Immigration to Nigeria is popular for a number of reasons: some like African culture, while others are drawn to an extremely affordable standard of living. Still others move to the country for family reasons or to invest in the emerging economy. While a local passport is not required to live in Nigeria, it will expand your rights as a foreigner. In addition, you will not have to renew your residence permit over and over again. Read on to find out more about how you can acquire Nigerian citizenship.
Overview of Nigerian Citizenship
The Nigerian Constitution stipulates the following ways to acquire citizenship:
- by lineal descent
- by registration
- through naturalisation
A special immigrant status, or SIS, stands out. While such a status does not constitute citizenship, the process involved in acquiring such status is similar.
Citizenship by Lineal Descent
Anyone born in Nigeria automatically acquires Nigerian citizenship provided that their parents or grandparents are Nigerian, confirmed by their citizenship. The children of Nigerian citizens are also automatically eligible for a passport even if they were born abroad.
Citizenship by Registration
The following way to acquire citizenship is intended for:
- women married to Nigerian citizens, or the widows of Nigerian citizens. Men who marry a Nigerian woman are not eligible for citizenship by registration; they can only acquire special immigrant status (SIS);
- adults and legally competent people born abroad who can prove that one of their grandparents had a Nigerian passport.
Photo: Joshua Oluwagbemiga (Unsplash)
Citizenship through Naturalisation
An adult foreigner of good character who clearly intends to reside in Nigeria can acquire Nigerian citizenship through naturalisation. As long-term residency in the country is the key criterion in this case, the applicant has to demonstrate their good character. In practice, this means a reference from the state governor confirming the willingness of the state to accept the individual into the local community and the assimilation of the applicant in the Nigerian way of life.
The naturalisation period takes in total 15 years. This might be permanent residency or 12 months continuously and 15 years in aggregate over 20 years. An applicant for citizenship on these grounds must take an oath of allegiance to the people of Nigeria.
Special Immigrant Status (SIS)
SIS is a relatively new concept which appeared in Nigerian law in 2008 as an attempt to even out gender discrimination, in that citizenship is only granted for marriage to a Nigerian man. Although the special immigrant status does not constitute citizenship, it facilitates the receipt of a resident permit by men married to Nigerian women.
The main criterion for acquiring SIS is an official marriage and proven cohabitation with your spouse for at least five years. Please note that the special immigrant status is not a residence permit. However, after you acquire this status, you can apply to the office of the Comptroller General, the headquarters of the Nigerian Immigration Services in Abuja, or the Office of the Comptroller of Immigration Services in the state authority at your place of residence and obtain for no cost a two-year CERPAC residence permit.
Dual Citizenship in Nigeria
The country’s constitution prohibits dual citizenship for naturalised and registered individuals. In other words, you have to renounce your current passport when applying for a Nigerian passport. You have five months to take this step after receiving a certificate of registration or naturalisation. This also works in reverse. Anyone who has acquired Nigerian citizenship through registration or naturalisation and then decides to apply for the passport of another country will have to renounce their Nigerian citizenship.
However, Nigerian citizens by birth may have dual citizenship
Ekiti. Photo: Ayoola Salako (Unsplash)
Main and Additional Documents for Applying for Nigerian Citizenship
Regardless of the grounds for applying for citizenship, you will have to provide the following documents in all cases:
- a birth certificate;
- a passport photograph 35х45 mm (ICAO standard);
- a residence permit;
- the first five pages of your international passport, as well as your wife’s passport if you are applying for SIS;
- a marriage certificate, where applicable;
- a signed application letter addressed to the permanent secretary.
