Nigeria Business Visa - Everything You Need To Know - (Indian Passport Holders)

There are certain formalities are to be carried out in order to do business in a foreign country. Most important of which is getting a business visa. Nigeria business visa is nothing but a kind of permit or grant that gives the business person the authority to carry out business in Nigeria. It can be issued for attending business conferences, a business meeting for a branch of your own organization or a sister company, or attend client meetings. The non-extendable validity of the business visa for Nigeria is for a month permitting a stay of 14 days.

In order to apply for a business visa for Nigeria, an online and offline procedure is to be followed. The step by step process for the Nigerian business visa is given as follows:

1. Apply online by filling out the application form on the official Nigeria embassy website.
2. Pay the fees for the application form online.
3. Print the application form along with the payment receipt.
4. Attach 2 photographs to the Visa Form IMM2.
5. You can then visit the Embassy of Nigeria by yourself for the submission of the documents and the form or hand them over to the designated visa application centre.
6. Alternatively, you can hand over the documents to an authorized visa agency.
7. When the documents are submitted, the candidate has to visit nearby OIS centre for the biometrics when the application form and the documents are being verified by the embassy at the same time.

After the submission of the documents, the embassy officials will process your documents and a visa stamp will be provided on your passport. It is important that you carry out all the parts of your process carefully as any mistake can lead to longer processing time or even visa rejection in some cases.

For getting the Nigerian business visa, you have to match the eligibility criteria for the application. The requirements are listed as follows:

• You must have proof of business ownership and purpose of visit
• You must have proper proof of your business enterprise to show it to the authorities.
• If you have been invited to a business conference or to attend a business or client meeting, an invitation letter from the company must be provided to the embassy.
• You must meet the health requirements

• You must be healthy enough to travel to Nigeria.
• You must perform a medical test before travelling to the country and provide a relevant documentary proof.
• You must meet the character requirements

• You must be of good character and have genuine intentions behind doing business in Nigeria.
• You need to provide a relevant documentary proof for the same as well (if asked) in the form of a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC).
• You must have sufficient funds

• You must possess or have access to sufficient funds to be able to cover your stay and other expenses in Nigeria.
• Bank statement or any equivalent document is to be submitted as well as proof of the same.

There is a list of documents that are required in order to get the business visa for Nigeria. These documents are mandatory for getting the business visa issued. The Nigeria business visa requirements are listed as follows:

• Passport with a validity of at least 6 months more than the period of stay.
• 2 blank pages in the passport for the application of visa stamp.
• 2 recent photographs
• Two-way flight tickets
• Bank statement from the past 6 months or any other evidence of sufficient funds.
• Invitation letter from the company.
• Certificate of Polio Vaccination (Original)
• Certificate of Yellow Fever Vaccination (Original)
  
  

• Dimensions: 35mm x 45mm
• Recently taken, not older than 3 months
• Coloured, with a white background
• Dimensions: 35mm X 45mm
• Face should cover 80% of the photo
• Facial expression - neutral
• Head in a central location
• Spectacles or any kind of glasses are not allowed
• Headwear - permitted in case of religious reasons

After the submission of the documents, the embassy or the consulate takes time to process and verify the documents to provide the business visa stamp on the passport. The processing time taken for the business visa for Nigeria is 10 to 12 business days. This time span may vary depending on the verification time required for visa documents or if there are any complications in the process.

There is even an option to get the visa processed in a shorter period of time. You can apply for an express visa processing by paying the extra fee which will get you the visa in under 48 to 72 hours.

The business visa fee is estimated based on certain parameters like the services that you avail or the urgency of the requirement of the visa, or if it is a multiple-entry visa.

In order to check the visa application status, you can log on to the official embassy website or the website of the visa application centre. To check the status offline, you can contact the embassy with your visa application number and know the status.

After the successful submission of the visa application form and getting business visa stamp on your passport, there are certain measures that are to be taken. You must -

• Before you travel

• Make a note of the visa expiry date, as well as the number of entries permitted. You must not stay in the country beyond this period.
• You should travel to Nigeria within the validity of your visa.
• Make sure to carry a copy of your passport and other travel documents while you are in the country.
• Issue health insurance and travel insurance from a certified company.
• At the Border

• Get your documents checked and your passport verified.
• Obtain the entry stamp on your passport.
• Consult the airport authorities for any kind of assistance required.
• Check your visa copy for other guidelines and rules to be followed.

• When you enter Nigeria

• Ensure not to get involved in any kind of employment. You can, however, do volunteer work.
• The business visa does not permit you to employ the residents or reside in the country.
• It is a permit that allows you to only perform business and business-related operations in the country. You are still permitted tourism.
• The tourist prohibited areas must be stayed out of.
• Make sure you don’t overstay and apply for the visa extension in time.