The National Visa is the entry visa for a long-term stay for a specific travel purpose. It is usually issued for 90 days, in certain cases up to one year. After entry, a domestic residence title must usually be applied for. 

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 federal 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 obtained 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 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 out the VIDEX Form diligently. The filled, printed and signed form has to be presented at the interview.
• Follow the instructions on the basic data protection regulation
• Please compile the accompanying application documents. Missing documents or evidence may lead to rejection of the application.  We have compiled the appropriate checklists for you.
  • Visa for study purposes 
  • Visa for family reunion - Spouses
  • Visa for family reunion - Child
  • Visa for family reunion - Parent of a German child
  • Visa for an Au-Pair-Stay
  • Visa for a voluntary service 
  • Visa for employment
  • Visa within the framework of the fast track skilled worker immigration law 
  • Visa for a research stay
  • Visa for job seekers
• Please read through all the visa application instructions on this page
• Book an appointment through 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, please appear in person for your appointment at the mission. At this appointment, you will hand in your complete application documents and pay the fee (€75 to be paid in cash in Nigerian Naira at the current exchange rate). Your photo and fingerprints will also be taken.

Application processing

The German mission abroad will check whether your application meets the legal requirements and and decide on your application. Depending on the purpose of the journey, this examination may take up to one year. As soon as a decision has been made on your application, you will be contacted by the German mission abroad. Please understand that questions regarding the processing status cannot be answered during this time. 

Return of the passport

As soon as the German mission abroad has decided on your application, you will receive your passport and your 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.

Safe travels! Information for visa-holder

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.
The issuance of a visa does not constitute a right to enter the country. The final decision is made by the border police at the time of entry control into the federal territory. It is possible that the border police will ask you to present documents in addition to your passport with the valid visa upon entry. You should therefore take a set of your visa documents with you on your journey.

Appeals

The applicant or a person authorised by him/her may appeal in writing against the refusal of a visa application within certain time limits (remonstration). Information in the remonstration procedure can only be given to the applicant or the person authorised by the applicant. The remonstration is processed free of charge. Further information on the remonstration procedure can be found here.