Applying for a Nigerian tourist visa can be a daunting process for German nationals and worldwide. Conflicting information across various websites can easily lead to confusion.

This guide provides a clear, step-by-step process for obtaining a Nigerian single entry Tourism Visa (F5A), based on firsthand experience from March 2024. If you read this at a later point, please read the “official” websites carefully.

Table of contents#

Quick Facts & Warnings#

Steps Overview#

1. Secure an invitation from a Nigerian Resident
   They must to provide the letter, a passport scan, a Nigerian address, and +234 phone number.

2. Apply online at Nigerian Immigration Service
   https://visa.immigration.gov.ng/
   Payment US$ 108.
   You do not need to book an appointment here.

3. Register online at VFS Global
   https://visa.vfsglobal.com/deu/en/nga/
   No payment online, but later in person (see below).

4. Book in-person appointment at VFS Global

5. Attend in-person appointment at VFS Global in Berlin/Frankfurt
   Payment 93.45 € fees + optional 22 € shipping.

6. Receive or collect passport after 10 business days 🙌

Each step is described in detail below.

Steps In Detail#

Step 1: Secure an invitation from a Nigerian Resident#

To kickstart your application for the Nigerian tourist visa, you must first obtain an invitation from a Nigerian resident. Your host must provide you with the following to fulfill your application:

• Invitation Letter
• Passport Scan
• Nigerian Address
• Nigerian Phone Number (+234 country code mandatory)

Lateron, the letter and host’s passport scan are documents that have to be handed in during your in-person visit. Their address and phone number have to be entered into the VFS online application form.

Letter of Invitation Templates:

The letter itself does not have to adhere to a strict format. However, it must include key details such as the purpose of your visit, your relationship with the inviting party, and the duration of your stay. For guidance, here are two 3rd-party templates that can be used to craft your invitation letter:

Letter of Invitation Template from OIS Services (Link)	Letter of Invitation Template from VFS Global (Link)

The invitation can be provided by anybody, best case family or friends.

Alternatively, hotels may also provide invitation letters to their guests - at least according to the Berlin embassy. We had no luck with this and were stalled by hotel management.

Additionally, you will find multiple paid online services promising to secure these invitations. We do not have direct experience with these. Please be cautious to avoid 419 scams. TrustAdvisor and the r/Nigeria subreddit might be of some help to evaluate providers.

With the invitation in hand, you’re well on your way to completing a crucial component of your Nigerian tourist visa application, setting a solid foundation for the steps that follow. (chatGPT lol)

Step 2: Online Application at Nigerian Immigration Service#

Once you’ve got the invitation secured, you are ready to fill out the online application form from the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS). At the end of this you’ll have to pay a service fee of US$ 108.00 online (the first of two payments).

Once completed, the NIS page will prompt you to book an appointment which is not necessary. The entire application process (registration, entering details, payment) should take around 20 minutes.

Step-by-step instructions for NIS online application:

1. Visit https://visa.immigration.gov.ng
   Click the “Sign In” button.
   

2. Create NIS Account
   First time visitors use the right-hand panel to create an account using OpenID. Alternatively, you can use a Google account. Don’t do it to early (see next step for explanation).

3. Select the proper Visa Type
   e.g. for single entry visa for tourism purpose below further steps can be saved if you need some time to organize stuff.

4. Fill out the bio
   (I used a scanned passport photo/leave some space around it as the cropping is buggy)

5. Fill out the trip information
   and the info about the host in Nigeria

   • The host’s passport needs to match the provided info
   • +234 Nigerian number is necessary (others can’t be filled in) it won’t be such a hassle even if your host is from the diaspora as most nigerian use to have more than one number 😀 Usually also a sim from nigeria ^^
   • Google Maps is confusing sometimes for exact addresses (i.e. false or multiple streetnames)
   • Max duration for tourism visas are 90 days

6. Review the details entered
   

7. Pay
   The NIS website will redirect you to Nigeria’s payment provider Innovate 1 Services Inc. (https://innovate1services.com/) who will take a 20$ fee (March 2024). It looks sketchy but works (most of the time ^^) #419vibes

   After successful payment the status indicator on the NIS dashboard switches to paid like below (right corner on top of the site).

8. Print Confirmations
   You need to export and print both the application confirmation (orange button) and the payment receipt (yellow button). They need to be handed in during your in-person visit at the VFS office.

Step 3: Register online at VFS Global#

In the next step, you’ll book an appointment, but first you have to create an account with Nigeria’s service provider VFS Global.

