How to Confirm the Status or Authenticity of Your Nigeria Visa on Arrival

If you applied for Nigeria visa on arrival, chances are that at some point you’d want to check the status of your visa so you can be sure when it is approved. This process will also help you verify the authenticity of your visa; and it is especially helpful if you obtained the approval via a third party and want to be absolutely sure that the visa is authentic.

Generally, when you apply for a Nigeria visa on arrival, it goes through four stages:

• Application submitted: This is the first stage in your application process. After submitting your visa application successfully, you will be able to generate your application in PDF or print it out. The application form MUST contain your unique Application ID and Reference Number.
• Payment done: After submitting your application and downloading your application form, you can then proceed with payment of the official fees. The fees normally include the actual visa fee, a $20 processing fee and $90 biometrics fee. US citizens are exempt from paying biometrics fee. If your payment is successful, visa on arrival status will then change to “Payment done”. The payment date and amount paid will reflect in the immigration portal. Note that your application can only be processed after payment is completed.
• Vetted: Moments after your Nigeria visa on arrival payment is done, your application will then be assigned to a vetting officer who will confirm all the details and documents you submitted. After vetting your info, they will then make notes regarding the accuracy and/or completeness of your info and pass it on to the last stage for the final decision making.
• Approved/rejected: This is the final stage in the application process. This is when a decision is arrived at regarding your visa based on the recommendation of the vetting officer. If the info and documents you submitted are complete and accurate as per immigration requirement, your visa will be approved. If on the other hand you submitted inaccurate info and incomplete/invalid documents, your visa will be rejected instantly.

How to Verify or Confirm the Status of Your Nigeria Visa on Arrival

Having known the various stages your Nigeria visa on arrival goes through, here’s how to confirm your visa status and/or verify its authenticity:

1. Visit the Nigeria visa on arrival portal: The Nigeria Immigration Service; point to Visa on Arrival on the menu and choose Program Status. Or, you can simply visit the visa on arrival status page directly here.

2. Enter your Nigeria visa on arrival application ID and reference number in the relevant boxes and click Search Record:

Your application ID and reference number are found on the application form, payment receipt, acknowledgement slip and letter of approval:

Once your record is found on the immigration portal using your application ID and reference number, it will bring up your visa on arrival status report containing your personal information, application information, processing information and payment information:

If you can see your information like in the image above and the visa status reads Approved, then your visa on arrival approval letter is authentic. If the visa is rejected or still being vetted, you should also see it on the immigration portal, including the payment status.

You can also print out your acknowledgement slip and payment receipt on this page.

Let us know if you have any questions or need help processing your Nigeria visa on arrival.