You must apply for a Nigeria visa if you are planning to visit Nigeria from any country that is not a visa-free country. This article will guide you on step by step procedure of applying for a Nigeria visa from any foreign country.
Nigeria as the largest African country is well known for its diversity and cultural heritage. Visiting Nigeria for tourism is a great plan, but you need to understand how to apply for a Nigerian visa from your location.
A comprehensive list of requirements and steps to apply for a Nigerian visa is given in this writing;
Incredible reasons to plan a tour to Nigeria
Nigerians are hospitable and welcoming and there are a lot of innovations in place in almost every city in Nigeria. Also, it would be nice to experience different weather conditions fewer hazards and a culturally oriented nation.
Leading reasons to tour Nigerians include:
Cultural Heritage
Nigeria is a historic site that has great settings for cultural appreciation. Also, Nigeria is a multilingual state where we have 250 ethnic groups and over 500 spoken languages.
Therefore this beautifies Nigeria and her people who have held their history with so much pride.
Festivals and Entertainment
In almost all states in Nigeria, despite recent civilisations, festivals are still being held. The idea behind festivals is held annually such as Calabar Carnival, Osun Osogbo Festival, Egungun festival and many more.
Furthermore, in areas of filmmaking and musicals, Nigeria is known to be among the leading producers in the world. Musicians from Nigeria have continued to stand out to produce quality music and you should attend an entertainment show or concert during your stay in Nigeria.
Opportunities for investment in Agriculture
Agriculture is one of the recently improved aspects of Nigeria’s economy. Therefore, this gives room to investors seeking to support agriculture on a wide scope in Nigeria. Fruits, cash crops, animal production and many more are practised in Nigeria’s agricultural land.
Further major crops include; beans, sesame, cashew nuts, cocoa beans, groundnuts, gum arabic, kolanut, maize (corn), melon, millet, palm kernels, palm oil, plantains, rice, rubber, sorghum, soybeans and yams.
Alike, cocoa is majorly exported from Nigeria to other countries and it is a major hit of Nigeria’s economy aside from crude oil.
Favourable climate
Nigeria had one of the best climates in the world. With two major seasons, except you are in mountainous regions, you experience less cold.
Although it can get hot in some parts of the country it is bearable. Nigeria experiences the rainy season and dry season which occurs throughout the year.
Lots of tourism options
Nigeria has thirty-six states and there is no state without a geographical feature or biodiversity that doesn’t speak volumes.
Also, Nigeria has quite several UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the Osun Osogbo sacred grove and many more. As well, there are waterfronts, museums, arts and cultural centres, lakes, waterfalls, mountains, rocks, tropical rainforests and so on.
Eligibility for Nigeria Visa
Your eligibility for the Nigeria visa stands if you are not a Nigerian and you are not a citizen of certain countries in Africa.
There are countries that Nigeria has strong ties with within Africa, therefore visa on arrival options exist for these countries.
Thus, if you are from any of these countries, you are exempted from prior visa applications. However, because your visa can be issued at the borders upon entering Nigeria, you have to enter legally.
Entry into Nigeria can either be by road or air. Although there are different international flights connecting Nigeria to other foreign countries you can look into this option.
Visa Processing Days for the Nigeria visa
It takes three to six days from the date of application and submission to get your Nigeria visa.
Best time to apply for the Nigeria visa
Application for the Nigerian visa should begin at least three weeks before your trip. However, for visa-free countries, you do not need to obtain a visa to Nigeria.
Therefore, you can travel to Nigeria from any of these visa exempted countries whenever you desire.
Cost of Nigeria visa
The cost of the Nigerian visa differs per country and application.
Visa Free Countries
Similarly, for individuals from these countries, the Nigeria visa is free;
Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Cabo Verde, Chad, Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Macedonia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Validity of the Nigerian visa
A Nigerian tourist visa is valid for 30 days. Therefore within this time frame, you are encouraged to explore Nigeria because your visa duration starts counting.
Also, when you are issued a Nigerian visa, you have 14 days to fully plan and prepare yourself for your trip. Otherwise, your timeframe would begin to tick and you might not be able to meet up again.
