Do Chinese citizens need a visa for Nigeria? Yes. Holders of a PRC ordinary passport need a visa in advance, whether for tourism, business or family visits. Since 1 May 2025 Nigeria has scrapped the visa on arrival that many Chinese travellers used (an approval letter plus a visa collected at the airport) and replaced it with a fully online e-Visa. All foreign travellers must also complete an electronic landing card online before boarding.
Long-term work follows a completely different path: your Nigerian employer must first obtain an Expatriate Quota, then you apply for an STR visa in China and get a residence permit after arrival. This guide covers visa types, documents, fees, procedures and common questions for Chinese citizens, as well as routes for work, study, family and permanent residence.
Do Chinese citizens need a visa for Nigeria?
Yes. The China–Nigeria visa waiver agreement, in force since 1 February 2014, covers only diplomatic and service passports; ordinary passport holders need a visa. The main changes since 2025:
- 1 May 2025: visa on arrival abolished, e-Visa launched. Nigeria’s Ministry of Interior and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) launched an end-to-end e-Visa platform with 13 categories under the Short Visit Visa (SVV) class. Visas on arrival already approved remained valid only until 30 May 2025.
- 1 May 2025: electronic landing and exit cards. All inbound passengers except Nigerians must complete an electronic landing card online before boarding and an exit card before departure; the system is linked to visa records.
- 8 May 2025: Nigeria Visa Policy 2025 published. Visas are grouped into short visit, temporary residence and permanent residence classes, and some categories have shorter validity and stays.
- 1 September 2025: new overstay penalties. A fine of USD 15 for every day overstayed; overstays of three months or more add a five-year entry ban, and overstays of a year or more mean permanent blacklisting.
Visa types at a glance
| Visa type | Who it’s for | Length of stay | Fee | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short-visit e-Visa (tourist/visitor, business single/multiple, transit and others, 13 categories) | Tourism, business trips, family visits, cultural and sports exchanges | Up to 90 days, no extensions | Set by nationality, shown at payment | NIS e-Visa portal |
| Temporary Work Permit (TWP, F8A/R11) | Specialists invited for short technical assignments | Short term, not renewable | Policy documents propose USD 600 single, USD 1,100 multiple | Submitted online to NIS by the inviting company |
| STR visa (temporary residence, employment) | Long-term employees of local companies | Converted to a residence permit after arrival, generally up to 2 years, renewable | As published by the mission | Nigerian missions in China |
| Student visa (R7A) | Full-time international students | Length of course | As published by the mission | Nigerian missions in China |
| Permanent residence visa (N1A to N6D) | Spouses of Nigerians, investors, highly skilled workers, retirees and dependants | Some indefinite, some renewable | As published by the mission | Nigerian missions in China / NIS |
How to apply for a short-visit visa
Chinese citizens now apply for Nigerian tourist and business visas entirely online:
- Choose your categoryRegister on the Nigeria Immigration Service e-Visa portal and pick the category that matches your purpose
- Fill in the form and upload documentsUpload your passport data page, photo, itinerary, invitation letter and so on
- Pay onlineUsually by credit or debit card; in group applications (up to 10 people) each person pays
- Receive your e-VisaDecisions usually come within 48 hours, and the e-Visa with a QR code is emailed to you
- Complete the landing cardFill in the electronic landing card at lecard.immigration.gov.ng before boarding
- ArriveShow the printed e-Visa; a sticker or endorsement is added at the port of entry
An approved e-Visa cannot be extended or converted into a work or residence visa inside Nigeria. Choose the category that matches your actual length of stay and purpose; for example, business travellers who will come and go should choose a multiple-entry business category.
Document checklist
Requirements vary slightly by category. These are the documents Chinese citizens commonly need for a short-visit e-Visa; always follow the portal’s instructions:
- Passport valid for at least six months from your planned entry date, with blank pages.
- Recent digital passport photo with a white background.
- Return ticket or itinerary.
- Hotel booking or invitation letter giving the host’s name, address, phone number and purpose of the visit.
