Nigeria Immigration Laws
- Nigeria has the largest population in Africa.nigeria flag button image by Andrey Zyk from Fotolia.com
Nigeria, located in Western Africa, is home to approximately 150 million people -- the most populated on the continent. As a country that borders Benin, Niger, Chad, and Camaroon, there are many nationalities coming and going across the borders. It's important to understand Nigeria's immigration laws and visa requirements whether you are an immigrant yourself, or just a visitor, since they may vary between specific nationalities. - Immigration in Nigeria is handled by the Nigeria Immigration Services. All travelers (except for citizens of the Economic Community of West African States) require a visa to enter Nigeria. A tourist visa is valid for 90 days, and costs $112 for a U.S. citizen. You may apply for a Nigerian visa at your local Nigerian embassy.
- Residence privileges in Nigeria are granted to holders of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Residence Cards. The Residence Card is available to citizens of the 15 ECOWAS countries, which include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. The cards are valid for five years and establish residency rights and business rights in Nigeria and other ECOWAS member states.
- Non-ECOWAS citizens interested in gaining Nigerian residency should apply for a Subject to Regularization (STR) Employment Visa, for which you will need a letter of an employment offer as well as an Expatriate Quota Approval from the Ministry of the Interior. The STR visa is valid for 90 days, which allows the holder time to obtain a Residence Work Permit to regularize his stay.
