Nigeria · Work Visa
Work permit categories, eligibility, sponsorship, application steps, and processing times.
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Foreign employees normally need their employer to hold an expatriate quota — approval to fill named positions with foreign nationals — and then come in on a Subject to Regularisation (STR) visa and obtain a Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC). Since May 2025, quota, business-permit and CERPAC applications run through an online Expatriate Administration System. ECOWAS citizens have rights of entry and residence under the regional protocols. Processing rules and fees change often, so confirm the current steps with the Nigeria Immigration Service before relying on them.
- The employer needs an expatriate quota for the position.
- The usual path is an STR visa followed by a CERPAC residence permit.
- Quota and CERPAC applications have run online since May 2025.
- Nigeria Immigration Service — eVisa
Nigeria Immigration Service eVisa portal.
Government portals
- Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) — Company registration, annual returns and company searches.
- Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) — Federal taxes, including company income tax, VAT and the development levy.
- Nigeria Immigration Service eVisa — Online short-visit visa applications, which replaced visas on arrival in 2025.
- Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) — Data protection registration, guidance and breach notification.