The Schengen visa allows you to stay a maximum of 90 days per 180 days in the Schengen area.
As the German mission abroad, we are responsible for your application if Germany is your main travel destination.

Responsible mission abroad

The German Embassy Abuja only processes visa applications to a limited extent.

The Embassy in Abuja is responsible for you if you have your residence in one of the following states:

FCT, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Nassarawa, Benue, Taraba, Plateau, Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Yobe, Borno

and

one of the following cases applies to you

• Medical emergency
• Employees of a federal government agency on official travel (submission of pay slip as proof of employment required)
• Members of the Presidency
• Members of the National Assembly
• Members of the State House
• Members of the Senate
• Members of the military on official travel with invitation from Germany
• SSS on official travel or with full cost coverage
• Governors (+ 1 spouse or children if travelling with the Governor)
• Spouses and children of Germans (+ unmarried partners who have already received a visa in Lagos / Abuja and have already travelled)
• Transit travellers departing from Abuja
• Visitors of the Nigerian Embassy in Berlin / the Nigerian Consulate General in Frankfurt
• Employees of the German political foundations in Nigeria and GIZ (+ spouses and children)
• Members of the Diplomatic Corps in Abuja (+ spouse and children) and staff of diplomatic missions who have already obtained a visa in Lagos / Abuja and have already travelled.
• Participants in visitor programmes organised by German federal authorities (only if costs are fully covered).
• Scholarship holders whose scholarship is paid from German public funds
• UN and ECOWAS staff members on business trips
• Participants in conferences / training courses organised by the federal authorities / political foundations / GIZ, if costs are fully covered.

In all other cases, the Consulate General in Lagos is responsible for your visa application.

Application preparation

Prepare your application in the following steps

• Please take your time to fill the VIDEX Form diligently. The filled, printed and signed form has to be presented at the interview.
• Take note of the basic data protection regulation
• Prepare the accompanying application documents. Missing documents may lead to rejection of the application. We have compiled a checklist for you.
• Read through all the information on visa application on this page.
• Book an appointment via the online system for the Consulate General in Lagos or make an appointment individually at the Embassy in Abuja if the above conditions apply to you.

Keep in mind that the demand for appointments is very high! Therefore, make sure you make an appointment in good time.

Submitting your application

To submit your application, you have to present yourself in person for your appointment at the mission. At the appointment, you will hand in your complete application documents and pay the fee (90€ at the current exchange rate in Nigerian Naira). At the Consulate General in Lagos, the fees can only be paid with POS. The Embassy in Abuja exclusively accepts cash payments.
Your photo and fingerprints will also be taken.

Application process

The German mission will check and decide on your application. The processing time is up to 14 calendar days. Please understand that questions regarding the processing status cannot be answered.

Return of the passport

As soon as the mission has decided on your application, you will receive your passport and the original documents back.

If your visa application has been rejected, this may be for various reasons. We will inform you of these reasons in a rejection letter.

Have a good journey! Advice for visa holders

If all the information on your visa label is correct, nothing stands in the way of your journey. Please check this as soon as you have your passport back in your hands. Please inform us immediately of any errors so that we can issue you with a new visa if necessary.
Your visa will show your full name, passport number and photo. The period of validity of the visa is indicated. This is the period of time during which your trip can take place. You will also see the number of days you can stay. This is the maximum number of days you are allowed to stay in the Schengen area during the period of validity.

The issuance of a Schengen visa does not constitute a right of entry. The final decision is made by the border police upon entry into the Schengen area. It is possible that, in addition to your passport with the valid visa, the border police will also ask you to present documents upon entry that provide information about your financial means, the duration and purpose of your stay and health insurance cover. You should therefore take a set of your visa documents (including invitation from Germany, hotel reservation, travel health insurance) with you on your trip.

You were not satisfied?

Schengen visa applicants can submit complaints about the behaviour of consular staff or the visa application process via the contact form. To do so, please select the addressee “Complaint about the Schengen visa process” in the contact form.

We will investigate your complaint as soon as we receive it.

Important note: No appeals against decisions to refuse, cancel or revoke a visa - i.e. in particular no remonstrations - can be lodged via the complaint contact form.