UK Visa Requirements For Nigerian citizens And Application – How To Apply For a UK Visa From Nigeria

In this post, we will show you UK visa requirements for Nigerian citizens and how to apply for a UK visa from Nigeria. The UK visa process takes little or no time to complete. However, the most complex part is the total amount you need to spend against the available fund.

The United Kingdom (UK) is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. So, it is an island nation in northwestern Europe. Every year, the UK receives about 30,000 travelers. It is one of the top destinations for tourists.

First of all, before we show you how to apply for a UK visa from Nigeria, using Ben’s case as an example, see below the general requirements you need to prepare when you are applying for a UK visa from Nigeria.

Documents Required for a UK Visa in Nigeria

Here is the list of UK visa requirements for Nigerian citizens.

Leave Approval. Firstly, you need to get leave approval from work to show as proof of employment
Passport. A passport that is valid for at least 6 months is essential.
Bank statement. Request for a six-month bank statement from your bank. If you own a corporate account, request for its statement and reference letter too.
Tax. Get a copy of your tax ready (if available) for your application.
Payslip. You need to request for a 4-month payslip from your employer.
CAC. If you are self-employed, your business registration document (CAC) is required for a UK visa application. So, you will skip the 5 above.
Introduction Letter. A letter from your company is mandatory. Ask them to input your details as they are on your passport, your role in the company, your annual salary, and your purpose of visit. It must be addressed to the UK Embassy.
Invitation Letter. Request an invitation letter from your host if invited. Your host must include your details, their name, passport number, status in the UK, the purpose of the visit, the relationship, and duration of stay.
Utility Bills. Host’s utility bills should be included in your application if s/he intends to accommodate you during your stay in the UK.
Host’s documents. Request for the host’s work details and bank statements if they intend to pay part of your expenses in the UK.
Data Page or Permit. Also, your host must send a copy of the data page or resident permit.
Accommodation. Lastly, you will have to provide proof of accommodation for the duration of stay. If your host intends to accommodate you, then their utility bill is essential. For a tourist, a hotel reservation is compulsory.

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Documents required for uk visa in Nigeria — Documents required for a UK-visa in Nigeria

How To Apply For a UK Visa from Nigeria – Online Process

In order to transmit your application, you must follow this step by step process. So, here is how to apply for a UK visa from Nigeria.

Firstly, visit the UK official website at GOV.UK, to create a user account.
Click on the Visa and Immigration link and;
Click on the Visit the UK link.
Select Standard Visitor Visa. Standard Visitor visa covers for leisure (holiday or to see your family and friends), business (take part in sports, conference or creative events), and other reasons like private medical treatment.
You must fill out the application. Ensure you input a valid email address where a link to your application can be sent to, in case you need to continue at a later time.
Pay the visa fee ($137 for a 6 month UK visa. It is subject to change). You need to acknowledge the information you have put in so far so that you can proceed to the payment section.
Finally, when you make the payment, it redirects to the TLSContact portal where you can book an appointment for biometric. In the drop-down menu, select where you prefer to take your biometric. You have 3 options, Abuja, Ikeja, and Victoria Island. Once you have chosen a location, you cannot undo this process again. Please note that Victoria Island center is more expensive due to tax and other associated costs.

Please note that when selecting appointment dates, do not select 9 am and 12 am as they are reserved for prime time (24hr) applicants, except you want the service. So when you get an appointment date sends to you via email, you must print it out, and download a checklist that is available to you on the portal.

Let’s show you how to apply for a UK visa from Nigeria by illustration so that you can get a better understanding it.

In most cases, applicants get denied based on the available fund which does not tally with their income.

The United Kingdom Visa Application Process

Example – UK Visa Application In Nigeria

Let’s give some examples here. Ben receives N224,051 as a monthly take-home (net pay after-tax). He only spends 54,000 on food, rent, and transportation every month. So we assume Ben is still single and has no dependents. In total, it means Ben is left with N170,051 as savings (that’s big for savings). Ben has no investment, he just puts in his money on his savings account, that’s all!

Ben considers flight fare (return ticket), hotel price for the duration of stay (in case John does not provide accommodation), money for shopping/sightseeing so that he can get his budget right.

Breakdown/Budget for UK Visit Visa in Nigeria

Ben gets an invitation from his long time friend in the UK, John. John is a British citizen and works in the UK. So it’s time for Ben to apply for a UK visa so that he can visit John during his leave days. So what does he need to do?

We showed you how to apply for a UK Visa from Nigeria and listed the UK-visa requirements in Nigeria.

