The new Nigeria Visa Policy (NVP) 2020 is aimed at specificity of visa classes and simplicity of the visa process for tourists, special skilled professionals, business investors and many others.

There are two policy groups under the new visa regime:

• Visa-free
• Visa-mandatory

Visa Free Policy

The Visa Free or Visa Exemption policy applies to holders of travel documents that eliminates the need to go through rigorous visa application procedures in advance of visiting Nigeria.

There are four classes of travelers (visa classes) in this group: 

Citizens of the following 15 Economic Community of West African States do not require a visa to enter Nigeria:

• Benin Republic
• Burkina Faso
• Cape Verde
• Ivory Coast
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Guinea
• Guinea Bissau
• Liberia
• Mali
• Niger Republic
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• Togo.

Visitors with travel documents from major International Organizations will be granted visa free entry from authorized airports of entry into Nigeria.

The organizations recognized by the Federal Republic of Nigeria include:

• The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
• The African Union (AU)
• The United Nations (UN)
• The African Development Bank (AfDB).

Diplomatic and Official Passport holders from countries with Reciprocity Visa Waiver Agreement with Nigeria may be eligible for visa-free entry into Nigeria through authorised entry ports. As at October 2020, the countries officially listed under the F1D policy include:

• Kenya (Diplomatic Passport Only)
• Mauritius
• Namibia
• Rwanda
• South Africa
• Sudan
• Tanzania
• Brazil
• Cuba
• Venezuela
• China
• Singapore

Note: Standard or regular passport holders from the above F1D countries will require a visa to enter Nigeria. Only Diplomatic and Official passport holders can enter visa-free.

Travel Documents from group F1A, F1B, F1C and F1D may obtain single entry visa on arrival at any immigration port of entry into Nigeria. All visas issued under the Visa Free Policy are Single Entry for maximum duration of 90 days.

This is applicable to citizens of all other countries that require visa to enter Nigeria. Passports Holders from this group desiring Short Visit, Temporary Residence or Permanent Residence may apply for visa in advance of traveling to Nigeria or obtain a visa on arrival. The categories are as follows:

This category contains twenty-four (24) visa classes tailored to specificity of the traveler’s purpose of visit and status, ranging from Tourist to Nigerian-born foreigner, to honorary consul to non-accredited diplomat and many more. Visas issued under this category permit a maximum duration of 90 days.

This category contains thirty-six (36) visa classes recommended for various travel purposes ranging from people who hold temporary work permits to accredited diplomats. The TRV is a multiple entry visa that may not exceed a duration of twenty-four (24) months or two (2) years.

This category contains fifteen (15) visa classes applicable to Spouse of a Nigerian Citizen, a senior dependent (aged 65 and above) of a PRV holder, rare talent or highly skilled worker, exceptional investor, or retiree.

Implementation of the new visa policy started since October 1, 2020. However, certain aspects have been hampered by the CoVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, the new policy is being implemented in phases in accordance with the permitted visa channels, starting with Visa on Arrival (VoA) which applies to passport holders from African countries and other nationalities in four Short Visit Visa classes:

• F4C – Business – Frequently Traveled Executives Visa (Multiple Entry)
• F5A – Tourism Visa
• F7K – Emergency/Relief Work Visa
• F9A – Returning Nigerian by Birth Visa

The eVisa which further eases the application process for the Visa Mandatory group, was next to be implemented along with the rest of the visa channels.

Please see the new visa fees applicable to this New Visa Policy 2020, provided by the Nigeria Immigration Service.

Travelers who already obtained Nigerian Visas in the older visa categories can still enter Nigeria as long as their visa remains valid and as long as they are not restricted by new health policies.

Similarly, travelers who have already entered Nigeria with the older visa types do not have to change their visas except at the point of renewal.