Hire a Private Jet to Rwanda, East Africa
Kigali sits about 3,691 nautical miles from London, which a well-chosen super-midsize jet can fly in one hop, and the entry formalities for British passengers at the other end are light. Rwanda has a single airport for international business jets, open day and night. Our customers have access to 6,500 jets of all types and configurations available for rent. We will help you choose the best option based on your needs and objectives. Our catalog contains the models from the largest manufacturers: Gulfstream, Dassault, Embraer, Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Learjet, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pilatus, HondaJet, etc. We have established partnerships with the world's largest airlines and VIP terminals, which means we can offer you favourable flight conditions and a high level of service. Our experts will manage the organization of your flight - starting with paperwork, agreements, etc., and ending with a transfer and meeting at the airport. Our company provides a full range of business aviation and concierge services. Services outside Kigali are limited, and we say plainly what we can arrange.
At your request, the aviation consultants of Private Jets UK will help you choose the jet with the suitable technical parameters (production year, flight hours, and home base). The cost of the private jet charter in Rwanda depends on many factors, such as the model of the business jet, the number of passengers, departure and destination airports, type of flight, duration of parking, additional services, etc. Therefore, we calculate the price of each order individually taking into account your wishes. You can use an online calculator to get an instant charter quote. Please indicate your real contact details to get the final calculation.
You can calculate the cost of your flight in several ways:
- using an online calculator on the website (however, it shows only the approximate price);
- via Messenger (WhatsApp or Telegram);
- by landline or cell phone;
- via e-mail (jets@private-jets.co.uk).
Please note that the above-mentioned price is indicative only. It is calculated on this basis: a departure from Biggin Hill, an Embraer Praetor 600 to Kigali, nonstop, and two passengers aboard. If you want to get a personal quote, just fill out the online booking form below. Our aviation consultant will make the calculation within 20 minutes, and then contact you to specify the details of the flight.
How long does it take to fly to Rwanda?
Rwanda keeps Central Africa Time all year, two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, so two hours ahead of London in winter and one hour ahead in summer. These are the sectors to Kigali, gate to gate, on a Praetor 600 where it has the range with a reserve and on a Global 6000 where it does not:
3,691 nautical miles, the closest of the London fields that suit a long sector, and the basis for the price at the top of the pageabout 8 h 35 min on a Praetor 600
3,707 nautical miles, the usual choice for Surrey, Hampshire and the Thames Valleyabout 8 h 35 min on a Praetor 600
3,845 nautical miles, the main departure for the north of England, flown on a larger aircraft for marginabout 8 h 10 min on a Global 6000
3,997 nautical miles, the main Scottish departure, beyond the Praetor's comfortable range and flown on a larger aircraftabout 8 h 30 min on a Global 6000
Why the aircraft and the altitude decide the plan
The Praetor 600 is quoted at roughly 4,000 nautical miles of range, and the sector from Biggin Hill is a little under 3,700. That leaves a modest reserve, so a strong headwind can turn a nonstop plan into a short stop. A Challenger 605, a Falcon 900LX or a Global 6000 flies the sector with more margin.
Kigali stands at about 4,880 feet (1,488 metres), and a full fuel load on a hot afternoon takes more runway than the same aircraft would need at sea level. The runway is 3,500 metres, so length is not the problem, but we ask the operator to check the performance figures for the day before we confirm the aircraft and the number of passengers. Light and midsize jets fly in stages, typically with two stops.
The exact flight time depends on the model of the business jet, as well as the speed of the tail or head wind. Our consultant will make a detailed calculation of the flight time for the chosen business jet.
