This post looks at South Africa Visa policy in Nigeria. Use the table below to navigate this article.
| Table of Content |
| South Africa Visa Policy |
| South African Visas For Nigerians |
| South Africa’s e-Visa For Nigeria |
| 10-Year South Africa Visa For Nigerians |
South Africa’s Visa Policy For Nigeria
South Africa’s visa policy is the main instrument
used for controlling the flow of people into the country. It is how the South African government decides who may or may not be allowed for entry. Nigerians who wish to visit South Africa must obtain a Visa from any of the South African Government Representative offices in Nigeria. South Africa’s diplomatic missions in Nigeria are located in Lagos and Abuja cities. To apply for a South African Visa in Nigeria, you need to have a valid Nigerian international passport with at least 2 blank pages. These reserved pages are for your visa sticker and your entry and departure endorsements which will be placed on your passport. You are required to apply in person and to provide your biometric data via VFS Nigeria.
South Africa’s visa policy, just like Nigeria’s visa policy is implemented to pursue the protection of national interests, the security of national borders, and to minimize illegal immigration.
South Africa’s Visa Policy And Nigerians
South Africa’s Visa policy makes provision for you as a Nigerian to be a beneficiary of any of the different types of visas that South Africa issue. These visas allow non-South African citizens all over the world, like you to come to South Africa. This means that you can choose to travel to South Africa but for a purpose and your visa will be issued for as long as your application meets the requirements for entry.
South Africa’s e-Visa For Nigerians
In November 2019, South Africa introduced the electronic Visa (e-Visa) program which is also called South Africa Tourist Visa. This project is now currently being piloted with a number of countries such as India and Kenya. It has also been announced that the e-Visa will be introduced sometime this year in 2020 to Nigeria The introduction of the e-Visa will definitely eliminate the difficulty and stress that comes with the Visit Visa application process in Nigeria.
Last year, Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) recognized Nigeria as one of the core regional source markets with air links to South Africa. It was noted that Nigerian tourists (with the exception of SADC citizens) make up the highest number of Africans who visited South Africa in 2019 for holidays. A total of 39, 041 Nigerians visited South Africa in 2019. This figure makes up 24,4% of the total number of Africans who visited South Africa in 2019 for holiday. The e-Visa program which is been planned for Nigeria will definitely be a game-changer and more importantly a piece of good news for Nigerians who visit South Africa for holiday.
Once Nigeria is activated on the e-Visa program, it means that you can now apply for a Tourist Visa to South Africa from the comfort of your home! And once your visa is ready, it will be sent to your email address. All you need to do is print your visa and pack your bags. How cool is that! And it is likely to be introduced this year. Make sure you subscribe to my newsletter to be sure you are one of the first to get notified once this happens.
10-Year South African Visa For Nigerian Businessmen, Academics, And Frequent Travelers
Visa policy between South Africa and Nigeria got another boost in 2019. Nigeria and South Africa have signed a 10-year visa agreement for business people, academics, and frequent flyers from both countries. This visa policy is meant to ease the flow of movement of people within these categories. The agreement was reached and signed at the 9th Bi-National Commission of South Africa and Nigeria. The meeting was chaired by both President Buhari and President Ramaphosa in Pretoria, South Africa. This agreement surely represents a formidable bridge between Africa’s two biggest economies. It is also a good sign in the direction of mutual cooperation for the advancement of trade and development.