In addition, depending on the grounds for applying for citizenship or SIS, you will need to submit:
Way of acquiring the citizenship/SIS (below) | Additional documents to be submitted |
Naturalisation | Certificate of financial solvency – evidence of means of subsistence. This can be a bank statement, tax return, income statement, and so on. When applying, you will also have to provide information about any property that you own |
Tax clearance certificate | |
Downloaded form of the guarantors and photographs of their passports; you can only obtain Nigerian citizenship through naturalisation if you can prove that you have integrated in the Nigerian community | |
Evidence of the social and economic contribution of the applicant to the country | |
CVs of the guarantors | |
Identity documents of the guarantors | |
Citizenship by registration for individuals born abroad who have a Nigerian parent or grandparent | Evidence of Nigerian citizenship of either parent or grandparent |
Letter from the guarantors and their CVs | |
Copies of the passports of the guarantors | |
Downloaded form of the guarantors | |
Identity documents of the guarantors | |
Court decision recognising the individual’s eligibility for citizenship | |
Citizenship by registration for women married to a Nigerian citizen | Evidence of means of subsistence |
Letter of Consent from their husband, and in the case of his death from children or other Nigerian relatives | |
Previous marriage certificates, where applicable | |
Evidence of husband’s citizenship and in the case of his death, evidence of the citizenship of his relatives | |
Court decision recognising the individual’s eligibility for citizenship | |
Identity documents of the guarantors | |
Letter from the guarantors | |
Downloaded form of the guarantors | |
Application for special immigration status (SIS) | Evidence of source of income |
Tax clearance certificate | |
Birth certificate of Nigerian wife | |
Residence permit on which basis the husband has lived in Nigeria all these years, where applicable | |
Birth certificates of children, where applicable | |
Official statement from Nigerian spouse where she undertakes to assume immigration responsibilities | |
Local government certificate of the Nigerian origin of the wife | |
Authentic report from the state of the place of residence of the couple | |
Relevant wedding photographs |
How to Apply for Nigerian Citizenship
To apply for Nigerian citizenship, you need:
- to make sure you meet all the requirements for a particular status: citizenship by registration, naturalisation, or SIS;
- to collect all the necessary documents;
- to apply for citizenship online using the eCITIBIZ service.
The final decision on whether to grant citizenship is adopted by the President of Nigeria and is his right and not an obligation. However, you may apply again after eliminating the reasons for rejection. They will be indicated in the decision on your application. The fee for submitting and processing your application is not refundable; you have to pay separately for each attempt.
If your application is approved, you pay for the passport and take the oath. At the same time, citizenship by registration or through naturalisation does not give you the right to hold any elective office in the country for ten years.
Abeokuta. Photo: Omotayo Tajudeen (Unsplash)
How Much Does it Cost to Acquire Nigerian Citizenship?
At the stage of applying for citizenship, the total payment equals NGN 300,000 (USD 400). SIS registration at the same stage costs NGN 200,000 (USD 266). If your application is approved, you will have to pay in addition NGN 450,000 (USD 600) for citizenship. In this case the issue of the SIS will cost NGN 300,000 (USD 400).
There are two ways to make the payment:
- Directly on the website when you apply. Select the option pay online, go to the Remita payment portal and enter your card details. If the payment is successful, you will be returned to the eCITIBIZ website where your payment will be displayed.
- Through a bank or point-of-sale (POS) terminal. When applying on the eCITIBIZ website, select the option pay via bank or POS. The system will generate an invoice which you must print out and pay at any bank or terminal.
Unpaid applications will not be processed.
Nigerian Citizenship for Investments
There are no programmes in Nigeria enabling an applicant to acquire citizenship for investment. However, you can get a residence permit for making a specific contribution to the economy. After 15 years of residence, you can exchange it for citizenship through naturalisation. Although investment is the most expensive way to obtain permanent residence, in some cases it is the best option. After all, work, diplomatic status and study only grant the individual the right of temporary residency. To obtain permanent residency in Nigeria, you either have to be a highly qualified specialist, or a Nigerian by blood, who has lost their passport for some reason.
Anyone else not covered by these categories can use one of five investment programmes to apply for permanent residency:
- Investor visa (small enterprise), N3A. To get it, you need to import and keep in the country in various forms USD 250,000 to USD 500,000.
- Investor visa (medium-sized enterprise), N3B. This visa requires the import and retention of USD 500,000 to USD 1,000,000.
- Investor visa (big corporation), N3C. You will get this visa if you invest USD 1,000,000 to USD 10,000,000 in the Nigerian economy.
- Investor visa (ultra large corporation), N3D. This visa requires a minimum investment of USD 10,000,000.
- Investor visa (oil, gas, and power sector), N3E. It is issued to potential investors in the oil and gas, and power sectors, provided that they can prove the availability of USD 100,000,000 and their intention to invest this amount in Nigeria.
All these visas are valid for five years. As long as the investment stays in the country in any form, the residence permit will be extended. If the investor lives in Nigeria, after 15 years they can get citizenship through naturalisation.
In a Nutshell
It is hard for people who do not have Nigerian ancestors to obtain Nigerian citizenship. There are only two options: marriage and naturalisation after at least 15 years of residence in the country. It is also difficult for a foreigner to obtain a residence permit: you must either be a valuable specialist for Nigeria or invest at least USD 250,000 in its economy.
Cover photo: Lagos. Nupo Deyon Daniel (Unsplash)