Prices for the private jet flights to Rwanda
Typical private jet charter prices from Britain to Kigali, cheapest first. The entry price is Biggin Hill to Kigali on a Praetor 600, the smallest aircraft that covers the sector in one hop. The other rows show the aircraft we would usually propose from each airfield, chosen so that the range is comfortable:
| Route | Aircraft | Price, one way |
|---|---|---|
| London Biggin Hill - Kigali 3,691 nm / 6,836 km |
Praetor 600 up to 9 |
from £58,150 |
| London Luton - Kigali 3,728 nm / 6,904 km |
Praetor 600 up to 9 |
from £58,700 |
| Bristol - Kigali 3,758 nm / 6,960 km |
Challenger 605 up to 12 |
from £75,700 |
| Birmingham - Kigali 3,788 nm / 7,015 km |
Challenger 605 up to 12 |
from £76,300 |
| London Gatwick - Kigali 3,687 nm / 6,828 km |
Falcon 900LX up to 12 |
from £92,250 |
| Southampton - Kigali 3,704 nm / 6,860 km |
Falcon 900LX up to 12 |
from £92,700 |
| London Farnborough - Kigali 3,707 nm / 6,865 km |
Falcon 900LX up to 12 |
from £92,750 |
| Leeds Bradford - Kigali 3,857 nm / 7,143 km |
Falcon 900LX up to 12 |
from £96,350 |
| Manchester - Kigali 3,845 nm / 7,121 km |
Global 6000 up to 13 |
from £104,900 |
| Newcastle - Kigali 3,916 nm / 7,252 km |
Global 6000 up to 13 |
from £106,800 |
| Belfast - Kigali 3,989 nm / 7,388 km |
Global 6000 up to 13 |
from £108,700 |
| Edinburgh - Kigali 3,997 nm / 7,402 km |
Global 6000 up to 13 |
from £108,900 |
| Glasgow - Kigali 4,017 nm / 7,439 km |
Gulfstream G550 up to 16 |
from £114,550 |
Two things worth knowing about these figures
– The step from a Praetor 600 to a Challenger 605 on the same departure from Biggin Hill is about £16,250, and to a Global 6000 about £42,750. On a sector this long the aircraft changes the price far more than the departure airfield does;
– A one-way price assumes the aircraft flies home empty. For a stay of several days the aircraft either waits at Kigali, with parking and the crew's hotel as lines of their own, or flies back and returns for you.
Private jet flights within Rwanda and to its neighbours
Rwanda covers about 26,000 square kilometres, and Kigali is 43 nautical miles from Musanze, the town at the foot of the volcanoes, in a straight line. A foreign-registered aircraft does not normally carry passengers between two points inside one country, so we do not sell internal jet flights. The sectors we are asked for are the ones to the neighbours:
| Route | Aircraft | Flight time | Price, one way |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kigali - Entebbe (Uganda) 191 nm / 354 km |
Pilatus PC-12 NGX up to 9 |
about 1 h 10 min | from £3,100 |
| Kigali - Nairobi (Kenya) 426 nm / 789 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
about 1 h 30 min | from £8,300 |
| Kigali - Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) 642 nm / 1,189 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
about 2 h | from £11,450 |
| Kigali - Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) 870 nm / 1,611 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
about 2 h 30 min | from £14,700 |
Domestic sectors and the neighbours
– Inside Rwanda a party travels by road or helicopter from Kigali;
– Each neighbour is a separate country with its own permits and entry rules. Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia each need their own landing approval, which we check before we quote.
We can arrange the flights from any cities in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and European countries. Due to a large database of available business jets, we can help you find an optimal jet and crew. If you have any questions about the departure or the flight itself, you can ask them using the form below:
Prices depending on the type of business jet
We can clearly show the high dependence of the cost of the flight, on the type of aircraft - we have collected approximate data, at the price of 1 flight hour, for various types of business jets:
The cost per hour indicated in the table is preliminary and does not constitute an offer or a commercial offer. Exact prices are available from the managers of the company.
Online Calculator
If you want to make an urgent calculation of the cost of a private plane flight, use our online calculator. Just fill in all the fields of the form with a note that you are interested in a specific model of the aircraft and get the final price. NB! - the figures are sent to you by email or messenger, please carefully fill in the contact details to get the calculation.
All our calculations are as transparent as possible for you. After receiving the request, we will prepare a beautiful offer - where the costs and the final price will be clearly described. The exact price is agreed in advance and is written in the contract, so you can be sure of the final cost.
