Nigeria

Nigeria visa guide: every visa and residence permit

  • 17 visa types
  • checked 24 October 2026

How visas for Nigeria work

Nigeria sorts its visas into three families, each identified by a letter code. Short Visit Visas (F classes) cover stays of up to 90 days for tourism, business meetings, family visits, transit, events, medical treatment and similar purposes. Temporary Residence Visas (R classes) are for people who will live in Nigeria for up to two years at a time, mainly employees, students, interns, diplomats and their dependants. Permanent Residence Visas (N classes) cover spouses of Nigerian citizens, former Nigerians, investors, highly skilled immigrants, retirees and their families. All of them are administered by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) under the Federal Ministry of Interior.

There are two application channels. Most short visits go through the NIS e-Visa portal: you apply and pay online, the NIS Service Level Agreement (April 2026 edition) targets a decision within 48 hours where there is no local objection, and the approval letter with a QR code arrives by email. Classes that are not on the e-Visa, such as medical, multiple-entry family visits, journalist and all residence visas, are filed on the regular visa portal and completed at a Nigerian embassy or high commission with an interview and biometric capture; the published turnaround is 10 days from enrolment. The NIS visa page lists only these two channels.

Visa fees follow reciprocity, so they depend on your nationality. Appendix I of the NIS Service Level Agreement lists, country by country, separate rates for single-entry, multiple-entry, TWP and STR visas: British citizens, for example, pay USD 193 for a single-entry visa and US citizens USD 160, and a few nationalities are listed as gratis. ECOWAS citizens and nationals of countries with a visa waiver agreement do not need the tourism visa.

Anyone who will live or work in Nigeria for a year or more ends up with a CERPAC, the residence permit and aliens card. Employers first need a Business Permit and Expatriate Quota from the Ministry of Interior. Since the introduction of the e-CERPAC, expatriates in the R2A and R3A employment classes receive their residence permit before travelling instead of regularising after arrival.

Which visa do I need?

Holiday or sightseeing: Tourism Visa F5A, normally through the e-Visa (30 days, single entry). Visiting relatives or friends: Visiting Visa F6A on the e-Visa, or F6B multiple entry at an embassy if your country offers Nigerians the same.

Meetings, trade fairs, negotiations or job interviews: Business Visa F4A or F4B on the e-Visa; executives with at least USD 250,000 invested in Nigeria can use F4C. Changing planes only: airside transit without a visa for up to 48 hours, or Transit Visa F3B for 1 to 7 days in the country.

Short technical assignments of up to six months: Temporary Work Permit (R10 or R11). A regular job: Employment Visa R2A under your employer’s expatriate quota, followed by a CERPAC. Full-time study: Student Visa R7A.

Long-term settlement: spouse of a Nigerian (N1A), investor visas N3A to N3E, Highly Skilled Immigrant N4A or retirement visas N5A and N5B. People in need of international protection apply to the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) inside Nigeria.

Visa types for Nigeria

Visits and short stays

  • Tourist visa Tourism Visa (F5A), Short Visit Visa

    The Nigeria Tourism Visa (class F5A) is a single-entry short visit visa for holidays and sightseeing.

    Maximum stay: 30 days, single entry
  • Family and friends visit visa Visiting Visa F6A (single entry) and F6B (multiple entry)

    Visiting Visa F6A lets you spend up to 30 days with relatives or friends in Nigeria on a single entry, and it is issued through the e-Visa.

    Maximum stay: F6A: 30 days single entry; F6B: up to 180 days per entry
  • Transit visa Transit Visa F3B and Transit Without Visa F3A

    Passengers who change planes in Nigeria without leaving the airport can stay airside for up to 48 hours under Transit Without Visa F3A, provided they hold a confirmed onward itinerary.

    Maximum stay: F3B: up to 7 days; F3A: up to 48 hours in the transit zone
  • Medical treatment visa Medical Tourism Visa (F7C)

    The Medical Tourism Visa F7C is for people travelling to Nigeria for treatment at a Nigerian hospital or clinic, and for those accompanying them.

    Maximum stay: Up to 180 days, single entry
  • Culture, sports and events visa Sports Visa F7E, Creative Arts Visa F7F and International Cultural Exchange Visa F7I

    Nigeria has three e-Visa classes for events.

    Maximum stay: 30 days, single entry

Business and self-employment

  • Business visa Business Visas F4A (single entry), F4B (multiple entry) and F4C (frequently travelled executives)

    Nigeria has three business visit classes.

    Maximum stay: F4A: 30 days single entry; F4C: up to 30 days per entry; F4B: set by reciprocity
  • Investor visa Investors Visas N3A to N3E (small, medium, large, ultra-large and oil, gas and power)

    Nigeria’s investor visas are multiple-entry permanent residence classes graded by the capital you import and keep in the country: USD 250,000 to 500,000 for a small enterprise (N3A, 3 years), up to USD 1 million for a medium enterprise (N3B, 4 years), up to USD 10 million for a large corporation (N3C, 6 years), USD 10 million and above for an ultra-large corporation (N3D, 8 years) and USD 100 million in oil, gas or power (N3E, 10 years).

