Nigeria Visa Checklist — e-Visa, Short Visit & Documents
Nigeria runs a short-visit e-Visa (single entry, up to 90 days, not extendable) alongside embassy-issued visas for longer stays, business, transit and multiple-entry travel. Work through the stages below and match your category. Verified against the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), September 2026.
Stage A — Pick the right visa category
- ☐ e-Visa (short visit) — single entry, stay up to 90 days, for tourism, business meetings, seminars, contract negotiation, marketing, trade fairs, job interviews, sports, entertainment, study tours, academic exchange and humanitarian services.
- ☐ Staying longer than 90 days? That has to go through a Nigerian embassy or consulate (short-visit visa, embassy category).
- ☐ Tourism visa — single entry, 30 days: valid passport, return ticket, proof of accommodation.
- ☐ Business, single entry — 30 days: valid passport, invitation letter from a Nigerian company with its CAC certificate, proof of accommodation, return ticket. Single entry, not extendable, no direct employment.
- ☐ Frequently Travelled Business Executives — at least USD 250,000 invested in Nigeria; valid 1 year, multiple entries, maximum 30 days per stay.
- ☐ Transit visa — 1–7 days: valid passport, connecting ticket, proof of sufficient funds, plus a destination-country visa where required. No work, never beyond 7 days.
- ☐ Visiting visa (multiple entry) — based on reciprocity, valid up to 5 years, maximum 180 days per stay: invitation letter, proof of the host's immigration status, bank statements, return ticket.
Stage B — Gather your documents
- ☐ Valid passport — with the data page ready to upload.
- ☐ Invitation letter — for business categories, from the Nigerian company, with its CAC certificate and documents.
- ☐ Bank statements — proof of funds where the category requires it.
- ☐ Proof of accommodation — hotel booking or host details.
- ☐ Return or connecting ticket — depending on the category.
- ☐ Confirmed itinerary and proof of investment for the multiple-entry business visa.
The official pages checked for this page do not publish a photo size in millimetres or the fee amounts — so this checklist quotes none. If your application asks for a passport-style photo, follow the receipt's requirement and sanity-check the file with the passport photo checker against the formats in the photo size chart.
Stage C — Apply for the e-Visa (official steps)
- ☐ Register on the official e-Visa portal using your email.
- ☐ Choose the visa category that matches your trip.
- ☐ Complete the form — personal details, purpose of travel, dates and passport data.
- ☐ Upload your documents — invitation letter, bank statements, hotel booking, passport data page and anything else the category asks for.
- ☐ Pay online and submit the application.
- ☐ Wait for the email decision, then print the confirmation and carry it with you.
- ☐ On arrival in Nigeria you receive the visa sticker or electronic entry stamp.
Stage D — Rules that catch people out
- ☐ Short-visit e-Visas are single entry and cannot be extended — plan the 90-day ceiling into your trip.
- ☐ Transit without a visa works only for pure transit within 48 hours through a Nigerian airport without entering the terminal — no entry, no formal visa, no extension and no accompanying family members.
- ☐ No employment on the tourism, business single-entry or visiting visas.
- ☐ Never overstay a transit visa's 7 days or a visiting visa's 180 days per stay.
Frequently asked questions
How long can I stay in Nigeria on an e-Visa?
The short-visit e-Visa is single entry for stays of up to 90 days, and e-Visa short-visit categories cannot be extended. Stays longer than 90 days have to go through a Nigerian embassy or consulate.
What documents do I need for a Nigeria e-Visa?
Depending on category: a valid passport, an invitation letter (for business), bank statements, proof of hotel accommodation and the passport data page. These are uploaded with the online application before you pay and submit.
What is the difference between a tourist and a business visa?
The tourism visa is single entry for 30 days and needs a valid passport, a return ticket and proof of accommodation. The business single-entry visa is also 30 days but adds an invitation letter from a Nigerian company with its CAC certificate; it is not extendable and does not allow direct employment.
Can I get a visa on arrival, or transit without a visa?
Transit without a visa is allowed only for pure transit within 48 hours through a Nigerian airport without entering the terminal — there is no entry, no formal visa and no extension. Otherwise a transit visa (1–7 days) requires a valid passport, a connecting ticket and proof of sufficient funds, plus a destination-country visa where needed.
How long is the multiple-entry business visa valid?
The Frequently Travelled Business Executives visa needs at least USD 250,000 invested in Nigeria; it is valid for 1 year with multiple entries and a maximum stay of 30 days per visit, and requires proof of investment, an invitation letter, the host company's CAC documents and a confirmed itinerary.
What about fees and photo size?
Nigeria's official pages do not publish the fee amounts or a photo size in millimetres in the material checked for this page, so we do not quote figures. Confirm the current fee and any photo requirement on the NIS portal or your application receipt.
Categories, stays and required documents were checked against the NIS visa pages in September 2026; fees and rules change, so re-check the official NIS portal before you apply. Check your passport against the passport validity rules first, and see the Ghana visa checklist if your West Africa trip continues there.
Related: compare formats in the photo size chart and browse every destination on the visa checklists hub.