Nigeria visa and entry requirements

The visa

• Visa on arrival is no longer available. Every visa application goes through the online portal before travel. There is no desk at the airport that will fix this.
• Apply at evisa.immigration.gov.ng, run by the Nigeria Immigration Service.
• The tourism e-visa is single entry, 30 days, and not extendable. That is the Immigration Service's own description, and it is stricter than most people assume.
• It wants four things: a valid passport, a return ticket, evidence of accommodation and a bank statement showing sufficient funds.
• The passport must be valid at least 6 months after the day you arrive.
• A valid Nigerian residence permit, CERPAC or Green Card, replaces the visa.

Transiting

• Transit without a visa covers 48 hours, strictly airside, with an onward ticket, and it does not let you into the country.
• The e-visa transit visa is a different thing, one to seven days, for people who need to leave the airport.

The two forms nobody mentions until the gate

• Landing and departure cards are completed online through the immigration portal, and you may be asked for them at the airport.
• The Nigeria Health Declaration Form is filled in online before you enter, and that includes transit passengers. Thermal screening and a travel history check may follow.

Vaccination

• A yellow fever certificate is a condition of entry. Infants of 8 months or under and adults of 61 or over are exempt.

What you may not bring

• It is illegal to import beer, mineral water, soft drinks, sparkling wine, fruit, vegetables, cereals, eggs, textile fabrics, jewellery or precious metals. That list surprises people carrying gifts.
• Exporting African art, particularly antiques, needs written authorisation from the Department of Antiquities.