How to Apply for South Africa Visit Visa in Nigeria

You need a visa to travel to South Africa if you are a Nigerian citizen. Usually, A Visit Visa is for foreigners who wish to travel to other countries for tourism, visitation to friends and families, or for short business trips.

The South Africa visit visa is issued for no more than 90 days or less. The application procedure for a Visit Visa to South Africa from Nigeria is very straightforward and easy for anyone of any status, and I will show you how. Though, it is believed that the processes of obtaining a visa can sometimes be very stressful; that is why this guide has been created specifically for you.

Before I push on, I will advise you always endeavor to apply for your visit Visa to South Africa at least four (4) weeks before your scheduled time of travel. As this will save you extra cost due to hastiness, also it will enable the South African diplomatic offices in Nigeria to have enough time to process your visa application.

However, you cannot reside permanently in South Africa with the visit visa. In fact, the South African immigration authorities would ban an individual for 5 years (or more) if caught overstaying their visit visa.

South African Visit Visa Requirements For Nigerian citizens

Before going to apply for South Africa to visit Visa, it pays to adhere to all the visa documentation requirements stipulated by the South African Consulate General in Nigeria.

To apply for a Visit Visa to South Africa, here are the requirements and documents needed:

1. International Passport
2. Visa application form: completed and signed with black ink or pen only.
3. Three copies of current passport data pages.
4. Statement of account: Recently collected from your bank. Signed and stamped, showing transactions for the past six months.
5. Yellow vaccination card.
6. Payslip for 6 months.
7. Introduction letter from employer addressed to the South African Embassy.
8. Self-introduction letter addressed to the South African Embassy.
9. Proof of social ties to Nigeria: Marriage certificate and birth certificate of children, if applicable.
10. Proof of property ownership if applicable.
11. Flight reservation: Read our Hotel Reservation + Flight Reservation for visa application post. Click HERE to order for your flight reservation for free (terms and conditions apply)
12. Hotel booking: Bookings from third party agents such as Booking.com, Agoda.com, Expedia.com, etc will not be accepted by the embassy. VFS agents will not bother to collect your application from you. Your hotel booking should be valid and should be verifiable if the embassy calls the hotel.
13. Many hotels will cancel your booking once payment is not received within 24 hours after booking, this could lead to visa refusal. Also, we would not encourage spending lots of money to book hotels when you have not received your visa. We have a solution for the hotel booking which you should see in order not to fall, the victim. Read our Hotel Reservation + Flight Reservation for visa application post.
14. Invitation letter: This is applicable to applicants who are attending a seminar, conference, or visiting a friend or family member in South Africa. If you do not have any contacts in South Africa.

How to Apply for South Africa Visit Visas in Nigeria: Step by step

When applying for South Africa visit visa in Nigeria, you should take the following steps:

1- Gather supporting documents

Make three clear copies of your passport data page and clear photocopies of all original documents; previous UK visa, US visa, Canada visa, Japan visa and Schengen visa.

Then endeavor to get all the required documents for the application. Afterwards, click HERE to download application form and fill completely. You can only fill your application form with a black pen.

2- Submit your application

South Africa visa applications are handled by VFS Global. VFS is an agency authorised by the South African authority to handle South Africa visa applications. You can visit their office in Lagos, Abuja or Port Harcourt between 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM, Monday to Friday, for your application submission.

Lagos:

Plot 110, Admiral Ayinla way, opposite treasure garden estate, third roundabout, Lekki Phase I, Lagos.

Abuja:

Sterling Bank Plaza, 3rd Floor, Plot 1083 Mohammadu Buhari Way, Central Business District, Abuja.

Port Harcourt:

Vineyard Shopping Centre, 88 Woji Road, GRA, Port Harcourt.

Mode of payment varies at the different visa application centres (VAC). To pay at the Lagos or Abuja branch, visit the VAC in person and pay by cash at the bank counter. To pay at the Port Harcourt branch, pay at the GTBank branch located at Tombia Road, GRA, Port Harcourt.

Go to the VAC early in the day to submit your application as they will accept the applications on the basis of first come first serve.

If you do not go to retrieve your passport at the VAC after 30 working days, it will be sent to the South Africa Embassy and transferred to the Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS). You can find out if your passport is ready for pick-up, by tracking the application online.

3- Collect your passport

Visit VFS with the receipt you got during your visa application submission. This will help you collect your passport when it is ready..You can visit the VFS between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM, Monday to Friday to get the passport.