    Maximum stay: N3A 3 years, N3B 4 years, N3C 6 years, N3D 8 years, N3E 10 years (multiple-entry residence permit)

Study and training

  • Student visa Student Visa (R7A), Temporary Residence Visa

    International students admitted to an accredited Nigerian institution apply for Student Visa R7A from abroad.

    Maximum stay: 2-year renewable residence permit after regularisation

Work

  • Work visa Employment (Expatriate) Visa R2A (STR), Free Zone Visa R3A and Temporary Work Permit R10/R11

    Foreigners who take a job in Nigeria enter on an Employment Visa, known as the STR (Subject to Regularisation) visa, under an expatriate quota position that the employer obtains from the Ministry of Interior, and then hold a CERPAC residence permit valid for two years and renewable.

    Maximum stay: STR: 90-day entry visa, then a 2-year renewable CERPAC; R10: up to 30 days; R11: 6 months
  • Skilled worker visa Highly Skilled Immigrant Visa (N4A), Permanent Residence Visa

    The Highly Skilled Immigrant Visa N4A is a Nigerian permanent residence class for foreign nationals whose knowledge, abilities and technical know-how are highly relevant to the current and future needs of the Nigerian economy.

    Maximum stay: 10 years, multiple entry (residence permit)

Family

  • Family reunification visa Dependant visas of residents: R2B to R6E (temporary residence), R7B, R8B and N6A to N6D (permanent residence)

    Family members of foreigners who live in Nigeria join them through dependant sub-classes linked to the principal’s visa.

    Maximum stay: R2 dependants: 2 years multiple entry; N6 dependants: 2 years multiple entry; renewed with the principal
  • Spouse and partner visa Spouse of Nigerian Citizens Visa (N1A) and Special Immigrant Status

    Foreign nationals legally married to Nigerian citizens apply for the Spouse of Nigerian Citizens Visa N1A, a permanent residence class issued under section 37(10) of the Immigration Act 2015.

    Maximum stay: 4 years, multiple entry (NIS Service Level Agreement, April 2026)

Residence

  • Retirement visa Retirement Visas N5B (retiree from abroad) and N5A (retired in Nigeria)

    Nigeria has two retirement classes for people aged 65 and over.

    Maximum stay: N5B: 2 years, multiple entry; N5A: indefinite
  • Residence permit Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC and e-CERPAC)

    The CERPAC is Nigeria’s residence permit and identity card for foreigners who live or work in the country for one year or more.

    Maximum stay: Usually one year and above, renewable; employment permits typically 2 years
  • Permanent residence Permanent Residence Visas (PRV, classes N1 to N6) and the route to naturalisation

    Nigeria’s Permanent Residence Visas are a family of N classes for people who will settle long term: spouses of Nigerian citizens (N1A), Nigerians by birth who renounced citizenship and their spouses (N2A, N2B), investors (N3A to N3E), highly skilled immigrants (N4A), retirees (N5A, N5B) and the families of permanent residents (N6A to N6D).

    Maximum stay: Indefinite (e.g. N2A, N5A) or multi-year: N1A 4 years, N3A 3 to N3E 10 years, N4A 10 years, N5B and N6 2 years

Online travel permits

  • e-Visa Short Visit Visa (e-Visa), Nigeria Immigration Service e-Visa portal

    Nigeria’s e-Visa is the online channel for most Short Visit Visas, including tourism, business, family visits, transit, sports, creative arts and relief work.

    Maximum stay: Usually 30 days per visit (single entry) within a 90-day validity; transit 1 to 7 days

Asylum and international protection

  • Asylum and international protection Asylum and refugee status, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI)

    In Nigeria the government, not UNHCR, receives and decides asylum applications.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Nigeria?

Yes, unless you are an ECOWAS citizen or a national of a country with a visa abolition or waiver agreement with Nigeria. Short visits can be applied for on the e-Visa portal; the fee depends on your nationality under the NIS fee table in Appendix I of the Service Level Agreement.

How long does a Nigeria e-Visa take?

The NIS Service Level Agreement targets 48 hours for e-Visa classes where there is no local objection. Embassy visas have a target of 10 days from the date of enrolment, which is the interview and biometric appointment.

Can I extend a short visit visa inside Nigeria?

Short visit visas issued through the e-Visa are not extendable, and they cannot be converted into a work or residence permit inside Nigeria. Only some embassy classes, such as medical, journalist or INGO staff visas, are marked as extendable where applicable.

What is an STR visa?

STR stands for Subject to Regularisation. It is the entry visa for employment and similar residence classes. After arrival the holder regularises by obtaining a CERPAC, usually valid for two years and renewable. In the R2A and R3A classes the e-CERPAC is now issued before arrival.

How much does the CERPAC cost?

The NIS CERPAC page lists USD 2,000 for employed foreigners, USD 600 for students and no fee for foreigners married to Nigerian citizens. The Ministry of Interior fee schedule also lists the e-CERPAC at USD 2,000.

Where do I complete an embassy visa?

After filing on the regular visa portal (visa.immigration.gov.ng), you attend enrolment, the interview and biometric capture, at the Nigerian embassy or mission that serves your country of residence. NIS targets 10 days from enrolment.

Embassies and consulates

Last checked 24 October 2026. Each visa page lists the official sources it is based on.