The Federal Republic of Nigeria is located in the West of the African continent with 36 states. Abuja is the capital of Nigeria. Nigeria is famous for having the most population in Africa, with a population of over 211 million. Nigeria shares its Northern borders with Niger and its Northeastern borders with Chad. In addition, Cameroon is located in the east of Nigeria, and Benin is located in the west of Nigeria.
In this article, we will discuss different matters related to Nigerian visas, their types, Nigerian visa exemptions, and Nigerian government visa policies.
What is Nigerian Visa Policy?
The Nigerian government has issued their visa policy in order to identify foreign nationals who need a visa for Nigeria and also travel restrictions for the African country.
Whether these foreign nationals need a Nigeria visa or not, they must possess a passport with a minimum validity of 6 months to enter the Republic of Nigeria. At the moment, there are close to 60 countries whose citizens do not need a visa for Nigeria for different periods of stay. In addition, some countries benefit from the Nigeria visa exemption, which allows them to stay in Nigeria for an indefinite period of stay thanks to the agreements on freedom of movement.
Nigeria offers e-visa to lighten the visa process for business travelers. Nationals of nearly 170 countries are eligible to apply for an e-Visa for business or tourism-related purposes. Nigeria e-visa only needs a simple online application. Before e-visa, travelers had to go through an extensive visa on arrival paperwork at a border checkpoint. Now, applicants for a Nigeria e-Visa just need to go online, complete an online form that only takes a few minutes, upload the required documents, and make the visa fee payment with a credit or debit card.
A Nigeria online visa application usually takes 2 business days to be processed. When the process is over, and the visa is approved, applicants can receive their visas via email. Nationals eligible for a business e-Visa can also submit an online application for other travel purposes, such as a Nigerian work visa, tourist visa, or transit visa. However, there is still a necessity to visit a Nigerian embassy in person and finalize the request.
There are no Nigeria visa bans in place for any foreign nationalities at the moment. However, about 45 nationalities require a Nigerian embassy visitor’s visa despite their travel purpose.
What are Nigeria Visa Types?
Nigeria provides four primary visas for travelers from different countries:
Each visa type has its requirements.
What is Nigeria’s E-visa?
The Nigerian Immigration Service put the Nigeria e-visa into effect to facilitate entry to the country for business travelers and tourists. As mentioned, travelers of more than 170 nationalities can acquire a Nigerian electronic visa (e-visa) through a simple online application. Applicants can finish this simplified process in a matter of minutes. There is no need to wait in long lines at the border to apply for a visa on arrival if travelers have an e-visa. In addition, applicants can send their documents online, so they don’t need to visit an embassy in person.
Every online Nigeria visa is considered a single entry Visa. This e-visa is valid for 14 days to enter Nigeria from the issue date and grants a 30-day stay in Nigeria. Nigeria e-visa has three types:
- Single-entry (valid for 90 days)
- Multiple-entry (valid for 90 days)
- 7-day transit visa
Citizens of the following countries can apply for an E-visa:
| Afghanistan | Albania | Algeria | Andorra | Angola | Antigua and Barbuda | Argentina | Armenia |
| Australia | Austria | Azerbaijan | Bahamas | Bahrain | Bangladesh | Barbados | Belarus |
| Belgium | Belize | Bhutan | Bolivia | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Botswana | Brazil | Brunei Darussalam |
| Bulgaria | Burundi | Cambodia | Canada | The central African Republic | Chile | China | Colombia |
| Comoros | Congo | Costa Rica | Croatia | Cuba | Czech Republic | Congo | Denmark |
| Djibouti | Dominica | Dominican Republic | Ecuador | Egypt | El Salvador | Equatorial Guinea | Eritrea |
| Estonia | Ethiopia | Federated States of Micronesia | Fiji | Finland | France | Gabon | Georgia |
| Germany | Greece | Grenada | Guatemala | Guyana | Haiti | Honduras | Hong Kong |
| Hungary | Iceland | India | Indonesia | Iran | Iraq | Ireland | Israel |
| Italy | Jamaica | Japan | Jordan | Kazakhstan | Kiribati | Kuwait | Kyrgyzstan |
| Laos | Latvia | Lebanon | Lesotho | Libya | Liechtenstein | Lithuania | Luxembourg |
| Macau | Macedonia | Madagascar | Malawi | Malaysia | Maldives | Malta | Marshall Islands |
| Mauritania | Mauritius | Mexico | Moldova | Monaco | Mongolia | Montenegro | Morocco |
| Mozambique | Myanmar | Namibia | Nauru | Nepal | Netherlands | New Zealand | Nicaragua |
| North Korea | Norway | Oman | Pakistan | Palau | Palestinian Territory | Panama | Papua New Guinea |
| Paraguay | Peru | Philippines | Poland | Portugal | Qatar | Republic of Cyprus | Romania |
| Russian Federation | Rwanda | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Lucia | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Samoa | San Marino | Sao Tome and Principe |
| Saudi Arabia | Serbia | Singapore | Slovakia | Slovenia | Solomon Islands | Somalia | South Africa |
| South Korea | South Sudan | Spain | Sri Lanka | Sudan | Suriname | Swaziland | Sweden |
| Switzerland | The Syrian | Arab Republic | Taiwan | Tajikistan | Tanzania | Thailand | Timor-Leste |
| Tonga | Trinidad and Tobago | Tunisia | Turkey | Turkmenistan | Tuvalu | Uganda | Ukraine |
| United Arab Emirates | United States | Uruguay | Uzbekistan | Vanuatu | Vatican City | Venezuela | Vietnam |
| Yemen | Zambia | Zimbabwe | |||||
How can I Apply for a Nigeria E-visa?
