Nigeria Visa Types & Application FAQ

It depends entirely on the purpose and length of your trip. Nigeria issues visas across two broad tracks: Short Visit Visas for stays of up to 90 days (tourism, business meetings, conferences, sports, journalism, medical treatment, and similar short-term purposes), and Temporary or Permanent Residence Visas for anyone planning to live, work, or study in Nigeria for a year or more.

Short Visit Visas split further into two application routes: the e-Visa (for visas not exceeding 90 days, applied for entirely online) and the Embassy Short Visit Visa (for the same 90-day ceiling but processed at a Nigerian embassy or consulate). Neither route is extendable once issued — if your plans change, you apply for a new visa rather than extend the old one.

Both cover the same 90-day short-visit ceiling, but the application channel differs. The e-Visa is applied for and approved entirely through the official online portal, without an in-person embassy visit, and covers purposes such as tourism, single-entry business, sports, creative arts, study tours, and academic exchange.

The Embassy Short Visit Visa is processed through a Nigerian embassy or consulate and covers a different (though overlapping) set of categories — including non-accredited diplomatic visas, transit-without-visa, multiple-entry visiting visas, journalist visas, and staff-of-NGO visas. Which route applies to you depends on your specific visa subclass, not personal preference.

No. Every short-visit visa — whether obtained via e-Visa or embassy — is explicitly non-extendable under current Nigerian immigration policy. If your circumstances change and you need to remain longer, the correct route is a fresh application for the appropriate visa class, not an extension of the one you hold.

Overstaying is treated as a breach of your visa conditions and can affect future applications, so if your plans might change, build in that uncertainty before you travel rather than after.

For the standard single-entry business e-Visa (F4A — 30 days, for meetings, conferences, contract negotiation, trade fairs and similar activity), you will typically need:

• A valid passport with at least six months' remaining validity
• An invitation letter from a Nigerian company, together with that company's CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission) registration certificate
• Evidence of accommodation in Nigeria
• A return or onward ticket

This visa is single-entry and does not permit direct employment in Nigeria — it is for the business activity described in the invitation letter, not for taking up a role with the host company.

Business travellers needing to enter and exit Nigeria more than once within a shorter window — without qualifying for the Frequently Travelled Executives category above — use the related Business (Multiple Entry) Visa – F4B instead, which carries the same general requirements but permits multiple entries rather than one.

Yes — the Business (Frequently Travelled Executives) Visa – F4C is built for exactly this. It is aimed at high-profile business travellers who have invested at least USD 250,000 in Nigeria, and it is valid for one year with multiple entries, though each individual stay is capped at 30 days.

You will need proof of the qualifying investment from a recognised agency, an invitation letter, the host company's CAC documentation, and confirmed travel arrangements. As with the standard business visa, it does not authorise employment.

The Journalist Visa – F7A is a dedicated short-visit category for media practitioners engaged in official reporting or coverage in Nigeria. It requires clearance from the relevant government body (the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation), together with a valid passport, hotel booking, and return ticket.

It allows a stay of up to 90 days but does not authorise general employment, and renewal is possible only under specific conditions rather than as a matter of course. Filming or reporting on a tourist or business visa, rather than under this category, is a common and avoidable mistake.

Social visits to family or friends have their own dedicated category — the Visiting Visa (Single Entry) – F6A — rather than falling under general tourism. It is a 30-day, single-entry, non-extendable visa requiring an invitation letter from your host, evidence of the host's Nigerian passport or residency status, proof of funds, and a valid return ticket. Minors need a birth certificate and parental consent.

Nationals of countries with a reciprocal arrangement may instead qualify for the Visiting Visa (Multiple Entry) – F6B, valid for up to five years, allowing repeat social visits of up to 180 days each — useful if you expect to travel to Nigeria for family reasons more than once.

Nigeria distinguishes between several humanitarian-adjacent categories depending on the organisation and duration involved. The Humanitarian Services Visa – F7J is a single-entry, 30-day category for those aiding charitable projects, requiring an MOU or clearance from the National Planning Commission.

Staff of an international NGO use the Staff of INGO Visa – F7L (up to 90 days, requiring an invitation letter and an existing MOU between the INGO and the Nigerian government), while staff of a domestic NGO use the shorter Staff of NGO Visa – F7M (up to 30 days). None of these categories permits employment outside the described humanitarian or development scope.

There is a specific short-visit category for exactly this situation: Returning Holders of Foreign Passports who are Nigerians by Birth – F9A (accompanying minors travel under the related F9B). It allows entry for up to 30 days for social or business reasons, provided you can show evidence of your Nigerian heritage — typically a birth certificate or equivalent documentation of Nigerian parentage or birth.

