PassportSouth Africa

Trip checklist: Nigeria

For South African passport holders. Last checked 5 October 2026.

Visa requirement

South Africans need to apply online for an e-visa before travel to Nigeria.

Permitted stay

Tourism, visiting and single-entry business e-Visas: 30 days, single entry, to be used within 90 days of issue. Not extendable. Visits over 90 days need an embassy-issued visa.

Before you go

  • Purpose of visit

    e-Visa classes cover tourism (F5A), visiting family and friends (F6A), business single and multiple entry (F4A, F4B), transit (F3B), sports, creative arts, study tours and some others. No employment on any of them.

  • Passport validity

    At least 6 months validity. UK and US advice: 6 months beyond the date you arrive, with a blank page.

  • How to apply

    Apply online at the official portal evisa.immigration.gov.ng: create an account, choose the visa class, upload documents, pay, and print the approval to carry with you. Fee for South African nationals: Gratis (free) for single and multiple entry, per the NIS fee table (April 2026). Processing: 48 hours if there is no local objection. e-Visa is valid 90 days from issue for one entry of up to 30 days.

  • Where South Africans apply

    Online at evisa.immigration.gov.ng. Stays over 90 days use the embassy route (Nigeria High Commission, Pretoria; regular visa portal visa.immigration.gov.ng). The High Commission's websites could not be loaded and its own visa pages were not checked.

  • Return or onward ticket

    Required: evidence of a return ticket (tourism, visiting and business e-Visas).

  • Proof of funds

    Required for tourism and visiting e-Visas: bank statement covering 180 days showing sufficient funds.

  • Accommodation or invitation

    Hotel reservation or host's address in Nigeria. Visiting visa: invitation letter from a Nigerian resident or citizen accepting immigration responsibility, plus a copy of the host's passport or residence permit. Business visa: invitation letter from the Nigerian company and its CAC certificate.

  • Vaccinations, including yellow fever on return to South Africa

    NIGERIA: Proof of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter Nigeria (UK advice: exemptions for infants 8 months or younger and adults 61 or older). US advice also lists a polio certificate as required on arrival; not confirmed by a Nigerian source. Travellers arriving from countries with active Ebola transmission (currently DRC) must complete a health declaration form (NCDC, September 2026). SOUTH AFRICA: Nigeria is on South Africa's yellow fever risk list. Everyone over 1 year old, South Africans included, returning to South Africa from Nigeria, or after an airport transit of more than 12 hours there, must show a valid yellow fever certificate on arrival in South Africa. Get vaccinated at least 10 days before travel; the certificate is valid for life.

  • Arrival forms

    All foreigners must complete the digital Landing Card before arrival and an Exit Card before departure on the official site lecard.immigration.gov.ng, and print or show the confirmation. Declare cash over US$10,000 on entry and exit.

  • Extending your stay and overstaying

    e-Visas cannot be extended. Reported overstay penalties since September 2025: US$15 per day, a five-year ban for overstays beyond three months, and permanent blacklisting beyond one year (press report, not confirmed on the NIS site).

  • Transit

    Transit visa F3B for stays of 1 to 7 days, not extendable. Needs an onward ticket, visa for the final destination if required, 30-day bank statement, and hotel or host address for overnight stays. Airside transit rules not published.

  • Travelling with children

    Children under 18 need a birth certificate and parental consent, and for tourism visas must be accompanied by an adult. South Africa's own rules for children leaving SA also apply.

  • Confirm with the embassy

    Rules change. Check the official source before you book.

Where to apply

Research sources

  1. 1. Nigeria Immigration Service (Official, immigration.gov.ng) https://immigration.gov.ng/nigerian-visa/
  2. 2. Nigeria Immigration Service (Official, immigration.gov.ng) https://immigration.gov.ng/info-center/tourism-visa-f5a/
  3. 3. Nigeria Immigration Service (Service Level Agreement, revised April 2026) (Official, immigration.gov.ng) https://immigration.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SERVICE-LEVEL-AGREEMENT-2026_.pdf
  4. 4. Nigeria Immigration Service (Official, immigration.gov.ng) https://immigration.gov.ng/
  5. 5. Nigeria Immigration Service (Official, immigration.gov.ng) https://immigration.gov.ng/info-center/business-single-entry-visa-f4a/
  6. 6. Nigeria Immigration Service (Official, immigration.gov.ng) https://immigration.gov.ng/info-center/visiting-single-entry-visa-f6a/
  7. 7. Nigeria Immigration Service (Official, immigration.gov.ng) https://immigration.gov.ng/info-center/transit-visa-f3b/
  8. 8. Nigeria Immigration Service (Official, immigration.gov.ng) https://immigration.gov.ng/?echo_kb_faq=how-do-i-apply-for-an-e-visa
  9. 9. Nigeria Immigration Service (Landing and Exit Card system) (Official, lecard.immigration.gov.ng) https://lecard.immigration.gov.ng
  10. 10. UK FCDO (Other government, gov.uk) https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/nigeria/entry-requirements
  11. 11. US Department of State (Other government, travel.state.gov) https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Nigeria.html
  12. 12. DIRCO (South African High Commission, Canberra) (Other government, dirco.gov.za) https://dirco.gov.za/canberra/yellow-fever/
  13. 13. PwC Nigeria (Commercial, pwc.com) https://www.pwc.com/ng/en/publications/new-immigration-rules-in-nigeria-may-2025.html
  14. 14. PRNigeria (News and guides, prnigeria.com) https://prnigeria.com/2025/05/02/nigeria-unveils-visa/
  15. 15. P.M. News (News and guides, pmnewsnigeria.com) https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2026/09/23/ebola-ncdc-introduces-new-measures-for-travellers-into-nigeria/

From doineedavisa.co.za/nigeria. Always confirm with the embassy before you travel.