Last verified October 9, 2026. Visa rules change often, so confirm current requirements at Embassy of Japan in Nigeria before applying. Your specific case may have factors not covered here.
A visa is required
Nigerian nationals need a visa to enter Japan, whatever the purpose or length of the trip. The Embassy of Japan in Nigeria says so on its visa information page.
This guide covers the Temporary Visitor visa for tourism, for a stay of up to 90 days. VFS Global lists separate checklists for short-term business and for visiting relatives or friends.
Core Requirements for Nigeria Applicants
The cards below follow the Embassy of Japan in Nigeria's guidance for tourism, which VFS Global publishes on its Japan Nigeria page. Unless a document is marked original, photocopies may be submitted.
Checklist and Annex: attach the Tourism checklist to the bottom of your documents and stack them in the order the checklist lists them. Submit the Annex to the Checklist too: it asks whether anyone travels with you and which countries you visited in the last five years that your passport does not show, and it carries a signed and dated declaration. Submitted documents are not returned, except the original passport, and you may be asked for more during screening. A minor travelling without parents needs a parental consent letter, proof of the relationship and a copy of the parent's government-approved ID; VFS Global links a separate document for minors.
How the Application Process Works
The Embassy of Japan in Nigeria sets the process for applicants in Nigeria. These are the points that decide how you apply and how long it takes:
Practical Tips
- • Book early. The Embassy says you can book up to three months ahead and VFS Global says two months, so plan for the shorter window.
- • Plan for more than the minimum. VFS Global gives about 12 working days in Abuja and 14 in Lagos, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Embassy holidays, and the Embassy calls them the minimum. A large number of applicants or incomplete documents can lengthen it.
- • Expect a longer wait if the Embassy has doubts about an application. It can be referred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo, which can take more than a month.
- • Keep your documents consistent. Your bank statement, Certificate of Employment and itineraries should tell the same story.
Next Steps
Check your documents against the requirements before you book your appointment. TravelReady's Smart Visa Checklist shows what your application needs, so you can fix gaps before you submit.
Does your case trigger the Nigeria → Japan risk patterns?
Knowing the failure modes is not the same as knowing whether they apply to your documents. Officer's Read cross-references your specific employment letter, bank statement, and cover letter against current Japan embassy rules, the way an officer would, and flags what would be questioned before you submit.
What we check that this guide can't:
- →Whether your funds and employment ties are clear and consistent across your documents
- →Whether your Schedule of Stay matches the rest of your application
- →Whether a recent large deposit has a documented source
Free Smart Visa Checklist. Document validation from $67. No subscription.
Japan Visa Application Centres in Nigeria (VFS Global)
Hours: Application submission is 8:00am to 3:00pm by online booking only. Passport collection is 8:00am to 3:00pm with no appointment. The centres are closed on weekends, Nigerian public holidays and Embassy holidays.
Visa fee, paid when you submit: for applications received by the Embassy from 1 July 2026, MOFA sets about 15,000 yen for a single-entry visa and about 30,000 yen for a multiple-entry visa, payable in local currency. VFS Global Nigeria lists NGN 156,300 for single entry and NGN 312,500 for double and multiple entry from 1 July 2026 to 31 March 2027. From 1 April to 30 June 2026 the amounts were NGN 31,300 and NGN 62,500, and some pages may still show them. The visa fee is refunded only if the visa is not granted, or if the fee turns out to be lower than you paid, for example if you are exempt.
VFS service fee: NGN 16,500 per application, paid online when you book the appointment (at the centre if you secured the appointment by email). Applications made in Lagos also pay a courier charge of NGN 52,465 for moving documents between the Lagos and Abuja centres. The service fee and the courier charge are non-refundable. The visa fee and the courier charge are paid by POS.
Sources: the visa requirement, application centres, hours, documents, photograph, processing times and fees were checked on 2026-10-09 against the Embassy of Japan in Nigeria's Visa Information page and its announcement on the Japan Visa Application Centres, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan's Visa Fees page, and VFS Global's Temporary Visitor Tourism page (fees, documents, photograph, forms and processing time, including the Embassy's guidance and checklist for tourism) and Visa Fee notice for Nigeria. Confirm the current figures and documents there before you apply.