How to Apply for a Nigeria e-Visa from the UK: Documents and Timing

Do British citizens need a visa for Nigeria?

A British citizen travelling to Nigeria on a British passport needs a visa, obtained before travel. The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) introduced its e-visa system on 1 May 2025 and discontinued visa on arrival at the same time, and GOV.UK confirms that all visa applications must now be submitted through the online portal before travel. The one exception GOV.UK notes is a person with a valid Nigerian residence permit (CERPAC or Green Card).

NIS describes the application as strictly online from end to end: you register on the official portal, choose a visa class, upload the documents for that class and pay by credit or debit card. If the visa is approved, NIS emails an approval letter with a QR code and reference number to present on arrival.

Apply only on the official NIS portal

On 6 May 2025 NIS issued a public notice about a fake website, www.nigeria-e-visa.com. The notice states that the e-visa system is only available on the NIS portal, https://evisa.immigration.gov.ng/, and strongly advises the public to refrain from engaging with any third-party websites or agents claiming to process Nigerian e-visas, because of the risk of fraud, identity theft and financial loss. The 'Apply for e-Visa' link on the NIS website, immigration.gov.ng, leads to the official portal.

Which e-visa class fits your trip?

NIS offers 13 short visit visa classes through the e-visa portal. For a holiday or a family visit, the choice is usually between the four in the table, none of which permits employment.

NIS's published statements on extensions differ. Its press release of 2 May 2025, its FAQ and its visa classes page say e-visas cannot be extended, while the F9A and F9B pages, and the entries for those classes in its April 2026 Service Level Agreement, state 'Extendable: Yes'. None of them explains the difference, so plan to leave within the stay the visa allows.

Documents for a tourism (F5A) or family visit (F6A) e-visa

NIS's tourism page lists the requirements below. The visiting visa needs the same documents plus an invitation letter from family or friends in Nigeria accepting immigration responsibility, and a copy of the host's Nigerian passport, or residence permit if the host is not Nigerian.

• A valid passport with not less than 6 months' validity.
• A passport-size photo.
• Evidence of a return ticket.
• Evidence of a hotel reservation or a host address in Nigeria.
• Evidence of sufficient funds: a 180-day bank statement.
• For a minor under 18 travelling with an adult: a birth certificate and a parental consent letter.

British-Nigerians: a visa or a Nigerian passport?

Section 25(1)(c) of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 provides that every person born outside Nigeria either of whose parents is a citizen of Nigeria is a citizen of Nigeria by birth. Section 28, under which a person forfeits Nigerian citizenship by acquiring or retaining another nationality, applies only to a person who is not a citizen of Nigeria by birth.

For a citizen by birth, the e-visa is not the only route. The F9A and F9B classes exist for Nigerians by birth who travel on a foreign passport; a Nigerian citizen travelling on a valid Nigerian passport does not apply for a visa. If you hold both passports, the F9A and F9B pages state that interchangeable use of passports is not allowed, and NIS's FAQ asks travellers to present the original passport used for the application.

If you travel on your British passport, NIS's F9A page lists:

• A valid foreign passport with not less than 6 months' validity.
• Proof of Nigerian parentage, for example a birth certificate with Nigerian parents or an old Nigerian passport.
• A return ticket.
• Your parents' data pages.
• A valid Nigerian passport, where applicable.
• A passport-sized photo.

Does my child need a visa for Nigeria?

A child born in the UK with at least one parent who is a Nigerian citizen is a Nigerian citizen by birth under section 25(1)(c). The child needs an e-visa when travelling on a British passport, and no visa when travelling on a valid Nigerian passport.

A first Nigerian passport has a longer published timescale than an e-visa. The Nigeria High Commission in London, which many people call the Nigerian embassy in London, states that the contactless route is not available to under-18s or first-time applicants, so the application goes through its appointment system. NIS's Service Level Agreement, revised in April 2026, lists a Nigerian NIN (NIMC number) slip for a fresh passport and sets a standard of 42 days after successful enrolment, so for a trip in the coming weeks the F9B e-visa usually fits the timescale better.