This is a short-visit category only and does not authorise paid work. If you intend to reside in Nigeria on a longer-term basis, the Permanent Residence Visa for Nigerians by birth who renounced Nigerian citizenship (see the CERPAC guide) is the relevant longer-term route.

Yes — the Medical Tourism Visa – F7C covers individuals seeking medical treatment in Nigeria, as well as those accompanying a patient. It allows entry for up to 90 days, with the stay extendable to 180 days where ongoing treatment requires it.

Applicants must provide a hospital referral letter, proof of sufficient funds, and accommodation details. It does not permit any form of employment.

The Religious Tourism Visa – F7D is for followers of a faith travelling to Nigeria to attend religious activities or pilgrimages. It is valid for up to 30 days on a single entry, with no extension available.

Applicants need a covering letter from a religious body, travel bookings, accommodation confirmation, and proof of funds. Employment of any kind is excluded under this category.

The International Cultural Exchange Visa – F7I is a single-entry, 30-day visa for participants in cultural exchanges facilitated by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Nigeria and another country.

It requires a valid passport, proof of accommodation and funds, and official documentation of the cultural exchange programme. No employment is allowed, and the visa does not support extension beyond the initial 30-day period.

The Emergency/Relief Work Visa – F7K is issued to personnel undertaking urgent humanitarian assistance missions. It is valid for 30 days and requires a letter from a relevant government agency or NGO, a return ticket, and proof of accommodation.

The category strictly covers relief efforts and excludes paid employment, though extension is sometimes possible depending on the nature and duration of the emergency.

The Tourism Visa – F5A is the standard single-entry visa for leisure and sightseeing, valid for up to 90 days from issuance (14 days if obtained via e-Visa; immediate if via Visa on Arrival, where eligible). It is open to nationals of all countries except ECOWAS member states, Cameroon, Chad, and countries with which Nigeria has a visa abolition or waiver agreement.

Requirements: a passport valid for at least six months with at least two blank visa pages, two recent passport-sized photographs, a return ticket, evidence of sufficient funds, and evidence of a hotel reservation or host address in Nigeria. It strictly excludes work, and is distinct from the Visiting Visa (a social visit to a specific host) and the Medical Tourism Visa (treatment-specific).

The Diplomatic (Non-Accredited) Visa – F2A is issued to diplomats who are not formally accredited to Nigeria but are entering for official business on a short-term basis. Applicants must hold a valid diplomatic or official passport, supported by a note from their country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It permits a stay of up to 90 days and covers attendance at meetings, conferences, and seminars, but does not authorise work and cannot be extended. A diplomat formally accredited to Nigeria instead falls under the Accredited Diplomat Visa in the Temporary Residence Visa category (R1A), not this short-visit F2A category.

The Cleric Visa – F7B is a single-entry visa for religious officials visiting Nigeria specifically to conduct religious services — preaching, seminars, or religious conferences — as an officiant rather than a general attendee. This is distinct from the Religious Tourism Visa (F7D), which is for followers or participants attending religious activities rather than leading them.

If the engagement is genuinely long-term religious employment rather than a short visit, the correct route is the Employment (Cleric) Visa under the Temporary Residence Visa category (R6A), not this short-visit F7B category.

The Sports Visa – F7E is a single-entry visa for individuals visiting Nigeria to take part in sporting activities as athletes, officials, or organised supporter groups. It is valid for 90 days from issuance, covering a stay of up to 30 days, and is non-extendable.

It does not authorise employment and is strictly limited to the sporting engagement itself — group applications for up to 10 persons are permitted, which is relevant for teams and accompanying officials travelling together.

Yes — what your existing pages describe as the "Creative Arts Visa" is officially the Artist(e)/Entertainer/Musician Visa – F7F, a single-entry visa for performers visiting Nigeria specifically to perform as an artist, entertainer, or musician. It requires an invitation letter from the event organiser, proof of funds, a return ticket, and any relevant endorsement from a cultural body.

It excludes employment outside the specific performance engagement and, like most short-visit categories, is non-extendable.

The Study Tour Visa – F7G is a single-entry visa for students, scholars, or course participants visiting Nigeria for a short academic study tour rather than full-time enrolment. Applicants need proof of enrolment or an invitation from an approved Nigerian institution, evidence of funds, and a return ticket.

Employment is not authorised, and the visa cannot be extended. Where the visit involves a formal exchange agreement (an MOU) between institutions rather than a general study tour, the related Academic Exchange Programme (AEP) Visa – F7H applies instead — valid for up to 90 days on a single entry, requiring letters of invitation and acceptance from the Nigerian institution, academic credentials, and proof of funds. If the engagement is genuinely long-term study, the Student Visa under the Temporary Residence Visa category is the correct route, not either of these short-visit categories.