Private jets are ready to take off
Our database contains over 6,500 business jets (about 3,500 in Europe and 3,000 in the rest of the world) of different configurations and production years. The list of models is constantly updated. Unfortunately, we can't post a full list of available jets on our website due to confidentiality issues. Please contact the managers of the company for more accurate information. We will help you choose a suitable model taking into account your wishes. These are the typical choices for Rwanda:
Turboprops
For the hops to Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, never for the journey from London.
Light and midsize jets
These fly to Kigali in stages and suit three or four people with soft bags.
Super-midsize
The Praetor 600 is the smallest aircraft that reaches Kigali from London in one hop and sets the entry price.
Heavy jets
For a delegation or a family with staff, with more range in hand than the Praetor.
Ultra-long range
The comfortable way to cover 3,700 nautical miles, carrying up to 16 people.
How to book a private jet?
You can book a private jet flight to Rwanda in 6 easy steps:
- Flight request - indicating the route and your preferences for the model of business jet and other points.
- Coordination of flight details - our consultant will contact you to offer the possible flight options and answer all your questions.
- Commercial offer - we will send you a final offer on a specific model taking into account all your wishes.
- Signing of the contract.
- Payment for the flight and booking a business jet.
- Departure at the agreed time and date. Assistance during the whole flight.
In addition to renting the private jets and arranging the flights, we provide concierge services, premium transfer, security, exclusive catering, etc. We have learned to solve problems of any complexity, offering the service of the European level. Our experts will be happy to answer your questions and help you arrange your flight.
How to rent a business jet with a crew
5 main stages:
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Sending an application
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Clarification of details and search for options
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Preparation and coordination of optimal options
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Registration of documents. Payment of the invoice.
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Departure on the route.
Business aviation airports in Rwanda
Rwanda has one airport for international business jets, and every charter from Britain lands there. Gisenyi, Ruhengeri, Butare and Nemba appear in airport lists, but we found no runway data, customs status or handler for any of them, so the table keeps to the airports we can describe:
| Airport | Ground | How it operates |
|---|---|---|
| Kigali International KGL / HRYR |
on the eastern edge of Kigali, in the Kanombe sector; sources give 5 to 10 km from the centre | One asphalt runway, 10/28, of 3,500 metres (11,483 feet) by 45 metres, strength PCN 64, at an elevation of 4,883 feet. Listed as open round the clock, with customs, immigration, the tower, fuelling and handling all published as H24, Jet A-1, and rescue and fire category 9. ILS and VOR/DME approaches. Slots are listed as not required and handling as not mandatory, but we use a handler on every trip |
| Bugesera International under construction |
near Nyamata in Bugesera District, about 25 km from Kigali by air and 40 km by road | Planned with a 4,500 metre runway. Not open, and the completion date has moved more than once, so we do not plan any charter through it |
| Kamembe International KME / HRZA |
at Cyangugu, on the south-western tip of Lake Kivu | Listed as an airport, but the Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to the parts of Rusizi District within 10 km of the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and names Kamembe Airport in that area. We do not plan jet arrivals there |
Kigali has a VIP terminal in the older single-storey building next to the main terminal, and a separate general aviation parking area on the southern part of the apron. General Aviation Services (G.A.S.) is listed as a handler and supervising agent at Kigali, with FBO, pilot, aircraft and fuel services, while the aerodrome publication names RwandAir as the provider of handling. We choose the handler and confirm in writing where the party is processed.
At Kigali, aircraft of 30 tonnes or more may not make a half-turn on the runway and use the turn pad, jets may not depart from the taxiway intersections, and an aircraft that does not meet noise limits is asked to land on runway 28 and take off from runway 10. Crew hotels used by handlers include the Grand Legacy, about five minutes from the airport, and the Kigali Serena at about ten.
Three points settle most Rwandan arrivals before a quote goes out:
Permit: apply early
Operator guides put a standard request at 24 to 48 hours of lead time, with shorter notice possible. A landing permit at a Rwandan international airport is valid for 24 hours, and an overflight approval from the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority for 72 hours from the requested schedule. One guide lists a 500 US dollar overflight processing fee.
Papers for the permit
The schedule and route, crew passports and licences, the aircraft certificates, and for passengers the passport copies, the manifest and a local contact.