- Proof of funds, such as bank statements.
- Business categories: an invitation letter from the Nigerian company and its certificate of incorporation; the frequent-traveller executive category may also need an investment confirmation letter from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC).
- Minors: birth certificate, parental consent and other extra documents; accompanying family members generally provide the same documents as the main applicant.
Long-stay visas usually also require a police certificate and degree documents; see our police clearance certificate guide.
Fees and processing times
Nigerian visa fees are set by the applicant’s nationality, and the NIS website does not publish a single fee table; the e-Visa fee appears when you reach the payment step, and every person in a group application pays separately. The NIS says e-Visa decisions usually come within 48 hours, while law firm analyses note that some regular categories such as business visas take about ten working days as standard, and that all approvals are centralised at NIS headquarters in Abuja.
The Nigeria Immigration Service warns against paying third-party websites for “expedited approval”. There are many copycat Nigerian e-Visa sites, so use only immigration.gov.ng and its subdomains. And remember that overstaying costs USD 15 a day, with a five-year ban after three months, so leave on time.
Work and long-stay visas
The key to long-term work in Nigeria is the Expatriate Quota. According to the NIS Information Centre, the process is roughly:
- Employer gets a quotaThe local company applies to the Ministry of Interior or the NIS for an Expatriate Quota and receives a Visa Authority Letter or quota verification
- Apply for an STR visa in ChinaSubmit the quota documents and your employment contract or invitation to a Nigerian mission in China
- Enter NigeriaArrive on the STR (Subject to Regularisation) visa
- Get a residence permitWithin about 90 days of arrival, apply to the NIS for a CERPAC (Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card); a medical test and biometrics may be required
- RenewA CERPAC is generally valid for up to 2 years and can be renewed
Note that the residence permit is tied to your employer: changing jobs needs a new quota and a new visa and permit. If you leave Nigeria on a single-entry STR visa before converting it to a residence permit, you cannot re-enter on the same visa. Short technical support or equipment installation jobs can use a Temporary Work Permit (TWP), which cannot be renewed. For jobs and labour rules, see our guide to working in Nigeria.
Before sending Chinese documents to Nigeria, check how they must be authenticated. China has joined the Apostille Convention, but according to the Hague Conference’s status table Nigeria is not a contracting party, so an apostille cannot be used: Chinese documents still need consular legalisation, first by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a local foreign affairs office and then by a Nigerian mission in China. Follow the requirements of the Nigerian missions in China, and see our apostille guide.
Study visas
To study full-time in Nigeria, you need an offer from a Nigerian institution and then a student visa (R7A); students’ spouses can apply for R7B, and academic exchange programmes use R8A. People with employment or diplomatic status may study part-time if it does not breach their permit conditions, but full-time study generally needs a separate student visa. Given the security situation, check the risk level of the state where your university is located.
Family reunion
Spouses and children of foreigners with work residence generally apply for temporary residence visas as dependants, with proof of relationship such as marriage and birth certificates (with English translations). Foreign spouses of Nigerian citizens can apply for permanent residence visas. The NIS notes that dependant, spouse and retiree permits generally do not allow work, with some exceptions such as N2B.
Investment and retirement visas
Nigeria’s permanent residence visas (PRV) run from N1A to N6D and cover spouses of Nigerian citizens, investors, highly skilled immigrants, retirees and their dependants. Common requirements include a passport, photos, proof of relationship (spouse and dependant categories), proof of funds (investor and retiree categories) and a police certificate from your country of residence. Some categories (such as N1A, N2A and N5A) allow indefinite residence, while investor and highly skilled categories must be renewed. Nigeria currently has no dedicated visa category for remote workers.
Where to apply in China
Short-visit e-Visas are applied for entirely online, with no need to visit a mission. STR, student and permanent residence visas are submitted to Nigerian missions in China: Nigeria has an embassy in Beijing and consulates-general in Shanghai and Guangzhou (the Guangzhou consulate mainly covers Guangdong, Hainan and Guangxi); check each mission’s latest notices for jurisdictions and appointments. Wherever you apply, final approval is centralised at NIS headquarters in Abuja. If your passport does not have enough validity left, renew it first; see our passport application and renewal guide.
