Just this past week Mission Consults was asked to handle a case wherein a traveler (resident of Nigeria) was able to arrive into Abuja airport but without a re-entry visa. Wow! What wahala! A lot more complicated than when I did this myself back in 1998 (2 days past expiration of my previous re-entry). As has always been the procedure, upon arrival the passport was confiscated by immigration officers at the Abuja airport pending regularization. They did allow for the traveler to leave the airport.

The passport was held for over two months by immigration, so one has to wonder what would happen if an emergency came up (death in family, med-evac, …) and the person needed to leave Nigeria on short notice. Resolving the problem required four trips between offices and internet cafés in Abuja city and the immigration office clear out at the Abuja airport, consuming an entire day for one of our staff.

The financial summary: N14,000 was required for a one day re-entry visa (something that would have been paid before anyhow) and another N6,000 as an official penalty collected by immigration (seemingly a new thing), then internet café and scratch card cost, then if the traveler wants to travel next time has to pay for another re-entry (single N14,000). When all expenses are brought together, they will probably be somewhere in range of N30,000-N40,000..

…So if you as a resident are planning to travel out of Nigeria and come back, make 100% sure you have a valid re-entry visa before returning.

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