ATM fees and limits in Rwanda?

In Rwanda, the best ATMs for foreign cards are BPR Bank, Equity Bank, and I&M Bank. I used my Wise Visa card at Bank of Kigali in Kigali, and the withdrawal limit was 200,000 RWF (~$160 USD). The fee was anywhere between 1,500 to 3,500 RWF. Equity Bank ATMs had similar limits but sometimes rejected Mastercard with only a 1,700 RWF fee that was good. I&M Bank ATMs also worked with my HSBC debit with a 150,000 RWF limit. Machines are easy to find in Kigali but rare in rural areas, so withdraw before leaving the city.

Wish I could tell you there’s a free ATM-but nope. Withdrew from Bank of Kigali near the cathedral and I&M at Kigali Heights-each time paid ₣4500, with ₣400 000 limits. Since my bank covers the rest, I’d withdraw big (every 4-5 days) to dodge fees. Drawbacks? Carrying more cash, of course-but I felt safer doing fewer withdrawals.

Used GT and Ecobank BK ATMs during a month in Rwanda. GT Bank charged me 3,500 and Ecobank 3,000 and Limit was always ₣200000. My Revolut card got the mid-market FX rate, but the ATM fee remained. Tried smaller machines in suburbs-same story. There’s no escape from that ATM fee, so just minimize withdrawals by taking what you need.

Checked Bank of Kigali, had ₣4500 fee and let me withdraw up to ₣200 000 each time. Was able to withdraw twice a day so max is around ₣400 000. No signs of free ones anywhere. My tip: pull enough to last 3-4 days and carry the cash-cheaper than paying ATM charges every other day. Some others i teied and found these fees:

Bank of Africa: 3,000
NCBA Bank: 3,000
Ecobank: 3,000
GT Bank: 3,500
BPR Bank: 1,500

I haven’t found any fee-free ATMs here. Used Bank of Kigali and Bk of Africa Bank machines in Kigali- Bk of Kigali charged me ₣4500 and Bnk of Africa ₣3000 per withdrawal from my US card, with limits of ₣200 000 ($180) per transaction. Even if your bank waives fees, you’ll still face that local ATM charge. I stopped doing small withdrawals and started pulling larger chunks to minimize wasted fees.