Explainer: What Nigeria’s new visa policy means for intending visitors

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has commenced the implementation of the new visa fees as well as the Nigeria Visa Policy 2020 (NVP 2020).

Muhammad Babandede, the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, made the announcement in a statement by the Service spokesman, Sunday James.

Babandede in the statement explained to the general public and the international community that the new visa fees approved by the Federal Government through the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, is based on the principles of reciprocity.

A key feature of the new policy is the expansion of the classes of visa from six to 79 to accommodate migrants’ additional travel requirements.

Experts have said given the many types of visas available, it is important that intending visitors to the country understand the nature of each visa category and apply for the right type of visa to avoid problems on arrival.

They have also asked the government to establish appropriate mechanisms to prevent abuse of the new visa categories and ensure that only deserving individuals who meet the specified requirements are issued appropriate visas to enter the country.

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Wole Obayomi, partner and head of tax, KPMG Nigeria, in a document seen by BusinessDay said the takeaways from NVP 2020 are expansion of visa classifications to cover a wide range of travel purposes, introduction of the electronic visa (e-Visa), clarification on eligibility and requirements for visa on arrival (VoA), creation of permanent residence visa category and re-classification of the Temporary Work Permit (TWP) and Subject to Regularization (STR) visa.

Obayomi explained that the NVP 2020 classifies travellers to Nigeria into two broad categories: Visa Free/Exemption and Visa Mandatory.

For the visa free/exemption category, travellers can access four classes of visa, namely, F1A, F1B, F1C and F1D, he explained.

F1A is for citizens of member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) who do not need to obtain a Nigerian visa to enter the country based on ECOWAS free movement protocol.

F1B is for citizens of Cameroon and Chad whose governments have Visa Abolition Agreements with Nigeria. They can travel to Nigeria for a maximum of 90 days (not for employment or business) without obtaining a visa based on bilateral agreement. However, they must obtain relevant visas for employment or business purposes.

F1C is for holders of official travel documents from some international organisations with visa waiver based on certain entry conditions. These organisations are the United Nations, African Union Commission, ECOWAS Commission and African Development Bank.

F1D is for holders of diplomatic and/or official passport from selected countries based on bilateral/multilateral agreement on the principle of reciprocity and certain entry conditions. Based on the NVP 2020, the following 13 countries come under this category: Brazil, China, Cuba, Kenya, Namibia, Mauritius, Rwanda, South Africa, Singapore, Sudan, Tanzania, Turkey and Venezuela.

For the Visa Mandatory Category, travellers under the visa mandatory category can access any of the other 75 visa classes and types, which are further categorized as Short Visit Visas (SVV), Temporary Residence Visas (TRV) and Permanent Residence Visas (PRV).

The SVV allows travellers to visit Nigeria for a period not exceeding three months (90 days). It consists of 24 visa classes ranging from F2A for non-accredited diplomats to F9A for Nigerians in Diaspora who intend to visit Nigeria, but do not hold Nigerian passports.

The TRV grants residence to individuals for a period not exceeding two years. It consists of 36 visa classes and these range from R1A for accredited diplomats to R11 for Temporary Work Permit holders with multiple entry visas within six months.

The PRV confers permanent residence status on certain classes of individuals. It consists of 15 visa classes, such as the N1A (for foreigners who are spouses of Nigerian citizens), N6D (for parents aged 65 years and above and who are dependents of Permanent Residence visa holders), investors, highly skilled immigrants or retirees, who may want to relocate to Nigeria.

The temporary Work Permit Visa – F8A is a single-entry visa and can only be issued at the Nigerian diplomatic missions. Issuance of the visa is subject to a prior visa authority letter from the Comptroller General of Immigration.

The temporary Work Permit (6 months) Visa R11 is a multiple-entry visa available only at Nigerian diplomatic missions. It is issued to experts invited by corporate bodies for the purpose of providing specialized services, such as installation of machinery, training, etc.