France visa for Nigerian citizens

For the tourist visa, France’s official sources give a standard fee of €90, and applications are made on france-visas.gouv.fr. Processing time, as France states it: Usually 15 days after lodging the file, up to 45 days in individual cases; allow extra time to obtain an appointment. Longest stay on the tourist visa: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

France has 2 missions in Nigeria, with its embassy in Abuja. Consulates: Lagos.

In 2025, France’s embassy and consulates in Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja) received 58,583 applications for short-stay Schengen visas and issued 29,375. The refusal rate was 48.5%. The refusal rate rose by 4.5 points from 44.0% in 2024. Applications rose by 5% compared with 2024 (55,833).

For comparison, all Schengen states together refused 47.9% of the applications lodged in Nigeria that year, from 27.2% at the consulates of Switzerland to 66.1% at those of Bulgaria. France’s consulates worldwide refused 14.2%. France was the most applied-for Schengen state in Nigeria.

You apply to the Schengen state that is your main destination (the longest stay or the main purpose; the state of first entry only when there is none), so a lower rate elsewhere is no reason to apply there. The figures cover applications lodged in Nigeria, by any nationality: mostly citizens, but also residents from other countries.

For a trip from Nigeria to France, the published travel advice reads as follows: the US State Department rates France at Level 2, exercise increased caution (updated 20 October 2026), the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office does not advise against travel to France (updated 22 October 2026) and the German Foreign Office has no travel warning for France (updated 28 October 2026). The advice is aimed at each government’s own nationals.

How long Nigerian citizens can stay in France

How long Nigerian citizens may stay in France is set by the visa issued, and the visa type must match the purpose of the trip.

How Nigerian citizens apply

In Nigeria, applications go to the French embassy in Abuja and the consulate in Lagos, or to a visa centre acting for France; fees, documents and processing times are published by France.

France and the Schengen area

A Schengen visa issued by France lets Nigerian citizens travel in all Schengen states; apply to France when it is the main destination of the trip.

France’s neighbours for Nigerian citizens

Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Andorra, Monaco and Spain require Nigerian citizens to obtain a visa in advance.

French citizens travelling to Nigeria

French citizens need an e-Visa for Nigeria, applied for online before travel and valid for up to 90 days.