Common reasons for refusal and tips
- Wrong category: Using a tourist category for business meetings, or an e-Visa to work, can lead to refusal or problems at the border.
- Incomplete invitation details: The invitation letter is missing the host’s address, phone number or company registration.
- Passport valid for less than six months.
- Past overstays: Under the new rules, an overstay record leads directly to an entry ban.
- Applying through unofficial websites: Altered information or payments that never arrive can invalidate the application.
Before you go, also check the Chinese embassy’s risk levels: its notice of 2 September 2026 rated seven states, including Borno, Kaduna and Zamfara, red and 24 areas, including Lagos, orange. However smoothly your visa goes, confirm the security arrangements for your destination and workplace.
From visa to permanent residence and citizenship
People working long-term in Nigeria usually keep renewing their CERPAC; spouses of Nigerian citizens, investors and others can apply for permanent residence visas. Naturalisation in Nigeria is strict: the NIS Information Centre cites, for example, 15 years’ continuous lawful residence (or certain investment levels), and citizenship requires a separate application; see our Nigeria residency and permanent residence guide.
Note that the Nationality Law of the People’s Republic of China does not recognise dual nationality: a Chinese citizen who settles abroad and voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality automatically loses Chinese nationality. See dual nationality and China’s Nationality Law. For life, healthcare and the Chinese community in Nigeria, read our guide to moving to Nigeria, or compare with our South Africa visa guide.
FAQ
Do Chinese citizens need a visa to visit Nigeria?
Yes. PRC ordinary passports need a visa. Since May 2025 Nigeria has abolished visa on arrival, and short visits must be applied for online through the Nigeria Immigration Service e-Visa portal.
How long does a Nigerian visa take?
e-Visa decisions usually come within 48 hours, though some categories may take about ten working days; long-stay visas such as the STR first need the employer’s quota, so the whole process takes longer.
Can a Nigerian e-Visa be extended?
No. The e-Visa allows a stay of up to 90 days and cannot be extended. If you need to stay longer, apply for the appropriate long-stay visa through a Nigerian mission.
What else do I need to complete before entering Nigeria?
All foreign travellers must complete an electronic landing card online before boarding and an exit card before leaving; the system checks them against visa records.
Sources
- Nigeria Immigration Service – e-Visa portal (accessed October 2026)
- Nigeria Immigration Service – official website (landing/exit card, CERPAC, TWP) (accessed October 2026)
- Nigeria Immigration Service – Information Centre (FAQ on STR, CERPAC, permanent residence, e-Visa fees) (accessed October 2026)
- NAN News – Nigeria introduces e-Visa, digital entry system (May 2025) (accessed October 2026)
- Dubawa – What you should know about Nigeria’s e-Visa (accessed October 2026)
- Fragomen – Nigeria: Visa-on-Arrival cancellation and eVisa rollout (May 2025) (accessed October 2026)
- Fragomen – Nigeria: New visa categories and visa exemption implemented (May 2025) (accessed October 2026)
- International Bar Association – Nigeria Visa Policy 2025 (Oct 2025) (accessed October 2026)
- Bloomfield Law Practice – Immigration client alert: proposed Nigeria Visa Policy 2025 (Mar 2025) (accessed October 2026)
- Embassy of the PRC in Nigeria – Nigeria travel risk levels and safety reminder (2 Sep 2026) (accessed October 2026)
- China Consular Service (MFA) – Nigeria: visas and entry (accessed October 2026)
- HCCH – Status table: Apostille Convention (accessed October 2026)
- Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Consulate General of Nigeria in Guangzhou (accessed October 2026)
- Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Consulate General of Nigeria in Shanghai (accessed October 2026)
- Deloitte Nigeria (professional firm) – NIS introduces the e-Visa and automated landing and exit cards (6 May 2025) (accessed October 2026)