How to Apply for a Nigerian visa (from non-visa exempted countries)
After gathering all relevant documents, here are the next steps on how to apply for a Nigerian visa:
Step 1: Go to the Nigerian immigration portal
Step 2: Identify your visa category
Step 3: Select your nationality and reasons for travelling
Step 4: Fill in your biodata and other required information
This will include your full name, address, where you will stay in Nigeria if you have ties with Nigeria, your occupation and so on.
Step 4: Provide a clearance of criminal records
Step 5: Schedule an interview with the embassy in your country
Step 7: Pay your visa and biometrics fee and submit Your application
Step 8: Attend your interview session and get your biometrics captured
Step 9: Obtain your visa in three to six days
Likewise, if you are applying from a country with a Nigeria visa exemption, all you have to do is:
- Visit the nearest airport or bus station within your locality
- Purchase a flight ticket or pay your bus fare
- Arrive in Nigeria on your planned date
- You might be required to present your passport at the Nigerian border to prove that you are eligible for free entry into Nigeria.
Documents needed to apply for the Nigerian visa
- A recent international passport with at least 6 months validity and a blank page for a visa stamp.
- You’re accurately filled visa application form: The visa application form is for you to present all relevant information which must be accurate and not falsified. Also, you must check for spelling and errors duly.
- Visa fee payment slip: Ensure that you print the payment slip after you pay your visa fee.
- Recent passport photographs of at least two: Following the appropriate guidelines, you are to present two passport photographs with appropriate backgrounds.
- A notification tag of your visa fee approval: Once you have paid and submitted some relevant information online, a notification will be sent via email as approval. You should print and present it at the embassy.
- A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate from a recognised physician or hospital: To add to this, other vaccines are required if there is a disease outbreak at the time you are travelling. Such as during the pandemic when a COVID-19 vaccination certificate was mandatory.
- Letter of invitation: In this letter, your host is to present full details about your trip, listing your arrival and departure date, his or her contact information and other necessary.
- Front page of your host’s passport and other relevant biodata
- Evidence of accommodation, hotel reservations or residential address of a host
- A booked return airline ticket
- Evidence of funds: This is required to show that you can cover your expenses during your stay in Nigeria. It could be in form of a bank statement, a cover letter from your bank, or evidence of cash inflow and outflow or debt status.
- Proof of citizenship for your home country and other means of identification: To apply for a Nigerian visa, your citizenship declaration is very important. Therefore, you must present your passports, ID cards, and Green Card(for U.S. residents)
Important points to consider when applying for the Nigerian visa
- Applications for the Nigerian visa differ per country.
- The Nigerian visa does not allow you to overstay or work in Nigeria.
- You must provide current vaccination reports per disease outbreak.
- Visiting the Nigerian embassy or consulate in your country is important for the interview.
- Only certain countries are eligible for visa exemption or visa-on-arrival option to Nigeria.
Amazing tourist destinations in Nigeria
Nigeria is blessed with 36 states and over 700 local government areas. Also, the economic capital of Nigeria which is Lagos serves as an amazing commercial hub with lots of beaches.
Similarly, there are hundreds of attractions, artistic expressions and cultural entities and destinations that have been in existence for centuries.
Hence, you can find any of these most visited spots in Nigeria quite fascinating:
- Obudu Mountains Resort, Calabar
- Kajuru Castle, Kaduna
- Oniru Beach, Lagos
- Zuma Rock, Niger State
- Yankari Game Reserve, Bauchi State
- Olumo Rock, Abeokuta
- Eleko beach, Lagos
- Lekki Conservation Centre, Lagos
- Aso Rock and National Assembly, Abuja
Conclusion
Finally, the application for a Nigerian visa varies based on your location and intentions. However, you need to submit all relevant information related to your trip.
This has to do with submitting all travel documents in English Language and forwarding them to the Nigerian embassy in your locality. Also, be informed that you can speed up the process of applying for a Nigerian visa, thus Travelwaka can assist you with this.
Likewise, for tourism deals and offers in Nigeria, you can reach out to Travelwaka for the latest updates.
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