The Nigerian embassy has prohibited the payment of cash from those applying for the country’s visa. The embassy has therefore instituted a web-based visa application process, an agent for visa will help you with the process. This is by order of the Nigerian Immigration Service. All travelers must complete their visa application and also pay the associated fee online, then submit a proof of payment which must come in the form of the printed application form, payment receipt, and acknowledgment slip. Any other proof of payment asides these two is also not accepted by the Nigerian embassy
Note that visas paid for in cash will not be accepted on arrival to the country. This is why this article provides you information on how to pay for your Nigerian visa online.
How to Pay for Nigerian Visa Online
Read on below:
Steps On How to Fill Out and Pay for Online Visa Application
- Step 1: Go to Nigeria Immigration website
- Step 2: Select Entry Visa/Visa-Free Zone
- Step 3: Click on Processing Country, select the country from which you are processing the visa
- Step 4: Click on Start Application
- Step 5: The application process takes place on the Inovate1 Services website. You will have to log in with your existing Google email or Yahoo email account. The other option is to select the open ID option and to also create an account for the application process
- Step 6: After logging in, begin the application process by registering your account with Innovate1 Services
- Step 7:Choose your processing office
- Step 8: On completion of the form, click on the submit button, then print out the entire form (about seven pages in total)
- Step 9: Once the application has gone through successfully, you will be provided with an application ID and reference number which will be mailed to you from Innovate1
- Step 10: You can now close the screen and using the Application ID and Reference number, make the Visa Fee Payment with your debit or credit card or input further applications to make payment for up to six applications
- Step 11: If you do not have either a debit or credit card or are having difficulties making payment via your debit/credit card, you can purchase a money order of the visa fee and associate the money order to the Application ID and Reference number earlier given.
- Please note that if you are using the method of payment via money order, you have to wait for Innovate1 Services to send a confirmation that they have received your money order. It could take about one to two business working days to receive a receipt of a confirmation payment email from Innovative1 Services. However, you will first be emailed an acknowledgment slip
- Step 12: Print out your Visa Payment slip and Visa Acknowledgment form
- If on completion of your form, you want to make payment at a later stage, sign in to the website and go to the option of OnlineQueryStatus, put in your Application ID and Reference number then make your payment.
Note that some credit card issuing banks and institutions do now allow for credit card payments for visas online or passport applications because the transaction is associated with Nigeria. This would mean that you have to notify the credit card issuing bank or institution prior to the payment of your online visa in order to avoid inconveniences.
As an alternative, you can make use of the money order payment option for your online visa.
In a bid to cut down on fraudulent activities associated with the payment of visa online, the Nigerian immigration service has put some measures in place as regards payment on the website in order to protect customers. These anti-fraud measures include:
- The first name of applicants and their last name must match the first and last on the credit card used for payment
- Applicants for the visa who intend to pay for family members have to use the cart which allows for payment for up to 5 applicants at the same time, that is, the applicant/cardholder and four other family members
- When using the cart, the last name of all family members/ applicants must match the last name on the credit card used for payment
- In order to qualify to use the cart for payment for family members, the cardholder must also be an applicant in the cart.
- Cards can only be used once per month unless registered otherwise.
- To ensure that your visa payment is properly processed, the address on your card statement must exactly match the address you provide on the portal payment page.If your first name and last name do not exactly match the first and last names on your credit card, you are required to register your card before making payment on the site.
Other users required to register their cards before payment include:
- Cardholders such as travel agencies who would want to use the cart in making payments for others such as five applicants at the same time.
- Applicants who wish to make payments more than once a month on the Nigerian Immigration website.Any applicant or cardholder whose card has been blacklisted due to fraudulent activities or whose card has been charged back or an applicant for whom a charged back card was used for will be able to make payment using the card on the site unless approved by customer service.
- Visas and processing fees are not refundable for applications that have been submitted or mailed to the embassy whether the visas are granted or not.
- Applicants can only cancel their application process and also seek a refund for visa fees already paid online only before the application is submitted or mailed to the embassy.
- Refer to the Innovate 1 Services on the website for refund procedures.
Your completed application must include:
- Answers for all fields required
- Include your signature as it appears in your passport
- Select your home state as the processing consulate