Crew visas
Crew visas are issued on arrival through the general declaration and are usually valid for up to 72 hours.
Arriving from Britain: visa on arrival and the Foreign Office advice
For passengers the formalities are light. For the aircraft the permit comes first.
The Foreign Office says a visa is needed and that Commonwealth citizens can get a free 30-day visa on arrival, which covers British passengersfree, on arrival
valid for at least six months after the date of arrival, with at least one blank page, and not reported lost or stolencheck the expiry
a vaccination certificate is required when arriving from a country listed as a transmission risk, and we check the planned stops against the listcheck the itinerary
strict rules apply to goods brought in. Drones must be declared on arrival, plastic bags are banned and are confiscated, and vapes and e-cigarettes are banned, including for personal usepack accordingly
The Foreign Office advice, as published
The Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to the parts of Rusizi District within 10 km of the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including the Rwandan islands in Lake Kivu and Kamembe Airport. It warns that fighting across the border may affect the Rwandan side and that border crossings can close at short notice.
Elsewhere crime is described as low overall, with burglary, theft, bag-snatching and mugging in Kigali, and attacks cannot be ruled out. Border health screening can apply at Kigali airport, and the Foreign Office says such measures may change at short notice, so we read the page again in the week of the flight.
Clearance and the way home
On arrival, passengers and crew clear immigration and customs at Kigali, which is an airport of entry. The Foreign Office page does not describe private aircraft arrivals, so the handler confirms in writing how the party is processed.
Coming home, a General Aviation Report goes to the border authorities not earlier than 48 hours and not later than two hours before departure, and British and Irish citizens need no electronic travel authorisation.
Which airport for which part of Rwanda
The answer is Kigali for everything, with the places below reached from it by road or helicopter:
the capital, with the Kigali Convention Centre and the Radisson Blu hotel in the same complex, about 6 km west of the airportKigali
the mountain gorilla park in the north, about a two-hour drive from the airportKigali, then road or helicopter
savanna and wetland in the east, about two and a half hours by roadKigali, then road
the resort towns of Gisenyi, Kibuye and Cyangugu on the western border; the Foreign Office advice for the south-west appliesKigali, then road
the rainforest in the south-west, with chimpanzee tracking and a canopy walkKigali, then road
Kigali and the parks: what our clients go for
Conferences and official visits fill the diary. The Kigali Convention Centre seats 2,600 and stands next to a 292-room Radisson Blu hotel. It has hosted an African Union summit and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Leisure travellers come for the gorillas. Volcanoes National Park holds a population of about 700 mountain gorillas, and treks typically last between four and eight hours. Nyungwe offers chimpanzee tracking and a canopy walk, and Akagera, run by African Parks on roughly 2,500 square kilometres of savanna and wetland, has elephants, buffalo, lions, leopards and rhinos.
The Rwandan year: two wet seasons and two dry ones
Kigali is mild for its latitude, with daytime highs of about 25 to 28 degrees and nights near 15. The year splits into four parts:
the long rains, when the roads to the parks can be slowwet
the long dry season, and the usual choice for trekkingdry
the short rainswet
the short dry seasondry
The west and north-west are cooler and wetter than the lower east and the Foreign Office notes that landslides in the rains can damage roads.
The Rwandan calendar: holidays, the race and the dry months
A few dates change how a day in Rwanda runs, and we list the ones that matter to a flight plan:
What a holiday does to a flight plan
The airport is open round the clock, but offices and many services close on these dates, so we time the car and the handler rather than assume the airport's hours apply on the road.
Flying to Rwanda with a dog or a cat
A pet can travel in the cabin, but an import permit comes first.
The facts to read before you book
A pet-travel guide says that an import permit must be applied for from the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, that the application has to be mailed, and that we should allow plenty of time. The rabies vaccination must fall between 30 days and 12 months before entry. A licensed vet completes the Rwanda health certificate within 14 days of entry, and the animal is treated for internal parasites, including tapeworm, one to five days before arrival.
