Grande Barrier Border

Grande barrier border post is the border point in the Goma Town side of the Rwanda-Congo border. This building is where most tourists coming to visit Virunga check-in to get their gorilla or mountain hike permits that should be shown at the start of every trip. This is also where one is cleared to be able or to be allowed to enter Congo, which is visa clearance and also where you are asked to show your valid yellow fever card. Ensure to have a valid yellow fever card upon crossing into Congo because failure to have one might either get you stopped from accessing the country or you will have to get the shot from there at a high cost. This card should be in your names as well and still valid that is within 10 years. Also, ensure to apply for your visa at least 3 weeks to your date of travel as this visa cannot be issued upon arrival. To get a Congo tourist visa, you should have purchased a package from Virunga National Park or if you are flying into Goma with Ethiopian airlines, you could ask the airline to assist you with the processing of the visa in advance. Please note that if you plan on visiting further points apart from Virunga National park, you will have to get an extended visa that is costly and permits you to other places in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Grande barrier border post is where the tourism office of Virunga National Park is found and is just opposite the passport control office so tourists/visitors of Virunga don’t have to get lost on arrival to Congo. This building is just 35 kilometers away from Goma town and is the starting point/departure for all tours going to the park. You will find the security convoy at this border post waiting for the set departure times for the packages of Virunga National park.

The strategic location of this building has made it really convenient for the tourists coming to visit Virunga National Park. This border post building was launched in December 2014 to ease crossing borders like so many people are crossing the Gisenyi-Goma border on a daily. It has not only facilitated tourism but also businesses, agriculture, and customs. The border is now more organized and professional ever since this structure was erected. The Grande Barrier border post is open from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm daily though sometimes when the season is busy, it can stay open till 10:00 am.