Here is all the info and guide you need to plan the perfect SCOAN visit from any country. This guide covers the city/location, church services, invitation/visa processing, hotel/accommodation, air ticket/flight booking, airport transfers (pick up and drop off), prayerline registration, and an insight into the costs so you can plan your visit to The SCOAN (Nigeria) with ease.
Visiting the Synagogue, Church of all Nations (SCOAN), Lagos – Nigeria can be very hectic. Without the right information and proper guide, it will be almost impossible for you to make your visit. So, here is the information and one-stop guide you need to save cost, guarantee your safety and facilitate your visit to Nigeria (headquarters of the SCOAN), and make sure your visit to the church is a success.
The SCOAN Location
The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN) is located at Ikotun-Egbe, a suburb area at the outskirts of Lagos, Nigeria. The church is about 45 minutes drive from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and situates at #1, Segun Irefin Street, Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos.
SCOAN Visit
This is a step-by-step guide on how to visit The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Lagos -Nigeria, without an invitation from the church. Note that we normally advise visitors to schedule their visit to cover up to two Sundays. This is because The SCOAN has mainly only Sunday services at the moment. And because of the crowds, you should plan to spend reasonable time here. A Sunday service might be enough, but it is best to plan your visit for two Sundays (usually 9 to 14 days) as the case may be.
So here are the steps you need to follow:
- Get an invitation letter from your host (Destinali)
- Make a room reservation near SCOAN
- Get a Nigerian visa
- Book a flight to Lagos, Nigeria
- Airport pick-up
- A guide to the SCOAN
Get an Invitation Letter from Destinali
The first step to planning a visit to The Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Lagos – Nigeria, is to get an invitation letter. Normally when you’re invited by the church, they will give you an invitation letter. But since they invite only but a few people usually, you will need to get a letter of invitation to Nigeria elsewhere, preferably from us because we have helped hundreds of thousands of people to visit SCOAN effortlessly. We are very well known at most of the Nigerian Embassies/High Commissions or Consulates in different countries. We are also a duly registered (incorporated) company with the Corporate Affairs Commission, Nigeria.
If you get a letter of invitation to Nigeria from us, it will almost certainly be honoured anywhere. But the main reason you should choose us is because we are just a stone throw away from the SCOAN and know how to receive and guide visitors to the church so they can be attended to. This is why we are different from the rest. Hundreds of visitors who come through us every week can attest to that.
We have two invitation formats depending on what is required by the Nigerian embassy/high commission in your country of residence; we know the preference for most countries. We may choose to give you a personal invitation letter or corporate invitation letter. The personal invite will be accompanied by the signatory’s Passport, while the corporate invitation letter comes in the company’s letterhead together with the incorporation (CAC) documents of the company, Destinali.
You can apply for your invitation letter here. It takes within 60 minutes normally to receive an invitation from us.
Make a Room Reservation
The next thing you’ll need after the letter of invitation is to book a room. This is because the embassy/immigration will also demand to see your reservation confirmation together with the letter of invitation. Reservation confirmation is proof of proper travel arrangement. In fact, in most cases, if you contact us for a letter of invitation, we will demand to know your daily accommodation/room budget so we can go ahead and make a reservation on your behalf and send you a confirmation. This normally comes with the letter of invitation. We have the most sort-after accommodations within 1 to 3 minutes walking distance off the SCOAN, and our room rates range from $20, $30, $40, $50, $60, $70 to the $110 Family Suites. So, just decide on a room that suits your budget and let us know. We will make reservation and send you a confirmation.
Alternatively, you can find hotel rooms near SCOAN here and proceed with reservation on your own.
Get a Nigerian Visa
You’ll need a visa to enter Nigeria, unless you hold an ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) Passport, or are from a country with special visa waiver agreement with Nigeria.
Here are the Nigerian visa application requirements:
- Current passport (with at least 6 months validity)
- Completed visa application form
- Confirmation of online payment
- 2 passport size pictures
- Letter of invitation from Host accepting full immigration responsibility
- Data page of Host passport,
- Confirmed hotel reservation, if the applicant is not staying with Host
- Evidence of funds to cover stay in Nigeria (letter from bank, bank statement, etc.)
You’re expected to submit an online visa application at the Nigerian Immigration website. After the visa application process and online payment, print and take filled application and payment documents to the Nigerian Embassy/Consulate/High Commission in your country of residence. It is advised that you first call the Commission/Consulate and book a visa appointment with them.
To many, this process of obtaining a visa might be too strenuous, time-consuming and even way too expensive when you factor in not just the visa fee but other associated costs like transport across cities to the Nigerian embassy, booking visa appointments, going for visa interview and bio-metric capture (like in the USA, for instance).
Get a Visa on Arrival (VoA). The Nigerian Visa on Arrival program enables you to travel and get your visa at the port of entry (airport) in Nigeria. This is particularly the preferred visa option if you have an urgent visa application that carries a tight deadline; this can help you to save valuable time and avoid expensive delays. Very importantly though, you must apply and get the approval documents before travelling, else you will be turned back at the airport.
We strongly recommend the visa on arrival option to the visitors we host. Here’s all you need to get a visa on arrival approval:
- Your flight itinerary, indicating your return date
- A copy of your passport data page (must have at least 6 months validity)
- Payment of processing fee. This is the fee we charge to process the VoA approval for you, as your representatives in Nigeria.
To let us process Visa on Arrival approval for you, send a copy of your flight itinerary to hello@destinali.com and pay the VoA processing fee. We will get the approval letters within a maximum of 48 hours and forward same to you. This approval document will also be sent to the airline and your port of entry in Nigeria by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS). You will print out this document, and travel with two recent passport photographs and get your visa at the airport in Nigeria.
Book a Flight to Lagos, Nigeria
The SCOAN is at Ikotun-Egbe, Lagos, Nigeria. So your destination airport will be Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos (LOS). Before booking a flight, it is best to compare and get the cheapest rates so you can save money. We’ve made it possible for you to search, compare rates and get the best deals on flights to Lagos, Nigeria right here.
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Airport Pick-Up
As part of our overall service, we have to pick you up from the airport on arrival and drop you off on departure. You’ll need to confirm your arrival date and time with us by sending us a copy of your flight ticket and a recent photo. We will make pick-up arrangements and send you details (including photos) of members of our team to receive you at the airport.
As your host in Nigeria, this is to guarantee your security and safety until you return back to your country. This is also to conform with the immigration responsibilities which we swore to bear in the letter of invitation.
It takes about 45 minutes from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos to the SCOAN and hotel is just a minute away from there.
A Guide to The SCOAN
At the hotel, we will properly guide you on the SCOAN procedures and how to be attended to. We will also take you to church early enough on Sunday morning so you can enter the main church auditorium and have a good sitting arrangement. The SCOAN Sunday services begin as early as 3.00am with visitors being ushered into the tents before being ushered again into the main church auditorium on first-come, first-in basis. This is why we must take you to church early enough and give you every assistance you will need.