For a child travelling on a British passport with a parent or legal guardian, NIS's F9B page lists:

• The child's valid foreign passport, with not less than 6 months' validity.
• The child's birth certificate, showing the parents' full names.
• A valid passport of the Nigerian parent.
• Proof of Nigerian parentage, as for F9A.
• A valid ticket.
• Passport-size photos of the child and of the accompanying parent or legal guardian.
• A consent letter from the parent or legal guardian, if a guardian accompanies the child.
• An application letter from the parent or guardian requesting the visa.

How much does the Nigeria e-visa cost for UK citizens?

NIS does not publish e-visa fees on its visa information pages. Appendix I of its Service Level Agreement, revised in April 2026, has two visa fee tables by country in US dollars, and the United Kingdom appears in both with different figures. The agreement's e-visa entries refer to Appendix I for the fee but do not say which table applies to e-visas or to a particular class, or whether a service charge is added.

The e-visa portal shows the visa fee and a total once you select your nationality, visa class and passport type, before you pay; rely on the amounts it shows, including any service or transaction fee. NIS's FAQ says fees apply to each applicant in a group application, and that visa fees are often non-refundable after a refusal.

How long does the e-visa take, and when should you apply?

NIS's FAQ states that e-visas are approved within 48 hours, that high-volume seasons or incomplete documentation can delay approval, and that applicants should apply at least 2 to 4 weeks before travel. The Service Level Agreement uses the same 48-hour standard, qualified by the words 'If No Local Objection', which it does not define.

For travel over Christmas and the New Year, it is sensible to work to the four-week end of that advice. Applying many months ahead carries a different risk: these classes are valid for 90 days from issue, so check the dates on the approval letter against your flights.

What to have ready for the journey

NIS's FAQ lists three things to present at the airport: a printed or digital copy of the e-visa approval, the original passport used for the application, and the landing card. NIS requires inbound passengers other than Nigerians to complete the landing card online at lecard.immigration.gov.ng before boarding, and outbound passengers to complete the exit card before departure. The F9B page lists a landing card as a step, so complete one for a child on a British passport too.

GOV.UK changed its advice on the online Nigeria Health Declaration Form on 28 September 2026. Its update of 13 July 2026 said all passengers needed to complete the form; the current wording says travellers entering Nigeria from countries with Ebola virus disease transmission must complete it before travel and may also be required to undergo thermal screening and a travel history check on arrival. Check the page again shortly before you travel.

Returning to the UK is a UK immigration matter outside this guide; GOV.UK's Nigeria entry requirements and dual citizenship pages cover it. GOV.UK's other requirements for entering Nigeria on a British citizen passport are:

• Your passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the date you arrive in Nigeria.
• You must have a certificate showing that you have had a yellow fever vaccination. Infants aged 8 months or younger and adults aged 61 or older are exempt.

Refusals and other common problems

If an application is refused, NIS's FAQ says you can request clarification or submit a fresh application that addresses the issues raised, such as missing documents or insufficient funds, and can contact NIS at info@immigration.gov.ng if you believe there was a mistake. Other problems that NIS's and GOV.UK's published requirements point to include:

• A passport without 6 months' validity remaining after the date of arrival.
• Presenting a different passport at the border from the one used to apply.
• A stay longer than the class allows. NIS's press release of May 2025 sets an overstay penalty for foreigners of $15 per day, with a 5-year entry ban for overstays of 3 months and above and blacklisting (a permanent entry ban) for 1 year and above.

What our document check covers

We are an independent UK service, not affiliated with NIS or any Nigerian government body, and we do not submit e-visa applications or pay visa fees on anyone's behalf. Before you apply, we check your documents against NIS's published requirements for your visa class and, for British-Nigerian families, set out what each route, an e-visa or a Nigerian passport, requires. You then apply and pay yourself on the official portal, evisa.immigration.gov.ng.