Visa-on-arrival (VOA) lets you skip the embassy queue. You land, hand over your passport at the immigration desk, pay a fee, and get a sticker or stamp that grants short-stay entry. It is not the same as visa-free travel, where no permit is needed at all, and it is not an eVisa, which you apply for online before flying. With VOA, the decision happens at the border.
This list covers the countries that issue VOA to Nigerian passport holders, the typical fee, the stay length, and what to bring to the counter.
What visa-on-arrival means
A VOA is issued at the port of entry, usually the international airport. The officer checks your passport, takes your biometrics in some countries, collects a fee, and stamps the visa into your passport. You skip the embassy step, but you still need to prove the basics: a valid passport with blank pages, a return or onward ticket, hotel booking or host address, proof of funds, and a yellow fever certificate for most African destinations.
VOA is short-stay only. Most permits cover 14 to 90 days and are single-entry. They are not work visas, study visas, or residence permits.
Read: Visa-Free Countries for Nigerians
Visa-on-arrival countries for Nigerian passport holders
Cross-checked with Wikipedia, Passport Index, Savory & Partners, and Pulse Nigeria. Fees and stay lengths shift, so confirm with the destination’s immigration website before you book.
Africa
| Country | Fee (USD) | Stay | Key requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comoros | $30–$50 | 45 days | Return ticket, hotel booking, yellow fever certificate |
| Ethiopia | $52 (single entry, 30 days) | Up to 90 days | Yellow fever certificate, return ticket, hotel booking |
| Kenya | Visa-free for Nigerians | 90 days | Yellow fever certificate, return ticket |
| Madagascar | $37 (30 days), $45 (60 days), $55 (90 days) | Up to 90 days | Return ticket, proof of funds, yellow fever certificate |
| Mauritania | €55 (about $60) | 30 days | Yellow fever certificate, return ticket, hotel booking, cash in euros preferred |
| Mauritius | Free | 60 days | Return ticket, hotel booking, proof of funds (about $100/day) |
| Mozambique | $50 | 30 days | Return ticket, hotel booking, yellow fever certificate |
| Rwanda | Free for African Union citizens | 30 days | Yellow fever certificate, return ticket |
| Seychelles | Free (visitor permit on arrival) | 30 days, extendable to 90 | Return ticket, hotel booking, proof of funds |
| Somalia | $60 | 30 days | Letter of invitation, return ticket; volatile security situation |
| Uganda | $50 | 90 days | Yellow fever certificate, return ticket, hotel booking |
Asia and the Pacific
| Country | Fee (USD) | Stay | Key requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambodia | $30 | 30 days | One passport photo, return ticket, hotel booking |
| Iran | €75–€145 depending on stay | 30 days, extendable | Travel insurance covering Iran, hotel booking, return ticket |
| Maldives | Free | 30 days | Confirmed hotel/resort booking, return ticket, $100/day funds |
| Palau | Free | 30 days | Return ticket, hotel booking |
| Timor-Leste | $30 | 30 days | Return ticket, proof of funds, yellow fever certificate |
| Tuvalu | Free | 30 days | Return ticket, proof of funds |
Caveats by country
- Antigua and Barbuda grants VOA only if you already hold a valid US, UK, Canada, or Schengen visa or residence permit.
- Namibia issues VOA only at selected entry points, including Hosea Kutako International Airport (Windhoek).
- Ethiopia opens VOA to all African Union nationals at Bole International Airport, but immigration officers often advise getting an eVisa before flying.
- Kenya dropped VOA in 2021. Since 2025, Nigerian passport holders enter Kenya visa-free under an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), so you still register online before boarding.
Read: Procedure for getting Dubai Visa in Nigeria
What to bring to the VOA counter
- Passport with at least six months’ validity past your return date and two blank pages.
- Return or onward ticket printed out. Officers rarely accept screenshots on a phone.
- Hotel booking or a host invitation letter with the host’s address and phone number.
- Yellow fever certificate for every African VOA country and several Asian ones. Get the shot at a federal port health office.
- Cash in US dollars or euros, in clean bills. ATMs at small airports often fail. Bring small denominations for the exact fee.
- Two passport photos on a white background. Cambodia, Madagascar, and a few others ask for them.
- Proof of funds: a bank statement, mobile-banking screenshot, or cash equivalent to roughly $100 per day of stay.
- Travel insurance for the full trip. Iran and the Maldives ask for it directly; others may.
Tips that save your trip
- Confirm the policy on the destination’s official immigration website within 48 hours of departure. VOA rules change without notice.
- Avoid arriving on a public holiday or late at night. Counter staff thin out and waits stretch past three hours.
- Fill the arrival card on the plane. Officers process you faster when the form is ready.
- Keep the visa receipt until you exit. Some countries collect it on departure.
- If you transit through a third country (Doha, Addis Ababa, Nairobi), check that you do not need a separate transit visa.
- Ignore touts at the airport offering to “help” with VOA. Use only the official desk.
Visa-on-arrival to enter Nigeria
Nigeria offers VOA to business travellers and African Union citizens (excluding ECOWAS, who need no visa). Apply on the Nigeria Immigration Service portal at https://portal.immigration.gov.ng, pay online, and collect an approval letter to show on arrival. Since October 2023, the biometric fee is USD 170 on top of the visa fee. US citizens are exempt from the biometric charge under reciprocity.
The VOA stay is 30 days. You can extend it free for another 26 days, then up to 90 days total for a $200 statutory fee.
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FAQ
How many countries give Nigerians visa-on-arrival?
About 17 countries currently issue VOA to Nigerian passport holders, spread across Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. The list shifts each year as countries move to eVisa systems or open up.
Is visa-on-arrival the same as visa-free?
No. Visa-free means no permit at all for short stays. VOA means you still get a visa, but at the airport instead of an embassy, and you still pay a fee.
Do I need a yellow fever certificate?
Yes for every African VOA country and for some in Asia. Get it from any federal port health clinic in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, or Kano. The card is valid for life.
How much cash should I carry?
Roughly $100 per day of stay, plus the exact VOA fee in clean US dollar or euro bills. Officers reject torn or marked notes.
Can I be refused after paying for VOA?
Yes. The fee does not guarantee entry. If the officer doubts your funds, ticket, or hotel booking, they can deny entry and put you on the next flight back. Print every document.
Does Kenya still give Nigerians VOA?
No. Kenya scrapped VOA in 2021 and now requires every visitor to register for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) online. Since 2025, Nigerians enter visa-free under the ETA, but you must register before boarding.
Can I extend a visa-on-arrival?
In most cases, yes, at the destination’s immigration office for an extra fee. Madagascar, Ethiopia, and Seychelles allow extensions up to 90 days. Cambodia and the Maldives let you apply for a tourist or business visa from inside the country.
Do children need their own VOA?
Yes. Every traveller, including infants, needs an individual visa. Bring the child’s passport, birth certificate, and a parental consent letter if only one parent is travelling.
Where do I check for last-minute changes?
Use the destination country’s immigration website, the Nigerian embassy in that country, or IATA’s Travel Centre. Avoid third-party blogs for the final check, including this one.
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