Back to Ben’s. The first thing for Ben is to check his savings and match it with the fund available for your trip. But he needs to be sure his budget doesn’t go beyond half of his savings.

Ben gets N224,051 as salary, every month. He spends N50,000 out of his salary on food, rent, and other things. He saves what is left (170,051) in his savings account. So, in a year, Ben would have saved N2,040,612.

Here is Ben’s breakdown for his UK trip. Air ticket goes for 378, 712 (three hundred and seventy-eight thousand, seven hundred and twelve Naira). A Room for five days costs 154,200 (one hundred and fifty-four thousand and two hundred Naira), while shopping and sightseeing take 78, 500 (seventy-eight thousand, five hundred naira), therefore he must spend at least N611,412 for this trip.

So, In total, Ben’s available fund/budget for this trip is N611,412. In the same vein, he will spend 611,412 out of 2,040,612 in his savings account, which is reasonable enough and safe. Likewise, his budget for the trip is less than half his savings – good job! Your rating before the visa officer is perhaps 95% if you go by this breakdown. There is no stopping you, except the officer thinks otherwise.

How To Apply For United Kingdom Application

UK Submission Process In Nigeria

The next step for Ben is to gather his supporting documents for his UK trip and put in for his UK visa application in Nigeria. What requirements does he need to prepare so he can visit his friend in the UK? We showed you how to apply for a United Kingdom visa from Nigeria, and the list of documents required for a UK visa application in Nigeria.

The next step is to submit your UK visa application in Nigeria after you have gathered your supporting documents. Ensure you meet the UK-visa requirements in Nigeria before submission.

If you need to visit the UK for business, you only replace the host details with your business partner/conference/organizers’ invitation. Similarly, for applicants who intend to visit the UK for tourism (no invitation), just replace the host details with your hotel reservation and you are good to go! Foreigners in Nigeria who need to put in for UK visa applications in Nigeria must possess a valid CERPAC (resident permit).

Where do you submit your UK visa application in Nigeria and what to print out? We will answer all of this.

UK VISA APPOINTMENT BOOKING

Now, you have 2 options when booking for appointments. You either select Self Service or Assisted Service.

Self-service gives you the freedom to upload your documents online yourself, so long you can make digital copies of supporting documents.

Assisted Service comes with a fee (about N11,000). When you are opt-in for Assisted Service, the upload button will not be available for document upload. The upload process can only be done by officers at the TLSContact centre. So, be sure the option to choose before proceeding.

Finally, you must go for biometric and submission on the date you chose while booking your appointment at TLSContact Centre. You can reschedule your appointment a day before your assigned date.

United Kingdom Application Process — The United Kingdom

What You Need To Bring To The UK Submission Centre

Your original International passport (You may opt-in for a Keep My Passport service if you do not want to submit your passport)
Checklist form
Appointment confirmation (automatically sends to your email)
Receipt of payment of visa fees and any other associated fees
Your supporting documents as listed above (you do not need to bring your documents to the submission center if you have uploaded them online using the self-service option. In this case, you come with confirmation of document submission).

Processing time takes 3 weeks after submission. You will be notified via email/SMS when it is ready for collection. However, your application may get a longer processing time if they are trying to go deeper regarding your UK-visa requirements in Nigeria. So they may send a mail to you to notify you of this change.

UK VISA FEES IN NIGERIA

Here is the list of visa fees in Nigeria. Please note that the UK visa fees are subject to change.

Types	Price
6 Month UK Visa	$137
2 Years UK Visa	$520
5 Years UK Visa	$944
10 Years UK Visa	$1184
UK Student Visa	£348

UK Visa fees are subject to change without prior notice.

UK Visa Application Centres in Nigeria

Victoria Island: Ground Floor, Ivie House, 4/6 Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.

Ikeja: Ground & First Floors, Etiebets Place, 21 Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Lagos.

Abuja: Third floor, El-Yakub Building (beside Metro Plaza), Plot 1129 Zakariya Maimalari Street, Central Business District.

You do not need to visit the UK embassy for submission and collection. In case you need their address for your application, use the details below. Like I pointed out earlier, you must meet the UK-visa requirements in Nigeria before you attempt to apply.

British Deputy High Commission, Lagos
11 Walter Carrington Crescent.

British High Commission, Abuja
Plot 1137, Diplomatic Drive, Central Business District

If you need us to process your UK visa application in Nigeria, you can contact us by clicking here. We will assist with some of the UK-visa requirements in Nigeria.