Nigeria International Travel Portal: Important Information for Travelers

Nov 06, 2025 0

Planning a trip to Nigeria requires careful preparation. This article provides essential information regarding visa requirements, health precautions, safety advice, and other important travel considerations. Staying informed can help ensure a smooth and secure journey.

Visa and Entry Requirements

A passport valid for six months, a visa, and proof of Polio and Yellow Fever vaccinations are required to enter Nigeria.

Understanding Nigeria's "Visa on Arrival"

Nigeria's "Visa on Arrival" requires pre-approval. You must receive a Visa on Arrival approval document from a Nigerian embassy or consulate prior to travel to Nigeria.

A Visa on Arrival is only available for the purpose of business travel, as defined by the Nigerian government. No Visa on Arrival is available for tourism.

If you attempt to travel to Nigeria without a visa issued into your passport or a Visa on Arrival approval document from a Nigerian embassy or consulate, you will be refused entry.

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You cannot legally depart Nigeria unless you can prove, by presenting your visa and entry stamp, that you entered Nigeria legally. In addition, if you exceed your authorized period of stay (as determined by the duration of stay given by the entry officer), you will be required to pay a fine before being allowed to depart.

Important: This information is subject to change.

Effective May 1, 2025: Nigeria officially launched its e-Visa and Landing & Exit Cards services. The e-Visa now replaces the visa-on-arrival system, which was officially discontinued yesterday. “Visa on Arrival already issued will remain valid until 30th May 2025,” confirmed the Nigeria Immigration Service.

Key Features of Nigeria’s New e-Visa

The new electronic visa system is entirely digital and can only be accessed through Nigeria’s official e-Visa portal: evisa.immigration.gov.ng.

Fast Processing Time: Once submitted correctly, applicants receive a decision within 48 hours, much faster than the traditional consular process, which can take up to 10 business days.
Flexible Validity: E-Visas are issued for stays ranging from 30 to 90 days, depending on the applicant’s nationality and the visa category selected. Extensions are not allowed, longer stays must be arranged through embassies using the traditional visa process.
Wide Range of Visa Types: The platform supports 13 different e-Visa categories, covering everything from single or multiple-entry business trips to tourism, family visits, transit, and short-term study.
Enhanced Security and Transparency: The digital system ensures data protection and allows real-time application tracking, significantly reducing the risk of document fraud.

Eligibility and application process

To apply for an e-Visa, travelers must have a passport valid for at least six months beyond their intended entry date into Nigeria. The application requires digital submission of the following:

Biometric page of the passport
Passport-style photo
Round-trip flight ticket
Any additional documentation required for the specific visa category

Payment must be made using approved methods directly on the portal.

Holders of an approved e-Visa can enter Nigeria through the following international airports, all of which now feature e-Gates for faster and more secure processing:

Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (Abuja)
Murtala Muhammed International Airport (Lagos)
Port Harcourt International Airport (Port Harcourt)
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (Kano)
Margaret Ekpo International Airport (Calabar)
Akanu Ibiam International Airport (Enugu)

Digital Landing & Exit Cards: streamlining travel formalities in Nigeria

In tandem with the e-Visa system, Nigeria has also rolled out a fully digital arrival and departure card system, known as the Landing & Exit Cards. This replaces the old paper-based embarkation and disembarkation forms.

According to the Nigeria Immigration Service, all international travelers, except Nigerian citizens entering the country, must complete the card online before boarding their arrival or departure flight.

“For the inbound passengers (excluding Nigerians), the landing card must be duly completed online before boarding. For the outbound passengers, the exit card must be duly completed online before departure,” authorities stated.

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The form is available on a dedicated portal: lecard.immigration.gov.ng, which provides full digital management of traveler information. This system is integrated with Nigeria’s visa processing center, enabling immediate enforcement of penalties for overstays, such as:

$15 daily fines
Up to five years entry ban for overstays exceeding three months
Permanent ban for overstays of one year or more

Health Information

A World Health Organization (WHO) yellow card is required for entry into the country. The Nigerian authorities require a Yellow Fever vaccination within the past ten years and that adults have a Polio booster after the original childhood vaccine series. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes a country-specific list of recommended vaccines to receive prior to arrival.

Centers for Disease Control lists Nigeria as “critically high risk” for Malaria. All visitors should take Malaria prophylaxis. Avoid being outdoors during dusk and dawn and wear clothing over exposed skin whenever possible.

Tap water is unsafe. Bottled water and beverages are generally safe.

Take care when purchasing medicines locally, as counterfeit pharmaceuticals are a common problem, and may be difficult to distinguish from genuine medications.

Important: Nigerian medical facilities are generally poorly equipped. Many medicines are unavailable, including medications for diabetes or asthma. Emergency services comparable to those in the United States or Europe are non-existent, and the blood supply is unreliable and unsafe for transfusion. You should consider traveling to the United States, Europe, or South Africa for treatment for serious conditions.

