If your company is considering an expansion into Nigeria, a key part of the preparation will be bringing along employees from abroad to help with the process. For these employees to work in the country, they will need a Nigeria work visa.
Applying for Nigeria work visas can be a complicated task, with various administrative, regulatory, and bureaucratic hurdles to overcome. If you fail to follow the rules carefully, you could end up with significant and costly delays to your expansion.
At Horizons, our foreign expansion specialists provide an extensive offering of Nigeria work visa services, immigration support, and outsourcing, to give your organization everything it needs to expand into Nigeria with the help of the best possible talent.
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Basic requirements for Nigeria work visas
The visa that foreign employees will most commonly need is the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC), and before this, they will need a Subject to Regularization (STR) visa. Some of the main requirements when applying for these are:
- Valid passport
- Application form
- Proof of qualifications/work experience
- Official approval of the expatriate quota
- Official job offer
- Proof of funds
- Application fees
- Request for regularization from the employer
- Employer’s business license.
Types of Nigeria visas
There is a range of visas available in Nigeria, and each visa has a different purpose. Thes options include:
- Business visas
- Vacation/tourism visas
- Work visas
- STR visas
- Diplomatic visas
- Transit visas
For foreign employees needing to work in Nigeria, acquiring an STR visa will be the first part of the process.
How to get a Nigeria work visa
As mentioned above, any foreigner aiming to work in Nigeria will first need to apply for an STR visa. This can be done online via the Nigerian Immigration Service and then continued through the employee’s local Nigerian embassy/consulate.
Once approved for an STR visa, the employee can enter Nigeria. Here, they can officially apply for approval of regularization and get their CERPAC through the Nigerian National Immigration Service. The CERPAC will give them the legal right to work in Nigeria for two years.
Further considerations
For employees who are staying in Nigeria long-term, it is important to consider that CERPAC cards are valid for two years, although they can be extended beyond this by applying for a renewal.
It is also important to start the visa process early, as applications for the various necessary elements can take several weeks in total.
How can Horizons help?
At Horizons, we help businesses of all kinds successfully expand to Nigeria, and we are experts in obtaining work visas for foreign workers. Our Nigeria work visa specialists offer expert advice and bespoke outsourcing solutions to support you through the country’s complicated immigration process. We can ensure that you and your valued workforce are in full compliance with Nigeria’s immigration and employment regulations, save you time, and provide answers to any questions you may have about the process.
In addition, we offer wide-ranging outsourcing services that cover recruitment, payroll, HR, administration, and more to help your business start trading in Nigeria as quickly and effectively as possible, even if you don’t have a registered entity in the country.
