Nigeria Visa - Definitive Guide
Nigeria is the most populated West African country which is also one of the oldest locations of human existence. Because of its famous football team and growing economy, Nigeria interests people from across the world, including India. To make people feel more invited, various kinds of Nigeria visa have been issued.
What is Nigerian Visa?
Whenever an individual who is not a resident of the country, is travelling to Nigeria necessitates a Nigerian visa. It is a permit that is obtained in the form of a visa stamp on your passport. In order to get Nigerian visa, you need to apply to the embassy of the country. There are various kinds of reasons that you may have to visit Nigeria. There are different visas for different purposes. They can be classified based on not only the cause of visit but also depending on the span of stay required or the number of entries permitted. There are short term visas and long term visas ranging from validity of 3 months to lifelong.
How to Apply for Nigerian Visa?
The Nigerian visa process is mostly online and you can apply for the same with a Nigeria online visa application. One important aspect of the visa application process is that the form needs to be filled following the guidelines specified by the embassy. The online form is to be filled with proper information and details that are asked for in the visa application. The general procedure for the application of the Nigerian visa is as follows: -- Fill out the online application form on the Nigerian embassy website.
- Pay the fees online.
- Cover letter and receipt will be received on your registered email.
- Submit the visa application form after going through the security regulation notices.
- The required documents along with the passport must be submitted with the signed visa application form.
- After the completion of the Nigeria visa online process, application form along with the supporting documents must be rendered to the registered visa agency who to carry out the further process.
- When the documents are submitted, the candidate has to visit nearby OIS centre for the biometrics when the application form and the documents are being verified by the embassy at the same time.
When the form is filled and submitted, you will have to wait for the processing time of the visa. Nigerian visa processing time generally depends upon the type of visa that you have applied for.
To avoid visa rejection, it is mandatory to provide genuine documents with appropriate and all the necessary information. Submission of false or bogus documents will not only get your Nigeria visa rejected, but this rejection may affect your future visa applications as well, for Nigeria and other nations.
Nigeria visa types
There are different kinds of Nigerian visa that are classified based on different aspects. The visas differentiate by the purpose of the visit, the time span of the stay, the number of entries permitted, and others. The types of visa for Nigeria are given as follows:
- Short term : The visas that are issued for a limited period of time. Generally, the visas that have a validity of fewer than 6 months are categorised under short-stay visas. The types of short stay Nigerian visa are listed as follows:
- Tourist visa: A tourist visa is issued at the time when the traveller is willing to visit the country for tourism. The tourist visa spans for about 3 months and can be extended by paying the renewal fees.
- Business visa: When a business person is travelling to Nigeria for carrying out business-related transactions or making business deals, a business visa is needed for the same. The span for the business visa depends on your purpose of visit.
- Transit visa: A transit visa is a temporary visa that is issued at the time when you are going to have to make a transit stop in the country and travel to another country later.
- Long term : The visas that are issued for long-term stays which generally exceed a period of 6 months or more are classified under this category. Common types of long-term visa for Nigeria are mentioned as follows:
- Student visa: This kind of visa is issued for the individuals who are looking forward to pursuing an education in Nigeria. The validity of the visa is dependent on the time span of the course that has been applied for.
- Work visa: Also called an employment visa, it is issued for the ones who already have a job in Nigeria and require a permit to stay in the country for the same.
- Passport with a validity of at least 6 months more than the period of stay.
- 2 blank pages in the passport for the application of visa stamp.
- 2 recent photographs
- Two-way flight tickets
- Bank statement from the past 6 months or any other evidence of sufficient funds.
- Proof of accommodation in the form of a Hotel Reservation or an Invitation letter from the company.
- Certificate of Polio Vaccination (Original)
- Certificate of Yellow Fever Vaccination (Original)
Document requirements for Nigeria visa
There are different kinds of documents required for different kinds of visas. The common documents required for Nigeria visa are as follows:
Nigeria visa photo requirements
The documents required for the German visa vary depending upon the type. However, there are certain standard documents required for all the types. The list of the documents required for Schengen visa Germany are as follows -
- Dimensions: 35mm X 45mm
- Colour: Coloured
- Head - centrally positioned
- Captured within the last 3 months
- White background
- 80% face coverage
- Neutral facial expression
- Glasses - not permitted
- Headgears - only for religious reasons
Nigeria visa fees for Indians
There are various aspects on which the Nigeria visa fees is dependent upon. These include the type of visa, the validity of the visa required, the urgency of the visa issuance, etc. The fee includes the charges paid to the embassy of Nigeria and the visa services that you avail. The fees can be paid online or offline if you are applying for a visa-on-arrival.
| Entry | Purpose | Stay Duration | Validity | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple entry Normal | Work | 3 months | 12 months | 47000.0 |
| Single entry Normal | Visitor | 3 months | 3 months | 34000.0 |
| Multiple entry Normal | Work | 12 months | 12 months | 35000.0 |
Nigeria visa processing time
The processing time will vary due to certain factors that affect the process. Generally, the time required for the processing of visa for Nigeria is about 10 to 12 working days, but then again it will still take longer or shorter time depending on the factors like the visa type, urgency of the requirement, status of application and others.
Where to apply for a visa to Nigeria?
In order to apply for the Nigerian visa, you need to visit Nigeria embassy website to fill Nigeria visa online application form. After this process is done and the online fees have been paid, the application form is to be taken to the visa application centre with the required supporting documents. When the process is completed by the centre, you can indirectly or directly reach out to the embassy for the submission of the final documents after the completion of the biometrics.
At times, the process may seem complicated and the formalities involved can seem difficult to be carried out individually. In such cases, professional visa consultation can be considered from the visa agencies. This will allow you to have your documents handled professionally and the procedure may even be quicker than the normal process.
Nigeria visa status
In order to track the status of your Nigeria visa application, you can visit the website of the visa agency through which you have applied or the visa application centre website. You can even do it offline by calling the embassy with the visa application number and enquire about the status.