The routes to living in Nigeria: Nigerian, spouse or employee
Whether you may live in Nigeria depends on who you are. A Nigerian needs no visa. The spouse of a Nigerian gets a residence permit for four years, an employee comes in on the expatriate quota of his employer. There is a route for people aged 65 and over and for investors, but without a tie to the country the travel advice is the first question.
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Anyone who wants to live in Nigeria doesn't pick a visa from a list: who you are decides the route. A Nigerian needs no visa, not even with a Dutch passport alongside. According to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the spouse of a Nigerian gets a residence permit for four years. An employee comes in on the expatriate quota of their employer, the number of places for foreigners that the Ministry of Interior grants a company.
For people without any of those ties, the NIS has two routes: a visa for investors and one for retirees aged 65 and over. But first the travel advice. Since 6 July 2026, NederlandWereldwijd has rated large parts of the north and the south-east red, and the rest orange: "Only travel here if it is necessary." This plan is for people with a reason: family, a partner or work.
Which route fits you?
| Who are you? | Route at the NIS | What you get | Duration according to the source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigerian, also with a Dutch passport | no visa; travel on your Nigerian passport | ordinary residence as a citizen | unlimited |
| Nigerian by birth, with only a Dutch passport | visa F9A for Nigerians by birth | short visits, no work | valid for 90 days, at most 30 days per entry |
| Married to a Nigerian | Spouse of Nigerian Citizens Visa (N1A), then CERPAC | residence, no work according to the SLA | 4 years |
| Employee of a Nigerian employer | Employment (Expatriate) Visa (R2A), then CERPAC | residence and work for that employer | 2 years, renewable |
| Investor | Investors Visa, from USD 250,000 | residence to invest | 3 years in the smallest class |
| Aged 65 or over, with a pension from abroad | Retirement Visa (N5B) | residence, no work | 2 years |
| Nigerian by birth who renounced | visa N2A | residence, no work | unlimited |
The Immigration Act says a residence permit is valid for at most two years, renewable (section 37, subsection 2). Ask when you apply which duration you'll get.
I'm Nigerian and live in the Netherlands. What do I arrange?
Not a visa. You do need a valid Nigerian passport: from the Netherlands you apply at the embassy in The Hague, and according to the NIS you need a NIN slip for it, the proof of your National Identification Number (see registration and numbers). A 32-page passport valid for five years costs N100,000 or $150 according to the NIS Service Level Agreement (SLA), a 64-page one valid for ten years N200,000 or $230.
If you travel on your Dutch passport only, as a Nigerian by birth you need the F9A visa. You then show your Nigerian origin, for example with an old Nigerian passport. The NIS adds that you may not use the passports interchangeably.
Under section 25 of the Constitution, your children are Nigerians by birth, even if they were born in the Netherlands. What Nigerian nationality means for your Dutch nationality is in dual nationality and Nigeria.
I'm married to a Nigerian. Which visa do I get?
The Spouse of Nigerian Citizens Visa (N1A). Section 37(11) of the Immigration Act 2015 allows a permanent residence visa for people married to a Nigerian. The SLA lists, among other things, an attested marriage certificate, a copy of your spouse's passport or ID card, proof of a stable residence in Nigeria and a police clearance certificate. The visa is valid for 90 days to enter, the residence permit after that for four years. Your CERPAC, the residence and identity card for foreigners, is free for people married to a Nigerian.
According to the SLA, you may not work on this visa: "No employment. To reside in Nigeria only." The NIS visa page says work is allowed "if properly authorized". If you want to work in Nigeria, ask the NIS which permission you need before you leave.
The Constitution also has citizenship by registration for the spouse, but section 26 only names "any woman who is or has been married to a citizen of Nigeria". A man who marries a Nigerian woman is not covered by it.
I have a job in Nigeria. How do I get a work visa?
Your employer starts. According to the SLA, they first apply for an expatriate quota at the Ministry of Interior. Then you apply at the embassy for an STR visa (Subject to Regularisation) and arrange your CERPAC after arrival. According to the NIS, the newer e-CERPAC for employees is issued before arrival, so the regularisation afterwards falls away. A CERPAC for an employee costs USD 2,000. More in working in Nigeria.
Can I come as a retiree or investor?
On paper, yes. The Retirement Visa (N5B) is for foreigners aged 65 and over who retired abroad. The SLA asks for proof of your pension, "sufficient retirement income" and a police clearance certificate, but names no amount. The stay lasts two years, and you may not work. Investors show an investment of USD 250,000 to 500,000 for the smallest class, which has to stay in Nigeria.
Weigh the travel advice. In the red areas the Dutch embassy cannot help you, in the orange areas it can help less well.
Can you go and have a look first?
Yes, with a visa: online as an e-visa at the NIS, or through the embassy, where you come in with your documents after the online application. A tourist visa is valid for 90 days for one stay of at most 30 days, and cannot be extended. For Dutch nationals, a single-entry visa costs $88 according to the NIS table. Your passport must still be valid for six months when you leave Nigeria. All routes: the plan for Nigeria.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 1 of 5 of the journey, step 1.1: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Nigeria or go straight to step 1.1 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- Nigeria Immigration Service — all visa classes, from short visit to permanent residence — immigration.gov.ng
- Nigeria Immigration Service — Service Level Agreement 2026, with requirements, timelines and fees per visa — immigration.gov.ng
- Nigeria Immigration Service — the CERPAC, the residence card for foreigners, and what it costs — immigration.gov.ng
- Nigeria Immigration Service — the e-CERPAC for employees, issued before arrival — immigration.gov.ng
- Immigration Act 2015, section 37 — residence permits, and subsection 11 for people married to a Nigerian — immigration.gov.ng
- Constitution of Nigeria 1999, chapter III (sections 25 to 32), citizenship (National Library of Nigeria) — nigeriareposit.nln.gov.ng
- Nigerian embassy in The Hague — apply for the visa online, then an appointment for the documents — nigerianembassythehague.nl
- NederlandWereldwijd — travel advice for Nigeria, red and orange, visa and passport (changed 6 July 2026) — nederlandwereldwijd.nl
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