Nigeria entry requirements for U.S. citizens

What you need to enter Nigeria

Entry document for a tourist trip: Electronic visa (e-Visa) required¹. The official portal for online applications is evisa.immigration.gov.ng².

Rules change often, and the government of Nigeria decides who enters. Check the official portal before you travel.

How long you can stay

Nigeria's tourism visa allows a stay of up to 30 days³. Plan your dates within that limit, and check the official portal for the current rules before you book.

To leave Nigeria you must show your visa and entry stamp to prove you entered legally.⁶ Make sure your passport is stamped when you arrive, and keep your visa safe until you leave.

Passport rules for Nigeria

Your passport must be valid for six months to enter Nigeria.⁴

If your passport does not meet this rule, renew it before you apply for the visa. Routine processing takes 4–6 weeks⁷, plus mailing time: see Renew your U.S. passport by mail. If you travel internationally soon, you can book an appointment at a passport agency or center once you are within 14 calendar days of your trip, or 28 days if you also need a foreign visa.⁸ Read Urgent travel: getting a passport fast.

Vaccines required for entry

Nigeria requires a yellow fever vaccination received within the past ten years, recorded on a WHO yellow card.⁵ Nigeria requires proof of polio vaccination, and adults need a polio booster after the childhood series.⁹

Talk to a doctor or a travel clinic early, and carry the proof of each vaccine with your passport.

Travel advisory

The U.S. Department of State currently rates Nigeria at Level 3: Reconsider Travel¹⁰. Advisory levels can change at any time. Read the current advisory before you book and again before you leave.

Step by step

Checklist

Before you fly to Nigeria

Print checklist

• Passport that meets Nigeria's validity rule
• Approved tourism visa
• WHO yellow card with your yellow fever vaccination
• Proof of polio vaccination, including the adult booster
• Current U.S. travel advisory read
• Official portal checked again for rule changes

Do and don't

Do

• Apply on the official portal, evisa.immigration.gov.ng², and keep a copy of what you submit.
• Keep your vaccination proof with your passport.
• Keep your visa and entry stamp safe until you leave. To leave Nigeria you must show your visa and entry stamp to prove you entered legally.⁶

Don't

• Don't travel without the vaccination proof Nigeria requires.
• Don't pay a website that only looks official. Check the address before you enter your passport details.
• Don't stay longer than your visa allows.

Fees

The official portal, evisa.immigration.gov.ng², shows the current government fee for the tourism visa. That fee goes to the government of Nigeria. Passmere does not process visas and does not charge for this guide.

Frequently asked questions