YOU SHOULD NOT DO THIS TOO EARLY !!

VFS accounts get deactivated after 14 days without active booking. Your e-mail address as well as your phone number might be blocked from future registrations as the reactivation process does not work correctly as of March 2024.

Therefore, only create your VFS account, once you know your availability and are ready to book. No booking fee needs to be paid upfront, as payment occurs in-person.

1. Create a VFS account
   Visit this link: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/deu/en/nga/register and fill out the registration form.

2. Confirm e-mail
   

3. Sign into your VFS account
   Visit the following link to sign in: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/deu/en/nga/login

Workarounds if your VFS account has been deactivated:

• Use any alternative e-mail.
  Or if you used e.g. a @gmail.com e-mail address, you can use the same email with the @googlemail.com instead for a second try.
• Use any alternative phone number.
  Or if you previously omitted the leading zero, you can use the 0-prefixed number instead and vice versa. For example, previously blocked number: 159123456789 —> Alternative number: 0159123456789

Step 4: Book in-person appointment at VFS Global#

Despite what some outdated information online suggests, the in-person appointments are not conducted at the Nigerian missions. They (might) take applications for different visa types, but the tourist visas are exclusively handled through their private visa application service provider VFS Global (official domain: vfsglobal.com). So you’ll have to visit either the Berlin or Frankfurt office.

• Disclaimer 1: The locations of VFS application centers conincide with the Nigerian mission locations: the Berlin embassy and Frankfurt consulate. Still, you are not to go there, but the commercial VFS offices.
• Disclaimer 2: Can’t speak for the VFS office in Frankfurt, but the one in Berlin is quite hidden. The main entrance door only advertises the VFS service for Canada visa applicants.

As of 2024-03-05 the opening hours and address for Berlin and Frankfurt are as follows:

For up to date service times please check https://visa.vfsglobal.com/deu/en/nga/attend-centre

• Attention: Berlin VFS moved to Zimmerstraße
  The VFS Application Center office moved to Zimmerstraße 68, 10117 Berlin. The previous address of Regus Am Potsdamer Platz 10 Haus 2 5.OG, Office 516, 10785 Berlin ceased operation on January 30th 2024.

• Convenient copy shop in Berlin
  Around the Corner, 2 minutes walking distance is a copy shop. No USB drive required, you can print via email.

  Digital Printing Hall Copy-Repro-Center Berlin GmbH
  Markgrafenstraße 64
  10969 Berlin
  Google Maps Link

Step-by-step instructions to book a VFS appointment for Nigerian tourist visa:

1. Visit this link:
   https://visa.vfsglobal.com/deu/en/nga/book-an-appointment
   You might need to sign in again using your newly created account.

2. Start New Booking via the vutton in the top-right.

3. Fill out the Appointment Details form.

4. Fill out the Your Details form.

5. After this step you can book the appointment.

   • You don’t pay anything online at this step but later at the location.
   • For us, appointment were available very short term, i.e. one day in advance.
   • DO NOT book your appointment too long before your departure. Another applicant we met at the center, booked her appointment 6 months prior to her flight to Nigeria. She got sent away and needs to return at a later date. Appointments can only be made 90 days prior to entry, likely due to DSVGO/GDPR policies.

You are done for now! Make yourself comfortable and plan the trip to Berlin or Frankfurt.

Step 5: Attend in-person appointment at VFS Global in Berlin/Frankfurt#

Prepare your required documents (listed below) and travel to your selected VFS Application Center. On site, you will also make the second and final payment.

Notes:

• As of 2024-03-05 the amount due is 93.45 € which consist of 91.45 € in service fees and 2 € for their SMS notification service.
  For up to date service fees please visit: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/one-pager/nigeria/germany/english/
• If you want the passport shipped to your home via express courier you’ll pay an additional 22 € shipping fee.
• As of March 2024, no biometrics were taken at the Berlin center.

Required documents for the VFS in-person appointment:

Required Documents Sheet

For easier access, find the required documents also listed below. Black and white copies are sufficient.

Congratulations
Your application for the tourist visa has been completed.
If you opted for the 22€ shipping fee, you will immediately receive a tracking number from the local VFS agent.

Step 6: Receive or collect passport after 10 business days#

After approx. 10 business days your passport should be ready and include the visa stamp. Collect your passport from the VFS Application Center or receive it via courier if you opted for the 22€ shipping service.

Enjoy Nigeria 🇳🇬

More

https://nigeriaembassyusa.org/visas/