Since May 2025, Nigeria has implemented an E-visa system just as many other African nations have started to do. This is a very welcome change as many of us know visiting embassies can be annoying, costly and time consuming!
We recently received our Nigerian E-visa after using their system so here is our no frills guide to getting your e-visa to Africa’s most populated country.
For our African destinations, check out our destination guides for details on how to get visas for Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and others.
Which website to use?
Here is the official link to the Nigerian E-visa website: https://evisa.immigration.gov.ng/
This is a government-run website and is the official one you should use for your visa. Whenever an E-visa website is created many other third party e-visa websites will pop up offering the same service, but often with a higher price tag. Don’t get caught out and make sure you’re using the official website.
What is needed?
The E-visa application form is fairly straight forward with the usual questions, you will be asked to upload some documents. These are:
- Passport;
- Passport-size photo;
- Proof of accommodation;
- Flight tickets; and
- Proof of funds and bank statement from last 6 months.
For proof of accommodation, it can just be a booking.com confirmation or something similar to this. For flight tickets we uploaded both arrival and departure flights in one PDF. For proof of funds, we uploaded a bank statement from the last 6 months. While there is little official information on how much is considered sufficient, however we have heard that a minimum of $2000 USD is required we would recommend having as much as possible to make the process smoother.
These documents can be in PDF, JPG or JPEG and can’t be too large. Preferably under 1mb each.
How much does it cost?
Unfortunately, this visa is not cheap. Regular visa price for a normal single entry tourist visa will cost you around $300. This is made up of a visa fee which is around $160 and then a consular service fee which is another $160 or so. In total for an Australian passport it cost $329 for a single entry tourist visa and will probably be the most expensive visa we get this year!
There are differing fees for differing nationalities with EU, US, Australia and UK on the more expensive side.
Does the website have any issues?
Yes, just like any new program being rolled out there will inevitably be some teething problems. One problem we encountered on the website is that sometimes when you try to upload documents it will give you a “server busy error” or that it can’t complete an action even if your documents are all fine. We waited 24 hours retried uploading the exact same way and there was no problem.
How long does it take?
The Nigeria E-visa is very quick, and you should receive a response within 48 hours. For us we had a response in just over 24 hours with email that had the approval attached. There have been some other reports that it can be longer, however if your documents are all in check then you should be fine. We would never recommend leaving a visa to the last minute though.
Can I still visit embassies to get a visa?
Yes, this is still possible as many people will still get their Nigerian visa in places like Benin if they are overlanding
How long will it be valid for?
The single entry tourist visa will allow you to stay in Nigeria for no more than 30 days. Once your visa is issued you will have a 90-day period in which to use it. Some websites say it will be valid for 30 days from the time of issue, however our visa clearly state the expiry date on 90 days after issue.
Can the E-visa be used to cross the land border?
When inputting data it will ask for flight details and doesn’t leave room to say you are entering or exiting via a land border. We would suggest the bet way around this is to upload an airline ticket anyway even if it is made up. The visa will still be valid to cross land borders with for both entry and exit.
Landing and exit cards
To enter and exit Nigeria you will also have to fill in an electronic arrival and departure card. The link to the online cards is on your visa. If you can’t find it then here is the official government link: https://lecard.immigration.gov.ng/ .
Do we offer Nigeria tours?
Not at the moment, however we do offer many African destination which you can see here on our Africa tours page on our website.
How can I book a tour?
Send us an email to [email protected] to secure your place on of our Africa group tours.
