United States visa requirements for Nigerian citizens
Nigerian citizens need a visa for the United States, but tourist, business, student and exchange visas have been suspended since 1 January 2026, with some exceptions.
- Consular fee
- 185 USD
- Minimum passport validity
- 6 months beyond the stay, with exemptions
Why is this passport validity required? →
Last verified: 21 October 2026
How this visa is processed
U.S. Embassy in Abuja or U.S. Consulate General in Lagos
Nigerian nationals need a visa for the United States, and Presidential Proclamation 10998, in force since 1 January 2026, suspends their entry as immigrants and as nonimmigrants on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M and J visas. These are the tourist, business, student and exchange visas. The suspension does not apply to those who already held a valid visa on that date, to applicants using the passport of another nationality that is not affected, or to lawful permanent residents, among other exceptions the proclamation lists. The Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos still accept applications and schedule interviews, but the visa may be refused under the proclamation. Other nonimmigrant visas follow the reciprocity policy of 8 July 2025: most are issued for a single entry and three months, and the proclamation also tells consular officers to shorten their validity as far as the law allows. Both measures are reviewed periodically, so check the Embassy website before paying the fee.
Official application site →Application details verified on 21 October 2026. Sources: Proclamation 10998 (Federal Register, 19 December 2025, document 2025-23570), section 5, paragraph (j), Nigeria, and section 10 (in force on 1 January 2026); ng.usembassy.gov, "Mission Nigeria Update on Visa Issuance" (22 December 2025: suspension of B-1/B-2, F, M and J visas, exceptions and validity of earlier visas) and "Revised Visa Reciprocity Policy for Nigeria" (since 8 July 2025 most nonimmigrant visas are single-entry and three months; application in Abuja or Lagos); travel.state.gov (Nigeria reciprocity schedule). Checked 21 October 2026.
Verified practical details
The visa is applied for at a consulate or embassy, although tourist, business, student and exchange visas are suspended for this passport except in some cases. Here are the practical details we've verified:
Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands: different entry rules
Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have their own visa waiver programme, the G-CNMI VWP, with a list of eligible nationalities that is not the ESTA list. Since 30 November 2024, anyone travelling under that programme needs its own electronic authorisation, the G-CNMI-eTA, which replaced the paper form I-736 and is checked before boarding. Travellers entering under the general visa waiver programme still use their ESTA.
Source: cbp.gov, Carrier Liaison Program, publicación 3923-1124 de 25/11/2024 (comprobado 18/09/2026)
Fee
185 USD
Application (MRV) fee for the B1/B2 nonimmigrant tourist or business visa, according to the Department of State. Depending on nationality, a reciprocity issuance fee may be added, and the July 2025 budget law added a USD 250 visa integrity fee on issuance, still unevenly applied.
Required documents
- A passport valid for at least six months beyond your intended period of stay. If your nationality is on CBP's exemption list, it need only cover the stay itself (CBP, Carrier Liaison Program, 18 December 2025)
- A valid nonimmigrant visa or, if your country takes part in the Visa Waiver Program, an approved ESTA authorisation before you board
- To travel under the Visa Waiver Program your passport must be an e-Passport: embedded chip, machine-readable zone and a printed digital photograph. The programme covers stays of up to 90 days for tourism or business (DHS)
- An approved ESTA does not guarantee you entry: CBP states plainly that the authorisation does not determine admissibility, which the officer decides at the port of entry
Health insurance
Not mandatory for this destination.
When travel insurance is mandatory → Travel insurance policies ↓Transit rules
The United States has no visa-free transit, and it is the misunderstanding that costs travellers most: there is no international transit zone where you can wait without entering the country. Since 2 August 2003, anyone transiting the United States needs a C-category nonimmigrant visa. Nationals of Visa Waiver Program countries need an ESTA or a visa to transit as well. In practice, even if you are only changing planes you must clear immigration and customs, and collect and re-check your baggage.
More United States rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the United States page:
Official portal: https://travel.state.gov. Destination data verified on 10 August 2026. Sources: usa.gov/visa-waiver-esta and esta.cbp.dhs.gov (ESTA); dhs.gov/visa-waiver-program (list of the 42 programme countries); Federal Register 2025-20304, 19 November 2025 (ESTA fee of 40.27 USD from 1 January 2026); usa.gov/visa-waiver-esta (up to 72 hours to learn the outcome); cbp.gov press release "CBP Reminds Travelers to Allow 72 Hours for ESTA" (apply at least 72 hours before the flight); cbp.gov, "Money and Other Monetary Instruments" (cash declaration); 19 CFR 148.43 (alcohol and tobacco exemptions for non-residents); 8 U.S.C. 1187(a)(7), on govinfo.gov (exclusion from the programme after breaching a previous admission); uscis.gov, "Unlawful Presence and Inadmissibility" (3-year, 10-year and permanent bars) (checked 29 September 2026).
Travel insurance for the United States
It isn't listed as mandatory for this entry, but without insurance, medical care during the trip can get expensive.
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Things to see and do in the United States
Tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips, most with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of the United States need an electronic visa to enter Nigeria. See the United States → Nigeria page.
Of the 16 passports from Western Africa that VisaRadar tracks, for travel to the United States 12 need a visa and 4 cannot enter. Same result as Nigeria: Benin, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.
A passport from Nigeria ranks 179 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 41 of 198 destinations without applying for a visa in advance.
Counts from the same requirements matrix behind this page's verdict, using the UN M49 subregions.
Frequently asked questions
Do Nigerian citizens need a visa for the United States?
Yes, but tourist, business, student and exchange visas for this passport have been suspended since 1 January 2026, with some exceptions.
What minimum passport validity is required?
A passport valid for at least six months beyond your intended period of stay. If your nationality is on CBP's exemption list, it need only cover the stay itself (CBP, Carrier Liaison Program, 18 December 2025)
What currency is used in the United States?
US Dollar (USD).
Can a Nigerian passport holder get a US tourist visa today?
Since 1 January 2026 Proclamation 10998 has suspended the entry of Nigerians on B-1, B-2, F, M and J visas, except for the exceptions it lists, such as those who already held a valid visa on that date or who apply with the passport of another country that is not affected. Visas issued earlier have not been revoked.
How long are other nonimmigrant visas for Nigerians valid?
Since 8 July 2025, most are single-entry and valid for three months. Those issued before that date keep their terms.
Where is the interview held?
At the U.S. Embassy in Abuja or the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos, after completing the DS-160 and paying the fee. Interviews can still be booked during the suspension, but a tourist or student visa may be refused unless an exception applies.
Related pages
See United States requirements for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.