You have an emergency or a short business notice that requires you to travel to Nigeria and you urgently need to obtain an entry visa on arrival to Nigeria.
There is however no Embassy of Nigeria in your country of residence or you need to travel several hours to another city in your country to get to the Nigerian Embassy? This will cost you a lot of money and travel time to get to the nearest Nigerian Consulate or Embassy.
Again, do you find yourself overseas in another country (where you are not resident) and want to do a quick trip to Nigeria?
But wait a minute! Visa on arrival means I can actually travel to Nigeria and obtain my visa upon arrival, right? I’m sorry to inform you that, most likely the airline personnel at the Airport during your travel, will not allow you to board the flight if you don’t have any document proof showing approval of your pre-arranged visa on arrival.
READ ALSO: How to Register a Company Limited by Shares in Ghana
This is because the airlines get penalized if they allow passengers without proper visa documentation to board their flights. YES! Nigeria Immigration allows and issues visas on arrival …. but you need to have applied prior to your journey and obtain approval before you commence your travel to Nigeria.
This ‘visa on arrival approval’ is given in the form of a letter or a note that bears your name, travel dates, purpose of travel, passport details, visa number and visa validity period among other information about the traveler.
We are excited to share with you, simple steps you can follow to obtain your Nigeria visa on arrival. Hit us up if you still need clarity and assistance in getting it done!
You can also Read this Article from Mondaq here: How A Foreigner Can Obtain Visa On Arrival To Nigeria 2021
What you need to know about visa on arrival to Nigeria?
Visa on arrival means that travelers must obtain a visa in order to enter the destination country, but it can be obtained upon arrival. However, you must pre-apply for the visa on arrival before your journey so that you are guaranteed to be allowed to board the flights and allowed entry into Nigeria.
Mostly, 30-day stay is the highest number of days that countries issue to applicants on visa on arrival in the country. Depending on the country and the nationality of the applicant, visas on arrival application process may take longer than the usual date for processing. The delay is mostly due to the thorough checks done by the immigration department of the country issuing the visa.
All countries except ECOWAS member countries are required to apply for visa on arrival to grant them entry into Nigeria. According to the Nigeria Immigration Service, the visa on arrival facility is available for two categories of travelers;
- Frequently traveled high Net worth investors with business interest in Nigeria.
- Citizens of African countries.
Who is eligible to apply for visa on arrival to Nigeria?
The following persons are generally eligible to apply for visa on arrival to Nigeria.
- Frequently travelled business persons of international repute.
- Holders of United Nations Laissez-Passer
- Executives of Multi-national companies
- Members of Government delegations
- Holders of African Union Laissez-Passer.
- Holders of any other official travel documents of other recognized international organization who intended to visit Nigeria.
How to Apply for Visa On Arrival
To begin the application visa on arrival, use the link https://portal.immigration.gov.ng/visaArrivalProgram/freshvisaOnArrivalProgram.
STEP 1: Apply and Make payment online:
- To begin your application, Please visit the NIS (Nigeria Immigration Service) portal.
- Complete Application and make payment online.
NB: Payment for visas can be made only online.
- You will be required to upload the following original documents;
- Passport Photo
- Introduction/Application letter
- Copy of passport bio data page
- Copy of Airline Return Ticket.
- Invitation letter from host country
- Corporate Affairs Commission Certificate from host 2company or in case of NGO’S a letter of permission.
NB- Application letter should be addressed to the comptroller General of Immigration, NIS HQ Abuja, stating the following;
- Name of Applicant Indicating Nationality.
- Passport number of Applicant.
- Purpose of visit.
- Proposed date of visit.
- Proposed date of entry.
- Flight itinerary.
- Address in Nigeria or Hotel.
Once application is submitted successfully a printable receipt would be issued.
The application would be processed, after which an Approval Confirmation and Approval letter would be sent to your email within 48hours.
NB: Successful online payment is not approval. Applicant should not proceed to Nigeria until receipt of “Visa on Arrival Approval letter”.
STEP 2 : Arrive at the port of entry and proceed for biometric enrolment visa issuance and immigration clearance.
Upon arrival at the port of entry proceed to the desk marked visa on arrival for biometric enrolment and issuance of entry visa. Present the following documents at the port of entry.
- Visa Approval letter valid for 14 days from the date of issuance.
- Evidence of online payment.
- Valid passport with minimum of six months.
- Valid return ticket.
What is the Cost of Visa on Arrival to Nigeria?
There is no fixed official charge for the application of Visa on Arrival to Nigeria.
Fees are charged based on the nationality of the applicant. Below are the official fees for some countries
| NAME OF COUNTRY | OFFICIAL FEE (US$) | BIOMETRIC REG. FEE (US$) |
| 1. United States of America | 160 | 90 |
| 2. United Kingdom | 144 | 90 |
| 3. Canada | 85 | 90 |
| 4. Germany | 88 | 90 |
| 5. China | 64 | 90 |
| 6. France | 88 | 90 |
| 7. South Africa | 58 | 90 |
| 8. Eritrea | 2 | 90 |
| 9. Japan | 36 | 90 |
| 10. Netherlands. | 88 | 90 |
| 11 India | 253 | 90 |
| 12. Singapore | Gratis | 90 |
NB: Applicants are required to pay US$30 as fee for bank charge for payment.
READ ALSO : HOW TO OBTAIN A VISA ON ARRIVAL TO GHANA
Additional guidelines to avoid delays for Visa on arrival
However, from our experience, the fastest way to obtain a visa on arrival or emergency entry visa without delay include;
- Proper documentation
- Attach all relevant documents
- Highlight all necessary information in the application letter
- Submit your application on time
Conclusion
Applying for visa on arrival is not a daunting task. As far as all the required documents are valid, applicants should be able to go through a successful application.
Applicants must always note that, all fees for the application are paid online, therefore, one should not use any dubious means to secure visa on arrival else he/she will be duped. It is advisable to seek assistance if you are not sure.
Let us know if you still have challenges after reading this! Otherwise safe travels to Nigeria……See you?
17 Comments
Afolabi martin
I want pasport for travel
Firmus Advisory
Hi Martin,
Currently, we are only able to assist with visa on arrival to Ghana and Nigeria.
Dranyam
Thanks for the informative article. I have been unsure if I was able to proceed with a ‘paid’ status on my application. Frustratingly, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of information available online.
I applied and paid for a business visa on arrival last week, 6 business days ago. As of yet I have not received any confirmation or notification that the visa is being processed.
I’ve called the numbers online throughout this week but not been able to speak to anyone.
Do you have any advice of how to get an update on my application? Or is it simply a matter of time?
I fly in 3 weeks but am travelling with work between now and then; currently pretty concerned that I may need to visit the embassy or that it will not be looked at in time.
Firmus Advisory
It might be that your application did not get feedback due to certain circumstances. However, we assist with the application for a visa on arrival, you can email us via [email protected] so we consider your issue and how to best resolve it.