Nigerians lose an estimated N75bn annually to visa application fees and related expenses, with unsuccessful applications to Schengen countries alone accounting for about N19bn in 2025, a report has revealed.
The report, obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attributed the financial losses to rising visa charges, high rejection rates and the non-refundable nature of application fees paid to foreign embassies.
It noted that applicants seeking entry into countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain and the United States were particularly exposed to financial losses because of stringent immigration requirements and high visa refusal rates.
According to the report, the financial burden goes beyond official visa charges to include payments for application centres, medical insurance, hotel reservations, flight bookings and other supporting documents. An unsuccessful application could cost between N350,000 and N1.2m, depending on the destination.
Canada reportedly recorded a 75 per cent refusal rate for Nigerian study permit applications between January and April 2026, meaning only one in four applicants secured approval. The report attributed the high rejection rate largely to immigration authorities' concerns about applicants' intentions to leave the country after completing their studies.
Within the Schengen Area, Belgium recorded the highest refusal rate at 60.3 per cent, followed by Spain with 52.7 per cent and France with 47.4 per cent. The overall rejection rate for Nigerian applicants stood at 46.9 per cent in 2025, compared with 45.9 per cent in 2024, leaving approximately 250,000 applications unsuccessful.
The United Kingdom recorded a 33.1 per cent overall refusal rate for Nigerian applicants in 2025, which reportedly increased to 35.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2026. Visitor visa applications had an estimated rejection rate of 38.6 per cent. The report also put the United States' refusal rate for African F-1 student visa applicants at about 64 per cent.
Japan, however, was listed among countries with relatively lower rejection rates of between 12 and 15 per cent for Nigerians, despite increasing its visa charges fivefold from July 1, 2026. A single-entry visa now costs ¥15,000, while multiple-entry applications attract ¥30,000.
The report identified the United Kingdom's 10-year visitor visa at approximately N2.09m, while its six-month visa costs about N203,000. The US B1/B2 visitor visa was estimated at N299,700, while Canadian visitor visa and biometric charges stood at approximately N205,000.
It further advised Nigerians to consider destinations offering visa-free entry, visas on arrival or electronic travel authorisation to minimise potential losses. Countries listed as possible alternatives include Ghana, Benin Republic, Togo, Senegal, The Gambia, Rwanda, Mauritius, Barbados and Dominica, subject to their respective entry requirements.
The report, however, urged intending travellers to verify current immigration rules through official government channels before making travel arrangements, warning that visa-free privileges and entry conditions could change.
(PUNCH)