COVID-19 Requirements and Procedures for Travelers

New travel requirements for inbound travelers into Nigeria were announced during a national briefing organized by the Presidential Screening Committee (PSC) in Abuja. Boss Mustapha urged Nigerians to get vaccinated and follow all Covid-19 protocols within Nigeria.

Fully vaccinated passengers must show proof of vaccination for the approved vaccine types e.g. Oxford Astra Zeneca, Pfizer/ Bio-Ntech, Moderna, Jensen (Johnson and Johnson), e.t.c.
Travelers who have received all necessary vaccinations are not required to observe the mandatory 7-day quarantine. And ‌fill in the online Health Declaration/Self-Reporting form ‌on the portal.
Fully vaccinated passengers must print the permit to travel/QR code at the top right corner of the portal. Save and print the form, and present it at the point of boarding after completing the Health Declaration Form.
Unvaccinated passengers must perform a COVID-19 PCR test not over two days (48 hours) before boarding. Rapid antigen or antibody tests are not acceptable; They can use only PCR tests for travel.
The NITP portal will direct all unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travelers to upload their negative COVID-19 PCR test.
Unvaccinated and not fully vaccinated travelers must pay for the Covid-19 PCR test on days two and seven post-arrival.

Both partially vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers who do not show up at the sample collection centers on Days 2 and 7 of arrival will receive text reminders and information sent to the State Public Health Department and the Nigeria Centers for Disease Control (NCDC) for active follow-up. If the Nigerian citizen cannot appear for the test after following up text, they will have their passports restricted for at least six months. And they will not be allowed to travel abroad during this period. They will deport foreign nationals from Nigeria if they hold non-Nigerian passports.

The Presidential Steering Committee encourages all passengers traveling out of Nigeria to have taken vaccination against COVID-19 and comply with the testing requirements of the destination and transit countries. Travelers are to familiarize themselves with the COVID-19 requirements of the country they are traveling to.

Prior to departure, passengers travelling to Nigeria must complete the on-line pre-boarding health declaration at the Nigeria International Travel Portal. They must also have tested negative for COVID-19 within 96 hours of their departure to Nigeria, and have uploaded their PCR test certificate to the on-line Travel Portal. Passengers must also carry evidence of the test and result when they travel. Only a COVID-19 PCR test is acceptable to the Nigerian authorities. Also before travel, passengers must book and pay for a repeat PCR test for day 7 of their arrival in Nigeria at the Nigeria International Travel Portal- evidence of the booking will be required on arrival.

All new arrivals are expected to self-isolate at one location in the city of their arrival until the result of their second PCR test (which should be taken on day 7 of arrival) is known. If the second test is negative individuals can exit self-isolation from day 8 onwards. Anyone that has developed symptoms of coronavirus during their travel or later tests positive will be managed according to national guidelines for COVID-19 treatment.

Safety and Security

Reconsider travel to Nigeria due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed gangs, and inconsistent availability of health care services. Some places in Nigeria have an increased risk. Overall, all locations carry significant security risks. Violent crime is common in the country. This includes armed robbery, assault, carjacking, kidnapping, hostage-taking, roadside banditry, and rape. Kidnappings for ransom happen often.

Terrorists are increasingly using less sophisticated methods of attack -including knives, firearms, and vehicles - to target crowds more effectively.

There is risk of terrorist violence in Nigeria. Terrorists continue plotting and carrying out attacks in Nigeria. Terrorists collaborate with local gangs to expand their reach.

Civil unrest and armed gangs are active in parts of Southern Nigeria. This is especially true in the Niger Delta and Southeast regions. Armed crime and gangs are common in the area.

The FCDO advise against all travel to Borno State, Yobe State, Adamawa State, Gombe State, and within 20km of the border with Niger in Zamfara State. The main threat is from extremists linked to JASDJ and ISWA. There are frequent violent attacks.

The FCDO advise against all but essential travel to: Bauchi State, Zamfara State, Kano State, Kaduna State, Jigawa State, Katsina State; and within 20km of the border with Niger in Sokoto & Kebbi States. There is a high risk of violent attacks and inter-communal tensions can lead to outbreaks of violence.

If you travel to areas to which the FCDO advise against travel, you’re particularly at risk and will need a high level of security. If you’re working in northern Nigeria you should make sure your employers provide an adequate level of security where you live and where you work. Make sure they regularly review security arrangements and familiarise yourself with those plans.

You should avoid regular patterns of travel or movement, and aim to travel only during daylight hours. Regular military operations are ongoing in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states. There has been an increase in insurgent attacks in Borno State.

Maritime Security: Piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea continue to trend upwards. Pirates/armed groups operating in the region typically carry out attacks on vessels using automatic weapons.