The guide adds that a microchip is recommended rather than required, that pets which meet the rules are not quarantined and that dogs and cats enter through Kigali airport. Rwanda publishes a list of banned breeds, which we check before booking. We found no official Rwandan text, so we obtain the requirements in writing before the aircraft is confirmed.
Coming home, a pet from a country outside the simple British scheme, as we understand Rwanda to be, needs a microchip fitted before the rabies vaccination, then a rabies blood test taken at least 30 days after the vaccination, and a wait of three months from the date of the sample before the animal travels. The wait is not required if the animal was vaccinated and blood-tested, with a British health certificate or an EU pet passport, before it left, which is why we ask owners to do the tests before the outward flight. A dog must also be treated against tapeworm by a vet no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours before landing in Britain. No more than five animals may travel with one person, and an animal that arrives without the right paperwork can be held in quarantine for up to four months.
We confirm in writing which entry point will receive the animal and which papers are needed. Requirements for birds, rabbits and the less usual species are set out in our flying with pets guide.
Empty Legs
An empty leg is a repositioning flight with nobody aboard, offered at a fraction of the usual price. On a route this long they are rare, and we do not promise one.
Where Rwandan empty legs come from
– A charter that lands in Kigali and does not wait: the aircraft returns to Europe empty, and the leg home is the one most often offered;
– Aircraft repositioned from East Africa after another contract.
Whatever is free is listed on our empty legs page. A selection of Rwandan empty legs follows:
| Route | Aircraft | Capacity | Whole aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rwanda (Kigali) - UK (London Biggin Hill) | Praetor 600 | 9 seats | £24,400 |
| UK (London Luton) - Rwanda (Kigali) | Praetor 600 | 9 seats | £24,650 |
| Rwanda (Kigali) - UK (Bristol) | Challenger 605 | 12 seats | £31,800 |
| Rwanda (Kigali) - UK (Birmingham) | Challenger 605 | 12 seats | £32,050 |
| UK (Farnborough) - Rwanda (Kigali) | Falcon 900LX | 12 seats | £38,950 |
| UK (Manchester) - Rwanda (Kigali) | Global 6000 | 13 seats | £44,050 |
How to read those figures
– Each price is for the whole aircraft rather than per seat. A Praetor 600 from Luton to Kigali with nine aboard works out at about £2,750 a seat, and with four aboard about £6,150.
Helicopter charter
Akagera Aviation, a Rwandan helicopter company, is based at Kigali International Airport with offices in the main terminal and a hangar on the airside. Its published offer covers charters and scenic tours throughout Rwanda, from 30 minutes to two and a half hours, as well as medical flights and aerial photography. The fleet is listed as Agusta 109, Agusta 139 and Robinson 44 helicopters. A helicopter carrying passengers between Rwandan places is normally a Rwandan one, and we confirm the machine, the crew and each landing site when a request comes in.
in place of about two hours on the road towards the gorilla parkabout 30 min
The time is a straight-line estimate at a cruise of about 115 knots, and daylight is the limit.
Flights from the UK to Rwanda
Biggin Hill and Farnborough are the south-east airfields best suited to a long sector. Manchester is 154 nautical miles further from Kigali than Biggin Hill, and from there we propose a larger aircraft with more range in hand. The table below lists the British airports we work with:
List of TOP 25 business aviation airports:
| Airport | Country | ICAO | IATA |
|---|---|---|---|
 London Heathrow Airport |
England | EGLL | LHR |
| Birmingham Airport |
England | EGBB | BHX |
| London Gatwick |
England | EGKK | LGW |
| London City Airport |
England | EGLC | LCY |
| London Luton |
England | EGGW | LTN |
| Edinburgh Airport |
Scotland | EGPH | EDI |
| Leeds Airport |
England | EGNM | LBA |
| Manchester Airport |
England | EGCC | MAN |
| London Stansted |
England | EGSS | STN |
| Liverpool John Lennon Airport |
England | EGGP | LPL |
| Newcastle Airport |
England | EGNT | NCL |
| Bristol Airport |
England | EGGD | BRS |
| Glasgow Airport |
Scotland | EGPF | GLA |
| East Midlands Airport |
England | EGNX | EMA |
| Southampton Airport |
England | EGHI | SOU |
| Jersey Airport |
Channel Islands | EGJJ | JER |
| Cardiff International Airport |
Wales | EGFF | CWL |
| Inverness Airport |
Scotland | EGPE | INV |
| Bournemouth Airport |
England | EGHH | BOH |
| London Farnborough Airport |
England | EGLF | FAB |
| Oxford Airport |
England | EGTK | OXF |
| London Biggin Hill |
England | EGKB | BQH |
| Belfast Airport |
Northern Ireland | EGAA | BFS |
| Gibraltar Airport |
Gibraltar | LXGB | GIB |
| Aberdeen Airport |
Scotland | EGPD | ABZ |
Rwandan charters from the booking notes: six typical trips
Six typical jobs from booking notes, with the particulars changed.
