Rwandans can now enter Nigeria for 30 days without a visa

How the 30-day exemption works

Nigeria began admitting Rwandan passport holders without a visa for stays up to 30 days on May 14, following a presidential directive from Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali. The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) confirmed all international entry points received instructions for immediate implementation.

The exemption covers tourism, business and official engagements, per the NIS statement. It mirrors Rwanda's existing visa-on-arrival policy for Nigerian citizens, which already grants 30-day stays under fee waivers extended to African Union, Commonwealth and La Francophonie nationals.

No advance application, e-visa or embassy appointment is required for qualifying short visits and there's no Nigerian visa fee for stays inside the 30-day window.

Who gets in under the new rule

The policy applies to Rwandan nationals only and covers four traveler types named in the NIS release:

• Tourists arriving for leisure
• Business travelers attending meetings, conferences or scouting trips
• Investors conducting due diligence or early-stage incorporation work
• Officials on government duty

Remote workers holding Rwandan passports fit within the tourism and business categories so long as they aren't taking up local employment on a Nigerian payroll. The exemption doesn't create residency, work authorization or any long-term status, the NIS said.

What Rwandan travelers need to do

Rwandan citizens can fly directly into Lagos or Abuja or arrive by land or sea and present a valid passport at immigration. Standard entry checks still apply, including passport validity and security screening.

Anyone planning to stay beyond 30 days must secure the appropriate visa in advance through a Nigerian Embassy, High Commission or the Nigeria e-Visa portal, according to the NIS. Overstaying the exemption isn't permitted and longer-term expats and investors will continue to rely on existing residence and work permit categories, which this directive doesn't change.

Investors running multiple short trips can now skip per-visit visa processing, cutting both cost and lead time for early market entry work in Lagos and Abuja.

Read our full Nigeria guide for the complete picture and follow our nomad news feed for more African mobility changes.