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Niger has a magnificent natural landscape that should not be missed. Even though being one of West Africa’s biggest countries, it is among the least populated.
Most of the population living in the country are situated around the Niger River where the capital city Niamey is situated.
The main indigenous groups in Niger are the Hausa, who make up half the population, and the other group, split between such nomadic tribes as the Fulani and Tuareg, as well as the Djerma-Songahi.
You have to travel to see the many mosques, the glistening Niger River, or the numerous animals, you are certain to find something here that you will not find in the rest of Africa.
The official languages in Niger are French and Hausa. It is best to learn some French words or even take a small French dictionary along your trip.
Historically, the area that is today the country of Niger was inhabited for thousands of years. Early in history Niger was an important crossroads for trading and was part of many African empires such as the Songhai Empire, Mali, and Bornu.
Niger has seen large groups of the nomadic Tuareg peoples form confederations. These confederations fought with the Fulani Empire of Sokoto in the late 18th Century.
The first European explorers to visit Niger were British explorer Mungo Park and German explorer Heinrich Barth during the 1800s.
The French arrived later and colonized the country in 1922. Niger gained its independence from the French in 1960.
This is one of the hottest African countries so make sure you pack whatever you need to keep yourself protected and cool, including loose clothes, sunscreen, and sun hats.
This information piece tells you everything you need to know about visa requirements for visiting Niger.
It is important that you familiarise yourself with these legal requirements of entry before your visit, in particular if you are travelling to Niger and are subject to change without prior notice. Rather check the country’s official website or enquire from a reputable travelling agency or tour operator like MoAfrika Tours what the latest updates or changes to the requirements for a visa application may be.
WHAT IS A VISA?
A visa is issued to international travellers visiting Niger for a short stay on a temporary basis for tourism, business, study or medical reasons.
Visas are normally issued for a maximum 30 or 90 days, depending on your country of residence. A valid visa allows you to enter the country through a port of entry and stay in the country for the period specified in your visa.
Note that you are restricted to the activity or reason stated in your application, for example, if you applied for a visa for a holiday or family visit, you are not allowed to work in the country during your stay.
VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR VISITING NIGER
You will need to have a valid passport for entering Niger. You must fill in three visa applications which have to be signed. You must have three valid passport photos and an international vaccination certificate. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is mandatory.
A visa is authorised and issued upon application by a representative of a country’s embassy, mission or consulate after it has been determined that you are eligible to enter the country for a specific purpose.
Visitors holding passports from countries that are classified as ‘exempt’ do not need to apply for a visa prior to arriving in Niger. Instead, they are issued with a short-stay visa at the point of entry for a period of time relevant to the status of the visitor’s country.
COUNTRIES EXEMPTED AND COUNTRIES THAT NEED VISAS
Members of the following 19 countries or regions can visit Niger without a visa:
Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Hong Kong, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo and Tunisia.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF VISAS
Transit Visa
A transit visa is a document showing that a traveller has permission to pass through Niger but not to stay there. Transit visas often come up when a traveller’s itinerary includes a layover in a certain country on the way to their final destination. The traveller often won’t leave the airport, but still needs permission to be there during the layover.
Visa rules are complex and may vary due to factors including the country you’re visiting, which country you’re a citizen of and how long you will spend in transit in a country.
For example, if a layover is less than 24 hours, and the traveller never leaves the airport, a transit visa may not be needed in some countries while others still require it.
A basic rule of thumb is that if the country you’re traveling through does not require citizens of your country to have a visa to visit for a longer period, it won’t require you to have a visa to transit through.
However, if the country you’re traveling through does require citizens of your country to have a visa to visit for a longer period, it may or may not require you to obtain a visa to transit through. While some countries allow you to obtain a visa upon arrival, others require that you apply for and receive the visa before you arrive in the country.
Tourist Visa
Tourist or travel visas allow the bearer to enter Niger for touristic and leisure purposes only and stay for a predetermined amount of time. These visas do not entitle the holder to work or engage in any business activities in Niger.
Business Visa
A business visa generally permits a traveller to engage in normal business-related activities in Niger.
Business visas are usually harder to get, since you will need an official business letter of invitation from your foreign business partner or from a professional organisation.
On a business visa you can attend business conferences, conventions, meetings, and other business-related events. You will also be allowed to negotiate contracts, do trade, and carry out business purchases. You may even be allowed to interview and hire staff during your stay while on a business visa.
Business visas are in general also more expensive.
