The Nigerian Visa for your Trip to Nigeria
Applying for a Nigerian visa is necessary if you are going on holiday trip or to see a relative or living in Nigeria or on a business trip.
Generally, you can apply for the required Nigerian visa online/ at the nearest Nigerian consulate in the country of your residence.
General Visa Requirements and Validity Period of Nigerian Visa
Before applying for a visa for Nigeria, it is advised you check whether you can apply for the Nigerian visa.
A brief summary of the most important requirements and conditions when obtaining the visa for Nigeria:
- You do not intend to perform unpaid job that would otherwise be carried out by a paid employee in Nigeria.
- You do not mean to participate in a work relationship in Nigeria.
- You do not intend to provide services to Nigerian organisations (this is permitted with a Nigerian work visa or business visa).
- You do not plan to provide or offer product or services to consumers in Nigeria.
- You and your family members are not in debt to the Nigeria Government.
- You do not pose a threat to the health or safety of the people of Nigeria.
- You have the ability to show that you have adequate financial resources to finance your trip and return from Nigeria.
Do you need a Nigerian visa?
It depends on your citizenship and the type of travel document you are using to take a trip to Nigeria.Please go here to verify if you need a Nigerian visa.
Who exactly can apply for a Nigerian visa?
Anybody wanting to go on holiday to Nigeria can request a Nigerian visa.
There are several types of visa for Nigeria which you can use as a visitor to Nigeria. If you are not exactly sure which kind of Nigerian visa you require to apply, please contact the closest Nigerian visa office to obtain further clarification as objective of this web page is to provide you basic guide when getting Nigerian visa.
What type of Nigerian visa do I need?
This depends upon 3 aspects:
- The citizenship according to your passport – If the nationality according to the passport is from a nation that is on visa free travel to Nigeria or eligible to make an application for a visa on arrival in Nigeria, then you may not need to obtain a Nigerian visa prior to departure from your home country. Please go here to check if you need a Nigerian visa.
- The length of your stay in Nigeria – If you intend to remain in Nigeria for a much shorter duration no more than ninety days, then you can request the Nigerian visa. If you wish to remain much longer, then call the local Nigerian visa office to find the suitable visa for your trip.
- The activities you want to carry out in Nigeria – If your main reason of travelling is for vacation, then you can make an application for all types of Nigerian visas mentioned on this page.
General Visa Application Requirements to Make An Application For Nigerian Visitor Visa
- Visitor visa application form for Nigeria – Completed Nigerian visa application form.
- Original and signed passport – The passport should be valid for at least 6 months prior to going into Nigeria and three months after leaving Nigeria. It must have a minimum of two spare visa pages and can not be older than 10 years.
- Passport type photo – Photo needs to be no older than 6 months and must be 35 x 40mm in size.
- Previous passport – Offer a previous passport if you had any.
- Previous visas – Copies of previous Nigerian visas information if you had any.
- Flight tickets to Nigeria – Reservation of return or round trip flight tickets. In some circumstances the Nigerian visa office may ask for pre-paid flight tickets to Nigeria.
- Travel insurance coverage – Proof of travel insurance coverage with a minimum cover set by the Nigerian embassy provided with the Certification of Insurance coverage and the table of benefits. The travel insurance need to cover the expense of repatriation for medical reasons and the Certificate of Currency need to be issued by an insurance provider. If you are considering utilizing your credit card travel insurance for your travel to Nigeria, please call Nigerian embassy to find out more and travel insurance coverage requirements for the Nigerian visa.
- Original bank statements – Original bank statements for the last 3 months showing sufficient funds to cover your visit in Nigeria. If statements are printed online then it has to be Validated (marked) by the financial institution officials.
- Hotel Reservations in Nigeria – Copy of confirmed hotel bookings including name of the applicant, name and address of the hotel, length of stay. In most conditions, only bookings which are partly or completely pre-paid can be accepted.
- Work letter – This letter must be: original and signed letter from employer written on company letter head paper, confirming your ongoing employment, the status of employment, monthly salary and yearly leave. Likewise, please provide your 3 newest pay slips. If you are self-employed: provide certified copies of company registration, income tax return.
- For students. Please supply the following:
- Evidence of present student status: Certificate of Enrollment.
- Original and signed letter from university written on university letter head paper, affirming on-going enrolment, confirming the payment of tuition fees or any scholarships, and confirming semester break.
- Insurance coverage from Organisation/University– Give a letter from the University specifying the purpose, period of travel and confirmation that you are going to be covered by the insurance policy for the entire journey in addition to the Certificate of Currency and summary of benefits.
As a whole, visa applications for Nigerian visa ought to be sent for a maximum of 6 months, and no later than 15 days, prior to the journey.