Fund copy)
- Parliament of Rwanda — The Chamber of Deputies passes the law on compensation for accident victims (18 September 2025)
- National Bank of Rwanda — Frequently asked questions: understanding insurance in Rwanda (June 2025)
- Law n° 030/2021 of 30/06/2021 governing the organisation of insurance business — Official Gazette n° 29 of 02/08/2021 (Gazettes.Africa archive)