HOW AND WHERE TO APPLY FOR VISAS WHEN VISITING NIGER
E Visa
The government of Niger does not issue electronic visas.
Consulate or Embassy
There is only one way to apply for a Niger visa; you will have to make an appointment at your nearest Niger or Diplomatic Mission. From there, depending on which country’s embassy or diplomatic mission you use, you might be required to give biometric scans of your fingerprints or facial features.
This is a quick, discreet and non-intrusive process that captures a facial image with a digital camera and a 10-digit fingerprint scan with a digital finger scanner and is done at the embassy or diplomatic mission.
You will need to complete a Niger visa application form, obtainable from the embassy/diplomatic mission offices.
Gather all the required documents, pay the visa fee and then submit the documents and application at the embassy/diplomatic mission. Some offices require you to submit the documents in person, whereas others also allow submissions through the mail.
DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR APPLICATION FOR VISA
Your Visa should take about eight to 15 days to process depending on your departure date, therefore you should apply for your visa at least two weeks before your departure date.
To obtain a transit visa, if required, you need:
To obtain a tourist visa you will need:
To obtain a business visa you will need:
It is very important that you complete your visa application forms thoroughly and accurately in order to avoid unnecessary delay in the issuing of your visa.
For example, if you have more than one Christian name, give them in full. Your place of birth should be provided as well as the place, month and date of passport issued. Make sure that you give the correct passport number as it has to be identical to those that reflect on your passport.
Make sure you add in the person to contact in case of an emergency. If you do not add in these details, your visa could be declined.
COST OF A NIGER VISA
For a regular passport holder, the cost of a visa is USD 25.20.
For Diplomatic or official passports, the visa is free of charge.
VACCINES NEEDED WHEN VISITING NIGER
The World Health Organisation recommends the following vaccinations for Niger: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, cholera, yellow fever, rabies, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles, pneumonia and influenza
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is often required for a foreign visitor who is travelling from or transiting through a country with risk of yellow fever transmission.
A yellow fever certificate is valid 10 days after the vaccination is administered, making it important to get the vaccination in time before leaving for Niger. You may be refused entry if you leave it too late and arrive in Niger within the 10-day waiting period.
Travellers need to have a yellow fever vaccination before arriving in Niger. Yellow fever is spread by infected mosquitoes. Symptoms are similar to malaria, ranging from flu-like chills and fever to server hepatitis and jaundice. If left untreated or not diagnosed early, the disease is life-threatening.
Malaria is still a major public health issue in Niger and is endemic throughout the country.
Travelers going to Niger should take steps to avoid mosquito bites.
OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS WHEN VISITING NIGER
The following items may be imported into Niger duty free: 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 25 cigars or 250g of tobacco. One bottle of spirits and one bottle of wine. 500ml of eau de toilette and 250ml of perfume.
Pornography is prohibited. Niger’s customs, laws and regulations adhere closely to Islamic practices and beliefs. Dress conservatively and cover your arms and legs in public. Behave discreetly and respect religious and social traditions.
During the lunar month of Ramadan use discretion when drinking, eating, and smoking in public between sunrise and sunset. In 2020, Ramadan is expected to begin on April 23.
Outside of the month-long observance of Ramadan, Niger’s laws and customs tolerate alcohol consumption.
The death penalty applies to serious crimes such as murder.
Penalties for possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs are severe. Convicted offenders can expect heavy fines and lengthy jail sentences. Do not offer to carry a package from an unknown of suspicious source in your luggage as you risk being used as a drug mule.
VISITING NIGER WITH MINORS
A complete visa application must be completed for each child entering the country.
You will need the additional documents per child:
WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE OVERSTAYS ON A VISA IN NIGER
Foreign visitors who overstay on a visa are normally declared ‘undesirable persons’ and may incur a ban from Niger for a time period, which prevents them from applying for a visa and re-entering Niger for a prescribed period of time.
You may also be charged a fine for each day that you overstay on your visa. There may even be legal action taken against you, it is highly recommended that you extend your visa well in advance.
Individuals who have been affected by the overstay visa regulations of a country can usually lodge a visa overstay appeal.
ENJOY A SAFE HOLIDAY IN NIGER WITH A REPUTABLE TOUR OPERATOR
MoAfrika Tours is a leading tour operator in South Africa that offers an outstanding selection of tours to Niger. We have a close association with the most reputable tour operators in Niger who make safety a priority.
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MoAfrika tours and the Kruger Safari Co. are destination management companies (DMC) and are not entities of the South African National Parks Board (SANparks).