Nigerians must now apply in Abuja or Lagos as Türkiye ends e-Visa processing

Türkiye has stopped issuing electronic visas (e-Visas) to Nigerian travellers after its authorities found fake Schengen, United Kingdom and United States visas in passports used to obtain them, the country's ambassador to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, said on 9 November 2026.

Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, Poroy stressed that the suspension does not apply to all Nigerians and that Türkiye continues to process visas for Nigerian applicants without any problem.

Key facts

• What changed: Türkiye no longer issues e-Visas to Nigerians
• Reason given: fake Schengen, UK and US visas found in passports used for e-Visa applications
• Still available: regular visa applications at Türkiye's offices in Abuja and Lagos
• Planned: a visa collection centre in Kano before the end of 2026

Why did Türkiye stop the e-Visa?

Poroy said holding a Schengen, UK or US visa had been a precondition for obtaining a Turkish e-Visa. When Turkish authorities identified some fake visas in that category — and traced e-Visas issued to people travelling on those forged documents — the system was stopped.

Who is affected?

The ambassador said the change does not affect all Nigerians. Türkiye continues to issue visas to Nigerians without any problem, and he described the visa refusal rate for Nigerians as very minimal.

Nigerian business people in particular have what Poroy called huge facilities: the embassy can issue visas directly without asking the Türkiye Immigration Office in Ankara for approval.

How do Nigerians apply now?

Applications are still being received at Türkiye's visa offices in Abuja and Lagos. Poroy said they are processed there, sent to Ankara and the results are then shared with applicants. He added that the absence of an e-Visa does not mean obtaining a Turkish visa is very difficult.

No date has been announced for any return of the e-Visa for Nigerians. Poroy also noted that Turkish nationals cannot currently use Nigeria's e-Visa, and said he hoped the issue would be resolved during his tour of duty.

What this means for travellers

Nigerians planning travel to Türkiye should apply through the visa offices in Abuja or Lagos rather than expect an e-Visa option. Applicants from northern Nigeria may soon have a closer option: Türkiye plans to open a visa collection centre in Kano before the end of 2026, so travellers from the North going for business, tourism or education would no longer need to visit Lagos or Abuja.

The ambassador also expressed hope that a visa office would be opened in Port Harcourt in the near future.

Poroy's briefing marked 66 years of ambassadorial-level relations between Türkiye and Nigeria, which were elevated on 9 November 1960. Türkiye had operated a Consulate General in Lagos from April 1959, and a substantive ambassador arrived in Nigeria in 1962.