Kidnapping for ransom is also common in Nigeria, with foreigners and high-profile Nigerians frequently targeted. Criminal groups target whole communities or individuals, for robbery or kidnap, sometimes along major highways. In 2019 this has been particularly prevalent on the Abuja - Kaduna highway. In the past 5 years several foreign nationals, including British nationals, have been kidnapped and in some cases killed. Most of these kidnaps occurred in the Niger Delta region.

If you are kidnapped, the reason for your presence is unlikely to serve as protection or secure your safe release.

There have been armed robberies and incidents of piracy in Nigerian waters, the wider Gulf of Guinea, and on the rivers and harbours in the Niger Delta area. You should be vigilant at all times, even if staying with friends and family, follow the security guidance offered by employers or hosts and limit road travel at night as far as possible. Avoid carrying large amounts of cash and don’t wear valuable watches, jewellery or items of sentimental value.

There are reports of criminal intent to target areas around international hotels in Abuja. It is likely that these potential attacks would be carried out by armed gangs. If you’re caught up in an armed robbery, you should immediately comply with the attackers’ demands.

Internet romance and financial scams are prevalent in Nigeria. citizens are increasingly being targeted by scam artists operating in West Africa. The scams come in many forms including romance and friendship, business ventures and work or employment opportunities. Scams can pose great financial risk to victims. You should be very cautious about any requests for funds, a job offer, a business venture or a face to face meeting from someone you have been in correspondence with over the internet who lives in West Africa. If you or your relatives or friends are asked to transfer money to Nigeria you should make absolutely sure that it is not part of a scam and that you have properly checked with the person receiving the money that they are requesting it.

Local Laws and Customs

You are subject to local laws. citizens who violate the law may be subject to arrest and prosecution. Furthermore, some laws are also prosecutable in the United States, regardless of local law.

Consensual, same-sex sexual relations are illegal in Nigeria. Entering same-sex marriage contracts and civil unions (defined to include “any arrangement between persons of the same sex to live together as sex partners”) is also criminalized, with punishments including fines and prison sentences of up to 14 years. Public displays of affection between persons of the same sex are also punishable by up to ten years imprisonment. Furthermore, the law allows for the prosecution of persons who support or belong to advocacy groups relating to LGB issues, with prison sentences of up to ten years.

The Nigerian Fire Arms Act (1990) provides that no person shall have in his possession or under his control any firearm or ammunition except such person that has a license from the President or from the Inspector General of Police.

Travelers with Disabilities

The law in Nigeria prohibits discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, or mental disabilities; however, the law is very unevenly enforced. Few government buildings, schools, banks, or grocery stores have accessible facilities, including in Abuja and Lagos. Some hospitals and clinics are equally inaccessible to people with disabilities and lack wheelchair ramps or lifts, including some of the hospitals travelers commonly use. Much of the disability equipment for sale locally is refurbished rather than new. Replacement parts can be found in local informal markets and are also generally refurbished parts.

Road Travel and Safety

Roads are generally in poor condition, causing damage to vehicles and contributing to hazardous traffic conditions. There are few working traffic lights or stop signs, and few traffic officers to manage traffic during power outages. All drivers and passengers should wear seat belts, lock doors, and keep windows closed. You should have appropriate automobile insurance. should be done with extreme caution.

Motor vehicle accidents can be reported by dialing “119.” Traffic control officers may occasionally seek bribes when citing drivers for traffic violations. If stopped by traffic police, drivers should stop as instructed. However, drivers should also keep their doors locked and only roll their windows down an inch for sound.

We recommend avoiding public transportation throughout Nigeria. Public transportation vehicles, such as buses and motorbikes, are unsafe due to poor maintenance, high speeds, and overcrowding. Motorbikes are banned within Abuja's city limits and many major thoroughfares in Lagos.

Road travel across Nigeria can be chaotic and slow moving. You can drive in Nigeria with a valid UK driving licence for up to 3 months. If you’re staying longer, you will need to get a Nigerian Driver’s Licence. You should limit travel after dark outside city centres as far as possible; and avoid quiet and poorly lit roads. You should be particularly vigilant when sitting in traffic jams or at traffic lights. Keep car windows up and doors locked, and make sure valuables are out of sight. In Lagos, eating, smoking or using a mobile phone while driving and riding a motorcycle without a helmet are prohibited.

There are authorised and unauthorised vehicle checkpoints throughout Nigeria. Some are for security checks, others to extort small payments of money. Since October 2019, there has been an increasing trend of illegal vehicle checkpoints on major supply and commercial routes in Northern Nigeria. This includes attacks on major roads into Maiduguri, Borno State, including the A3 Maiduguri-Damaturu road.

Additional Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Country-specific list of recommended vaccines
Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP): Receive alerts and locate you in an emergency.
Nigeria International Travel Portal: ncdc.gov.ng
Nigeria e-Visa portal: evisa.immigration.gov.ng
Landing & Exit Cards portal: lecard.immigration.gov.ng

By staying informed and taking necessary precautions, you can help ensure a safer and more enjoyable trip to Nigeria.