There are a few steps to acquiring a Nigeria e-visa. Applicants need to:
- Complete the electronic visa online form. Some basic personal information like passport information and travel details are required.
- Upload the supporting documents issued by the Nigerian Immigration Service online.
- Make a payment for a Nigeria e-Visa fee.
- Receive the business e-visa by email if approved.
- Print the e-visa to present when they arrive at a Nigerian border checkpoint.
What is Nigeria Visa On Arrival?
Citizens of up to 20 countries can apply for a visa on arrival at a border entry checkpoint in Nigeria. A visa on arrival provides a stay as long as 90 days in Nigeria. Applicants for this type of visa usually travel to Nigeria for tourist, business, or transit purposes. The countries that are on the list of visas on arrival are:
| Bolivia | Cambodia | Comoros | Ethiopia | Iran |
| Kenya | Lebanon | Madagascar | Maldives | Mauritania |
| Mauritius | Mozambique | Namibia | Palau | Rwanda |
| Samoa | Seychelles | Somalia | Timor-Leste | Tuvalu |
| Uganda | ||||
How can I Apply for a Nigeria Visa On Arrival?
The process of acquiring a Nigeria visa on arrival has a few steps. Applicants have to:
- Go to border control after they arrive in Nigeria and wait in an immigration line.
- Fill out this application form given by Nigerian authorities. They need to insert their personal details, passport information, and travel plans.
- Present supporting documents in paper form.
- Pay the visa on arrival fee.
A visa on arrival has a long process of waiting in really long lines. Therefore, it is recommended to apply for an e-Visa for Nigeria in advance if applicable.
What is Nigeria Embassy Required Visa?
Citizens of nearly 45 countries have to acquire visas through embassies to enter Nigeria regardless of the duration of their visit or the purpose of the trip.
A visa issued from embassies might vary in the permitted periods of stay and validity. Factors like the applicant’s nationality and the type of visa they want can affect the time and validity of the visa. Here are the countries that fall into the Nigeria embassy’s required visa category:
| Aland Islands | American Samoa | Anguilla | Antarctica | Aruba |
| Bermuda | Bonaire | British Indian Ocean Territory | The British Virgin Islands | Cayman Islands |
| Christmas Island | Cocos Islands | Cook Islands | Curacao | Falkland Islands |
| Faroe Islands | French Guiana | French Polynesia | Gibraltar | Greenland |
| Guadeloupe | Guam | Guernsey | Isle of Man | Jersey |
| Martinique | Mayotte | Montserrat | New Caledonia | Norfolk Island |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Pitcairn Islands | Puerto Rico | Reunion | Saint Barthelemy |
| Saint Helena | Saint Martin | Saint Pierre and Miquelon | Sint Maarten | South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands |
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen | Tokelau | Turks and Caicos Islands | United Kingdom | United States Virgin Islands |
| Wallis and Futuna | ||||
How can I Apply for a Nigeria Embassy Visa?
Here you can see the application process for a Nigeria embassy visa process. Applicants have to:
- Set an appointment at a Nigerian embassy or a Nigerian diplomatic government office.
- Fill out a visa application form.
- Collect the required documents for the embassy interview. Documents depend on the visa type.
- Pay the Nigeria visa fee.
Note: Applicants must begin collecting their documents in advance as the application process can take several weeks.
What Countries Don’t Require a Nigeria Visa?
The Nigerian immigration policies allow citizens of over 60 countries to enter Nigeria without a visa for various durations depending on their nationality. Gaining a visa-free entry to Nigeria is easy. Applicants just have to go to a Nigerian immigration checkpoint when they arrive and hand over an eligible passport valid for at least 6 months. Here you can see nationals who benefit from the no-visa entry:
- Citizens of most African countries. They have the freedom to move to Nigeria indefinitely.
- The Nigerian government grants visa-free entry to holders of diplomatic or service category passports from Brazil, China, Namibia, and South Africa, as well as holders of a diplomatic passport from Turkey.
- A Chinese passport holder can stay for up to thirty days without a visa. In addition, holders of an expired Nigerian passport are exempt from visa requirements if they possess a current valid foreign passport.
- The nationalities of the list below:
| Benin | Burkina Faso | Cameroon | Cape Verde | Chad | The Gambia |
| Ghana | Guinea | Guinea-Bissau | Ivory Coast | Liberia | Mali |
| Niger | Senegal | Seychelles | Sierra Leone | Togo |
Nationals of visa-exempt countries must apply for a Nigerian visa beforehand if they plan to visit Nigeria for more extended stays or non-permitted purposes.
The Bottom line…
Nigeria is a beautiful country in the African continent that offers various visas for different purposes. This essay explained the Nigerian visa types, visa on arrival, e-visa, embassy-required visa, and countries that don’t need visas.
If you want to know more about Nigeria visa types, check the sidebar on the left for more information.
- Published by
- Max-B.