If you remain within the international transit area of a Nigerian airport for under 48 hours without leaving the terminal, you generally travel under Transit Without Visa – F3A, which requires an onward ticket but issues no formal visa and does not permit entry into Nigeria proper.

If your connection requires you to actually clear immigration and re-enter for a longer layover (up to seven days), the separate Transit Visa – F3B e-Visa category applies instead, requiring a valid passport, onward ticket, proof of sufficient funds, and (where relevant) a visa for your final destination.

A Temporary Residence Visa allows an individual to reside in Nigeria for up to two years at a time, subject to renewal, for purposes such as employment, business establishment, schooling, internship, or accompanying an employed migrant, student, or diplomat as a dependant. It is the umbrella category under which most of the "employment", "student", and "diplomat" residence categories sit.

If you are moving to Nigeria for work, study, or as a dependant of someone doing so — rather than just visiting — a TRV subclass, not a short-visit visa, is almost always the correct starting point.

The STR visa is a single-entry visa issued to foreign nationals who have been invited to Nigeria for long-term employment or business, once their sponsoring company has secured an Expatriate Quota position from the Federal Ministry of Interior. After receiving quota approval, the employee applies for the STR visa at a Nigerian embassy or diplomatic mission in their country of residence before travelling.

Once in Nigeria on the STR visa, the process moves to "regularisation" — converting to the appropriate residence/work visa and then applying for CERPAC. Skipping straight to a business or tourist visa for what is actually long-term employment is one of the most common (and most consequential) mistakes employers make.

The Employment (Expatriate) Visa covers foreign nationals offered employment under an approved Expatriate Quota position. It requires a confirmed work contract with a Nigerian employer holding a valid quota, the employer's formal acceptance of Immigration Responsibility (IR), quota approval documentation, educational and professional credentials, and a CV. Senior managers additionally need a board resolution.

It is granted for an initial 90-day entry, after which a residence/work permit is typically issued for two years, renewable. Related, purpose-specific variants exist for expatriates working in Free Zones, for government agencies, for International NGOs, and for clerics.

Yes. Dependants of migrants, students, or diplomats fall within the Temporary Residence Visa framework, and can be sponsored to accompany the principal visa holder for the corresponding period. The dependant's status is tied to the principal applicant's — if the principal's visa lapses or is revoked, the dependant's status is affected accordingly.

For a spouse who is married to a Nigerian citizen (rather than accompanying a foreign principal applicant), a different, longer-term route applies — see the Permanent Residence question below.

The Student Visa is issued to individuals pursuing full-time study at an approved Nigerian institution. You will need an official admission letter, proof of financial support, medical insurance where applicable, and evidence of accommodation. It is generally valid for the duration of the academic programme (commonly renewed annually) and strictly authorises educational activity only.

Paid employment is not permitted unless specifically authorised through recognised internship or work-study arrangements, and renewal depends on continued enrolment and satisfactory academic progress — dropping out or failing to re-register can jeopardise your status.

A Permanent Residence Visa allows certain categories of individuals to obtain permanent residence status in Nigeria, rather than residence that must be periodically renewed. The categories are specific and limited: spouses of Nigerian citizens; Nigerians by birth who formally renounced Nigerian citizenship (N2A) and their spouses (N2B); qualifying investors who meet a specified annual capital-import threshold; highly skilled individuals in fields significant to Nigeria's development; and certain categories of retirees.

Each subclass carries its own documentary requirements — a marriage certificate and proof of the sponsoring spouse's citizenship for the spousal category, audited financial statements and corporate registration for the investor categories, and proof of stable pension or retirement income for the retiree categories.

Yes. Nigeria's Investor Visa categories are explicitly tiered by scale: Small Enterprise, Medium Enterprise, Large Corporations, Ultra Large Corporations, and a specialised category for Oil/Gas/Power sector investment. Each tier has its own minimum capital or turnover threshold and its own documentary standard — from a solid business plan and proof of funds at the small-enterprise end, to audited global financial statements and government endorsements at the ultra-large end.

All tiers grant residency to oversee the business, with renewal conditioned on continued compliance, active operation, and (for the larger tiers) demonstrated contribution to the Nigerian economy. Employment privileges under this visa are tied specifically to managing the investment itself, not general employment.

Yes, through one of two Retirement Visa subclasses. Retirement Visa (Retired in Nigeria) applies to individuals already resident in Nigeria under an earlier visa category who are now retiring locally; Retirement Visa (Retiree from Abroad) applies to foreign retirees relocating to Nigeria for the first time.

Both require proof of stable retirement income (pension, annuity, or savings) and local accommodation, with health insurance strongly recommended for those relocating from abroad. Neither visa authorises paid employment — it is a settlement route, not a work route — and renewal depends on continued proof of income stability.