Adapting to Nigeria’s New eVisa Policy: How Mantra Ensures Secure, Hassle-Free Travel for International Clients
In May 2025, the Nigerian government officially transitioned from its Visa on Arrival (VoA) policy to a fully digital eVisa system, marking a major step in streamlining entry processes for international travellers and strengthening Nigeria’s national security.
While this change represents a major step forward in Nigeria’s digital transformation, it also presents a period of adjustment for international travellers, who were previously accustomed to the convenience of securing entry upon their arrival at one of Nigeria’s international airports.
At Mantra, we have been closely monitoring this transition and adapted our security services to maintain a seamless, hassle-free experience for our Clients. Now that the eVisa system has been in place for six months, it is the perfect time to evaluate how it is working and share our findings.
How to Apply for an eVisa in Nigeria
We have outlined the steps for the official application process below:
Visit the official portal: evisa.immigration.gov.ng
Sign in: Use your Gmail account or Open ID
Complete the form: Fill in the form with accurate personal, passport and travel details
Upload documents: Submit your passport’s biodata page, a recent passport photograph and travel itinerary. For certain visa categories, additional documentation may be required, for example, a bank statement, confirmation of a hotel reservation or a letter of invitation
Pay the application fee: Complete the secure payment online
Submit your application: Review and confirm all details
Complete a digital landing card within 72 hours of arrival in Nigeria, on the Nigerian Immigration Service portal: https://lecard.immigration.gov.ng/ . (A digital exit card must also be completed within 72 hours of departure from Nigeria)
Arrive in Nigeria: Complete biometric enrolment at your point of entry to Nigeria
Visa approvals are typically processed on average within 24–48 hours, although processing times may vary depending on the accuracy of the original application and the number of submissions the Nigerian Immigration Service is handling.
Visa on Arrival (VoA) versus eVisa: What Has Changed?
The main noticeable difference for international travellers, is that the eVisa system requires an application and pre-approval before travel to Nigeria. However, this does offer several key benefits:
Faster airport clearance upon arrival
Improved transparency and traceability for both travellers and authorities
For Mantra, as a leading security service company in Nigeria, the new eVisa system has enabled us to enhance our planning capabilities for our airport meet-and-greet services as part of our Aviation Security Services and our Armed Police Escort Services, using highly trained MOPOL officers.
How Mantra Maintains a Hassle-Free Experience
Whilst we are not authorised to process eVisa applications directly on behalf of our Clients, we can provide expert guidance to ensure Clients complete the process correctly and avoid any unnecessary delays.
We have also integrated eVisa compliance into our Advanced Survey Report (ASR), a comprehensive travel security document that we provide to all incoming international travellers prior to their arrival, that covers:
Threat and risk overview and analysis
Flight and passenger details
Assigned meet-and-greet personnel details
Armed escort coordination
Route maps and control room monitoring
Hotel and event security details
Medical and emergency contact information
This proactive approach to planning ensures that once our Clients land in Nigeria, all security and logistical elements are already in place, minimising their exposure to potential risks.
Observations and Industry Insights
Since the introduction of the eVisa system, we have noted a more predictable and transparent entry process for international travellers, giving our Clients the peace of mind knowing that they should be able to enter into Nigeria without any issues once they have landed. However, portal downtime or incomplete submissions can occasionally cause delays in the application review process. We would therefore strongly recommend to all travellers the need to start their eVisa application as soon as their travel itineraries are confirmed and ensure all documents are available and up to date to allow for an accurate submission.
The new eVisa system has generally proven to be faster and more predictable than its VoA predecessor. For Mantra, this improvement has strengthened our ability to deliver outstanding security services to our Clients, particularly within our Aviation Security, Journey Management and Armed Police Escort divisions.
If you have any questions on the new eVisa system or require more information on our security services in Nigeria, please contact us by submitting an enquiry form at: http://bit.ly/contactmantra or email us at info@mantraoperations.com
Written by Sian Hawkes, Director of Marketing and Communications