KIGALI · A CONFERENCE
Two executives and a day at the convention centre
Biggin Hill - Kigali and return, Praetor 600, about 8 h 35 min each way · 2 pax
The aircraft landed in the morning, and the performance figures for the altitude were checked a day ahead.
VOLCANOES · A GORILLA TREK
Four guests in the dry months
Manchester - Kigali, Global 6000, about 8 h 10 min · 4 pax
The party flew nonstop and drove north the next morning, with the lodge, the guide and the trek confirmed before the aircraft was.
AKAGERA · A SAFARI WEEKEND
Six people on a private visit
London Luton - Kigali, Challenger 605, about 8 h 40 min · 6 pax
A family booked a long weekend in the park, with the road time built into the schedule.
KIGALI AND NAIROBI · TWO COUNTRIES
A team continuing east
Farnborough - Kigali, Falcon 900LX, about 8 h 35 min, then Kigali - Nairobi · 8 pax
The Kenyan entry rules and permits were checked in Britain before departure, since each country has its own.
WITH THE DOG · SEVERAL WEEKS OF PAPER
A couple and a spaniel bound for a long stay
Biggin Hill - Kigali, Praetor 600, about 8 h 35 min · 2 pax + dog
The import permit was requested well ahead, and the blood test for the British return was done before leaving.
EMPTY LEG · A FLEXIBLE RETURN
A return from Kigali on a Challenger
Kigali - Birmingham, Challenger 605 empty leg, about 8 h 45 min · 5 pax
The client gave a window of three days instead of a date and paid about £32,050, a little under half of a fresh one-way charter on the same sector.
Frequently asked questions about flying to Rwanda
1How long does it take to fly to Rwanda by private jet?
About 8 hours 35 minutes from London Biggin Hill to Kigali on a Praetor 600, if the winds allow it to fly nonstop. A light or midsize jet needs about two fuel stops on the way and takes several hours longer.
2How much does a private jet to Rwanda cost?
From about £58,150 one way from Biggin Hill to Kigali on a Praetor 600. A Challenger 605 on the same departure is about £74,400, and from Edinburgh a Global 6000 is about £108,900. Kigali to Entebbe starts from £3,100 on a turboprop.
3Which airport do private jets use in Rwanda?
Kigali International (KGL / HRYR), on the eastern edge of the city. It is listed open round the clock with customs, a 3,500 metre runway at 4,883 feet and jet fuel. Bugesera, the planned new airport, is under construction and not open.
4Do British passengers need a visa for a private flight to Rwanda?
Yes, but it is simple. The Foreign Office says Commonwealth citizens can get a free 30-day visa on arrival, and the passport must be valid for six months. The aircraft also needs a landing permit, typically requested 24 to 48 hours ahead.
5What does the Foreign Office advise about travel to Rwanda?
It advises against all but essential travel to the parts of Rusizi District within 10 km of the border with the DRC, including Kamembe Airport and the Rwandan islands in Lake Kivu. Border crossings can close at short notice. Crime in Kigali is low overall.
6Can I take my dog or cat on a private jet to Rwanda?
Yes, with planning. A pet-travel guide says an import permit is required, with a rabies vaccination 30 days to 12 months before entry and a health certificate completed within 14 days. The return follows the British rules for countries outside the simple scheme, including a rabies blood test.