Visas for Nigeria
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Whether you’re black, white, yellow, gold or green – a traveller, a businessperson or an expat, you’ll need to procure an entry visa for Nigeria prior to arrival. Only citizens of member-states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are exempt from this requirement.
It’s not possible to obtain an entry permit at the Nigerian airport, so if you’ve been promised visa-free entrance to this West African nation be wary. Such false claims should raise a red flag, and it’s safe to suspect that the party doing the promising is up to no good.
The good news is that the Nigeria Immigration Service has recently streamlined their system and introduced a new innovative ePortal that expats can use to apply for their visa to Nigeria electronically.
Do note that once payment is made and the application processed via this system, it’s still necessary to proceed to the Nigerian Embassy in your country of origin, of if no embassy or high commission exists, than in the nearby appropriate Nigerian Embassy responsible for your country (i.e. the Nigerian High Commission of Australia is responsible for New Zealand), to be interviewed and to collect your visa.
Bear in mind that if an embassy official offers to “speed-up” or “simplify” the application process in exchange for money, they are soliciting a bribe, and you should refuse. Though this isn’t a frequent occurrence, expats and travellers have cited examples of such circumstances in the past.
Lastly, be sure to check, double-check and triple-check that the information on your visa is correct, and aligns with that on your passport.
Tourist (visit) visa for Nigeria
Though tourism isn’t exactly a thriving industry in Nigeria, it’s nonetheless simple and straight-forward to get a tourist visa to the nation.
Start the application process by making payment and applying online via the ePortal system. Fees vary, but generally range from 30 to 100 USD; citizens from developing countries are usually charged lower fees than those from developed countries. Once completed, you will be given an interview date at your local Nigerian Embassy. Take the payment receipts from the ePortal system, your valid passport and the required accompanying documents to your interview.
Documents for Nigerian tourist visa application
- Duly completed visa application form
- 2 x Passport Photographs
- A letter of invitation from a company/host in Nigeria accepting immigration responsibility
- Evidence of sufficient funds
- Evidence of online payment for visa fee
Business visa for Nigeria
Applying for a business visa is essentially the same process as applying for a tourist visa. The only difference being the documents required for presentation at the embassy.
Documents for Nigerian business visa application
- Duly completed visa application form
- Evidence of business in Nigeria
- 2 x Passport Photographs
- A letter of invitation from Nigerian company or facilitator
- Evidence of sufficient funds
- Evidence of online payment for visa fee
Residency visa (Subject to Regularisation – STR) for Nigeria
Expats planning on working in Nigeria, or those planning on spending more than three months in Nigeria, must apply for a Subject to Regularisation (STR) entry visa. This is a single-entry visa that’s valid for 90 days after the point of entry, at which point expats must apply to be regularised. Only after successfully applying for regularisation are expats granted a long-term work permit or Nigerian green card, of sorts.
In order to apply for an STR entry permit, expats will need to have solidified a job with an employer beforehand, and that employer will have to have received “Expatriate Quota” approval from the Ministry of the Interior.
Once this part of the process has been squared away, expats can utilise the ePortal system to make payment and file their application online. After completion, an interview date at the corresponding embassy will be set, and expats should bring a valid passport and the necessary documents.
Documents for Nigerian STR application
- 4 x Completed visa application form
- 4 x recent passport photographs
- 4 x copies of letter of Expatriate Quota Approval from Ministry of Interior (supplied by employer)
- 4 x copies of credentials, certificates and curriculum vitae, all vetted by a relevant official of Nigerian High Commission / Embassy (English Certified translated copy where applicable)
- 4 x copies of letter of offer of employment
- 4 x copies of letter of acceptance of job offer
- Receipt of on-line payment receipt of Visa fee
Note that when the STR visa application is approved, stamped copies of documents should be provided. Immigration officials within Nigeria may request these, so be sure to keep them on hand.
