Visa Requirements for Nigerian Citizens

Visa requirements for Nigerian citizens are regulations applicable while crossing the border with any other country. These rules determine whether a Nigerian passport holder may need to apply for a visa or not. Depending on the destination, they can vary significantly, so remember to check the information about the required document (visa or passport) before the journey.

But what is a visa? It is a document enabling the traveler to enter another country for a fixed time. There are various types of visas: electronic visa, visa-on-arrival, and embassy visa. They may contain the same information, and the application process for a visa always requires the traveler to present a valid passport. However, the ensured lengths of stay differ.

To be granted the permit, the applicant has to meet the criteria established by the government of the country they want to visit. If you come from Nigeria, you are granted visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 35 countries and territories. Yet it is essential to remember that entry to countries with visa-free access is admitted at the sole discretion of border officers. Additionally, the visitors must apply for a visa or work permit to engage in paid or unpaid work.

Nigerian citizens may apply for different types of visas. You can find all the necessary information about them below.

Electronic Visa

Applying for an Electronic Visa or eVisa is the easiest way to obtain a document granting passage to another country. Online application is easy - you only need a working device with an Internet connection that will allow you to fill in the necessary application form, a valid passport, and the means to finalize online payment.

If you are interested in getting an online visa, you should choose your preferred destination, check the requirements and prepare all the documents needed. When approved, the documents will be sent to your mail address. While most of the ports accept the digital version, it is a good idea also to have a printed one ready. The online visa is considered the most accessible one.

List of destinations offering eVisas for Nigerian citizens:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Cambodia
• Djibouti
• Ethiopia
• Gabon
• Kenya
• Kyrgyzstan
• Lesotho
• Madagascar
• Pakistan
• Qatar
• Rwanda
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• South Africa
• South Sudan
• Suriname
• Uganda
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe
• Ascension Island
• Saint Helena

Over 20 destinations accept electronic visas, ensuring Nigerian citizens easy access to their territories.

These documents, including the most important information about the traveler, are usually issued for 30 or 90 days.

The length of the stay may depend on the selected country's restrictions.

Visa on Arrival

Another type of visa is visa-on-arrival, also called VoAs. This document does not require much preparation in advance since it is easily obtainable while arriving in a foreign country. However, it is usually granted for short-term trips only (for example, for 14 or 30 days).

One of the requirements to be granted visa-on-arrival is to provide a valid passport. To obtain the permit, the traveler should visit the border control checkpoint, fill in the necessary application form and cover all the required fees.

The officers at the checkpoint may also ask for information concerning the hotel reservation, health insurance, or evidence of sufficient funds. Therefore, remember to carefully check what the exact visa requirements are.

List of destinations offering Visa on Arrival for people of Nigeria

• Cambodia
• Comoros
• Ethiopia
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mauritania
• Mauritius
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Rwanda
• Somalia
• Timor-Leste
• Tuvalu
• Uganda
• Somaliland

It is important to remember that some countries offer both online visa and visa-on-arrival. While these documents are of equal validity, the process of obtaining an electronic visa is much more accessible for the traveler. It is easy, fast, and convenient. Before the trip, the traveler should also make sure the chosen port of arrival accepts these types of visas.

Embassy Visa

The Embassy Visa or regular visa is issued solely by the official institution representing the country of the chosen journey, such as the Embassy or the Consulate. For now, over 170 places require a valid Embassy visa presented by Nigerian passport holders to allow them to cross the border.

Obtaining an embassy visa is quite complicated since it involves issuing the document for both short and long-term visits, and it covers the cases of traveling for leisure as well as for work. While some people may prefer the traditional method of obtaining a visa, it is important to remember the process will take more time than issuing a visa online.

List of destinations that require travelers from Nigeria to present a valid Embassy Visa upon arrival:

• Afghanistan
• Albania
• Algeria
• Andorra
• Angola
• Argentina
• Armenia
• Australia and territories
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Bahamas
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Belize
• Bhutan
• Bolivia
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Botswana
• Brasil
• Brunei
• Bulgaria
• Burundi
• Canada
• Central African Republic
• Chile
• China
• Colombia
• Republic of the Congo
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Costa Rica
• Croatia
• Cuba
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Estonia
• Eswatini
• Finland
• France
• Georgia
• Germany
• Greece
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Guyana
• Honduras
• Hungary
• Iceland
• India
• Indonesia
• Iraq
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Jordan
• Kazakhstan
• Kiribati
• North Korea
• South Korea
• Kuwait
• Laos
• Latvia
• Lebanon
• Libia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malawi
• Malaysia
• Malta
• Marshall Islands
• Mexico
• Moldova
• Monaco
• Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Morocco
• Myanmar
• Nauru
• Nepal
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Oman
• Panama
• Papua New Guinea
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Philippines
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Russia
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• San Marino
• Saudi Arabia
• Serbia
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Solomon Islands
• Spain
• Sri Lanka
• Sudan
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Syria
• Tajikistan
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• Tonga
•  Trinidad and Tobago
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom and Crown dependencies
• United States
• Uruguay
• Uzbekistan
• Vatican City
• Venezuela
• Vietnam
• Yemen
• Abkhazia
• Kosovo
• Northern Cyprus
• Artsakh
• Taiwan
• Hong Kong
• Macau
• Faroe Islands
• Greenland
• French Guiana
• French Polynesia
• French West Indies
• Mayotte
• New Caledonia
• Réunion
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon
• Wallis and Futuna
• Aruba
• Caribbean Netherlands
• Curaçao
• Sint Maarten
• Tokelau
• Akrotiri and Dhekelia
• Anguilla
• Bermuda
• British Virgin Islands
• Cayman Islands
• Falkland Islands
• Gibraltar
• Turks and Caicos Islands
• American Samoa
• Guam
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Puerto Rico
• U.S. Virgin Island

What is more, if Nigerian Citizens need a visa, they have to be aware of the strict requirements they may face.

For some destinations providing a document (usually a passport) with all the necessary information is not enough. In this case, the traveler may also be asked to take part in a visa interview.

Visa-free countries

There are 27 countries and seven territories worldwide that do not have any visa requirements when it comes to citizens of Nigeria.

No matter what the reason for the trip is - vacation, work, or transit - a passport is considered to be a sufficient enough document, comprising all the information needed.

Check the list of visa-free destinations for Nigerian citizens:

Special Permits

A few destinations do not necessarily require a visa to visit them, but in order to cross their borders, a special permit is needed.

If you are going to travel through British Indian Ocean Territory (required Special Permit), Tristan da Cunha (required permission to land either for 15/30 pounds sterling for Tristan da Cunha Island or 20 pounds sterling for Gough Island, Inaccessible Island, and Nightingale Islands) or South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (required pre-arrival permission from the Commissioner for 110/160 pounds sterling), remember to check the information about the current requirements and to prepare the essential documents.