{
  "id": "visa/voa-cancelled-evisa-mandatory",
  "signature": "AI tells a traveler Nigeria offers visa-on-arrival, or that an e-Visa payment receipt is enough to board",
  "signature_zh": "",
  "regex": "(nigeria.*visa.*(arrival|voa)|voa.*nigeria|nigeria.*e-?visa)",
  "domain": "visa",
  "category": "entry_requirement_barrier",
  "subcategory": null,
  "root_cause": "Nigeria discontinued Visa-on-Arrival on 1 May 2025 under the Nigeria Visa Policy 2025. All eligible travelers must now obtain e-Visa approval before departure; airlines check for the printed e-Visa Approval Letter (not the payment receipt) before boarding, and travelers without it are refused boarding or entry.",
  "root_cause_type": "generic",
  "root_cause_zh": "",
  "versions": [
    {
      "version": "any",
      "introduced": null,
      "deprecated": null,
      "removed": null,
      "behavior_change": null,
      "status": "active"
    }
  ],
  "os_specific": {},
  "dead_ends": [
    {
      "action": "Plan to apply for a Nigerian visa on arrival at the airport, as was possible before 2025",
      "why_fails": "Nigeria cancelled Visa-on-Arrival effective 1 May 2025 when the Nigeria Visa Policy 2025 took effect. There is no airport visa counter for eligible categories anymore; the e-Visa must be approved before departure.",
      "fail_rate": 0.95,
      "condition": "",
      "sources": [
        "https://immigration.gov.ng/?echo_kb_faq=how-do-i-apply-for-an-e-visa",
        "https://www.visaverge.com/visa/nigeria-on-arrival-visa-a-guide-for-travelers-and-upcoming-changes/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "action": "Board the flight to Nigeria with only the e-Visa payment confirmation email, assuming it doubles as the approval",
      "why_fails": "Airlines are required to check for the emailed e-Visa Approval Letter (with QR code and reference number) before boarding, not the earlier payment receipt. A fee payment without a subsequent approval notice does not satisfy the boarding check and can lead to denied boarding.",
      "fail_rate": 0.6,
      "condition": "",
      "sources": [
        "https://immigration.gov.ng/?echo_kb_faq=how-do-i-receive-my-e-visa-once-approved",
        "https://www.visaverge.com/visa/nigeria-on-arrival-visa-a-guide-for-travelers-and-upcoming-changes/"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "workarounds": [
    {
      "action": "Apply for the e-Visa through the official Nigeria Immigration Service portal at least 2-4 weeks before travel.",
      "success_rate": 0.85,
      "how": "Register at evisa.immigration.gov.ng, complete the application and document upload, pay the fee, and wait for the emailed e-Visa Approval Letter (typically 24-48 hours, but plan for longer). Print the approval letter with its QR code and carry it, since airlines and port-of-entry officers check the letter, not the payment receipt.",
      "condition": "",
      "sources": [
        "https://immigration.gov.ng/",
        "https://evisa.immigration.gov.ng/"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "workarounds_zh": [],
  "transition_graph": {
    "leads_to": [],
    "preceded_by": [],
    "frequently_confused_with": []
  },
  "official_doc_url": null,
  "official_doc_section": null,
  "error_code": null,
  "verification_tier": "ai_generated",
  "confidence": 0.8,
  "fix_success_rate": 0.9,
  "resolvable": "true",
  "first_seen": "2026-08-07",
  "last_confirmed": "2026-08-07",
  "last_updated": "2026-08-07",
  "evidence_count": 3,
  "tags": [],
  "locale": "en",
  "aliases": [
    "visa/voa-cancelled-evisa-mandatory/ng"
  ]
}