UK visas for Nigerian citizens

Nigerian nationals are among the largest groups on the Student, Graduate and Health and Care Worker routes, and in the year ending June 2026 were one of the three largest nationalities receiving Graduate-route extensions. Two recent rule changes are particularly relevant to Nigerian applicants: the January 2024 restriction on student dependants and the July 2025 closure of overseas recruitment for care workers. This page covers what depends on Nigerian citizenship and residence — entry documents, the TB test, English evidence — and points to the route guides for the rest.

Visiting the UK

Nigeria is a visa-national country. A Standard Visitor visa is required for any visit, and the Electronic Travel Authorisation is not available to Nigerian citizens. Applications are made online and completed at a visa application centre in Nigeria, where biometrics are taken. Visitor applications are assessed on the applicant’s circumstances at home — ties, income, travel history and the purpose of the visit — and the evidence needs to show them clearly.

Changing planes in the UK without passing through immigration normally requires a Direct Airside Transit Visa, unless an exemption applies, such as holding certain valid visas for the United States, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.

Studying in the UK

The Student visa process is the same as for other nationalities, but two changes have reshaped it for Nigerian applicants.

Dependants. Before January 2024, Nigerian students brought more dependants than any other nationality. Since then, only postgraduate research students and government-sponsored students can bring family members. A taught master’s no longer allows a partner or children to come on the Student route.

Financial evidence. Student applicants must show the required funds held for a consecutive period before applying, in a form the Home Office will accept. Bank statements must meet the format rules, and funds in a parent’s account need a letter of consent and proof of the relationship. The evidence rules are prescriptive, so the documents need to cover the required period and meet the specified format; the current maintenance figures are on the Student guide.

Graduate visa. Applications made by 31 December 2026 receive two years; from 1 January 2027 the standard grant is 18 months. See the Graduate visa guide and the Graduate vs Skilled Worker comparison.

Working in the UK

Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker are the main routes. Nigerian nurses, doctors and allied health professionals continue to use the Health and Care route, which keeps a lower fee and exemption from the Immigration Health Surcharge. Overseas recruitment of care workers and senior care workers closed on 22 July 2025, however, so the care-home path that many Nigerian applicants used no longer exists for new applications from abroad. Since the 2025 changes, most sponsored jobs must be at RQF 6 and pay at least £41,700 or the going rate.

Nigeria is not a Youth Mobility Scheme country. As a Commonwealth citizen you could qualify for the UK Ancestry visa if a grandparent was born in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, though this applies to few Nigerian applicants in practice.

Bringing your family

Partners and children of Skilled Workers and Health and Care Workers can normally apply as dependants, subject to the 2025 restriction for new applicants in medium-skilled shortage-list jobs. Customary and Islamic marriages can be recognised if they are valid under Nigerian law; the documents used to prove the marriage depend on how it was contracted. Spouses and partners of British citizens and settled people use the partner visa, with the £29,000 minimum income requirement, where applicable, and A1 English at entry.

Nigeria-specific requirements

TB test. Nigeria is on the list of countries where a tuberculosis test is required. The rule turns on residence rather than nationality: it applies if you are applying for more than six months and have lived in Nigeria, or another listed country, for six months or more in the last six months. The test must be taken at a clinic approved by the Home Office and the certificate is valid for six months. Each family member who meets the requirement needs their own certificate; children must attend an approved clinic, although those under 11 do not normally have a chest X-ray.

English. Although English is Nigeria’s official language and the language of its universities, Nigeria is not on the Home Office’s list of majority-English-speaking countries, so Nigerian citizens do not get an exemption by nationality. Routes that require English must be evidenced. Two methods are common: an approved Secure English Language Test taken at an authorised centre in Nigeria, or a Nigerian degree confirmed by Ecctis as both equivalent to a UK degree and taught in English — a route many Nigerian graduates can use, provided the Ecctis statement is obtained before applying. Skilled Worker applications made from 8 January 2026 need B2. See the English requirements guide.

Applying in Nigeria. Applications are submitted online and completed in person at a visa application centre. Some applications can be sped up with a priority or super priority service at an additional cost, subject to the route and availability. The visa itself is an eVisa, linked to a UKVI account, once the application is granted. No vignette is placed in the passport now (vignettes ended on 1 July 2026); for travel, some applicants receive a form for accompanying an eVisa (FAV).

Routes to settlement

Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker and the partner route lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain after five years under current rules. Student and Graduate time does not count towards those periods, although lawful residence on them counts towards the ten-year Long Residence route.

If you are a Nigerian citizen by birth, acquiring British citizenship does not normally require you to give up Nigerian citizenship; the position is different for people who acquired Nigerian citizenship by registration or naturalisation. For citizens by birth, the choice between stopping at ILR and going on to citizenship is mainly about cost, timing and the passport. See the ILR vs citizenship comparison.

Common questions

Can Nigerian citizens use the ETA? No. A Standard Visitor visa is required.

I was educated in English — do I still need a test? Yes, unless Ecctis confirms your degree was taught in English and is equivalent to a UK degree. The nationality exemption does not cover Nigeria.

Can I still come as a care worker? Not from abroad. Overseas recruitment closed in July 2025. Nurses and other regulated health professionals can still use the Health and Care route.

Can my spouse join me on a Student visa? Only if you are a postgraduate research student or government-sponsored.