ECOWAS Residence Permit in Nigeria

Residence Permit is a legal authorization to live and work in Nigeria. In this article, we provide information on Nigerian Resident Permit for ECOWAS Citizens.

ECOWAS means Economic Community of West African States. It is a regional organization of 15 West African countries established to promote the economic integration among its members. ECOWAS member States are: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea, Togo.

Citizens of ECOWAS countries who desire to come into Nigeria for business or personal purposes are not required to apply for visa. However, they must get the necessary residence permit from the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to stay in the country for the desired period of time. This is called the Ecowas Residence Card.

An ECOWAS residence permit or Residence Card is valid for a period of 90 days only after which, the applicant will have to renew the permit before he can be able to reside in Nigeria once again.

HOW TO GET CERTIFICATE OF RESIDENCE IN NIGERIA

An ECOWAS citizen who desires to get Nigeria’s ECOWAS permit must take the following steps 

1. Visit https://portal.immigration.gov.ng/ecowascard/cardForm and fill the online forms either as a fresh application for ECOWAS Residence Card or as a renewal of ECOWAS Residence Card.
2. Check the ‘I HEREBY DECLARE THAT THE INFORMATION GIVEN IN THIS APPLICATION FORM IS CORRECT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE.’ check box then click the ‘Submit Application’ Button
3. Click on “Print Acknowledgment Slip” button to print ‘Application Acknowledgment Page’
4. Click on “Proceed to Online Payment”
5. Click to select Payment Currency “Pay in Naira” option then select the payment method you desire eg: “Bank”, “eWallet” or “Credit/Debit card”.
   1. If you intend to pay at a bank, select the “Bank” button and click continue,
      1. View the list of participating banks and then click on ‘Continue’.
      2. The “Print Acknowledgment” button will help you print “Payment Acknowledgment Slip” with Transaction ID, Application ID & Reference Number.
      3. With the copy of your Payment acknowledgement slip, proceed to a participating bank for payment.
      4. On making payment at the bank, you MUST be issued with an ‘approved payment platform provider’ receipt that contains “Validation Number”. You will need the “Validation Number” for confirmation of payment on the portal.
   2. If you intend to pay through ‘NetFunds Account’ online payment, select “NetFunds Account”,
      1. You will be required to fill in your NetFunds Account log-in credentials. If you are not registered as a user, go to “Register for NetFunds Account”
      2. After filling in, click “Login” button and you will be sent to the payment portal
      3. For proceeding with the payment click the “PAY” button. The payment will be successful only if your account balance is at least as big as the total payable amount.
      4. After payment, the “Validation Number” is generated. Store it and use it to confirm the payment.
      5. You can also print a receipt by clicking the “Print the Receipt” button.
   3. If you intend to pay through Credit/Debit card, select “Credit/Debit card” and click continue,
      1. You will be required to fill in your eWallet log-in credentials. If you are not registered as a user, go to “Register for eWallet”.
      2. After filling in, click “Login” button and you will be sent to the payment portal
      3. For proceeding with the payment click the “PAY” button.
      4. Payment portal display application details, click on “Continue” button.
      5. You will be prompted to “Value Card” payment page, provide information of your card & Click on “OK” button
      6. After payment, the “Validation Number” is generated. Store it and use it to confirm the payment.
      7. You can also print a receipt by clicking the “Print the Receipt” button.
6. After payment, having obtained the “Validation Number”, proceed to the NIS portal for confirmation of payment.
7. Go to the “Check ECOWAS Residence Card Application Status” and enter your Application ID and Reference No.
8. Click the “View your application payment status” button to go to the “Online Query Status” page.
9. If “Validation Number” field appears, please enter the number from your ‘approved payment platform provider’ receipt. Remember: Validation Number has been generated after payment through Bank also.
10. Click the “Search Record” button and you will be sent to the “Applicant’s Details” page where a date for your interview has been generated.
11. You can now print a Receipt or an Acknowledgement Slip by using the buttons on this page. (You will need them for your interview).
12. You will be presented with your NIS e-receipt or Acknowledgement Slip in a new window. Click on ‘Print” button to send a copy to the printer.
13. Proceed for Interview with relevant documents.

REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW ECOWAS RESIDENCE CARD

The documents required for new ECOWAS Permits in Nigeria differ depending on the type of applicant. 

1. For Individuals:
   1. Valid ECOWAS Travel Certificate or International Passport;
   2. Photocopy of Bio-data and Information page of Passport;
   3. 2 copies of applicant’s recent passport photograph;
   4. Evidence of e-Payment i.e. Printed Payment Confirmation Page;
   5. Duly completed and signed Application Form;
   6. Letter of Employment;
   7. Letter of Acceptance of employment;
   8. Letter from Employer accepting immigration responsibilities;
   9. Applicant’s Credentials/ CV where applicable; and
   10. Copy of ECOWAS Registration Certificate from LGA of Applicant’s domicile.

2. For Business owners:
   1. Valid ECOWAS Travel Certificate or International Passport;
   2. Photocopy of Bio-data and Information page of Passport;
   3. 2 copies of applicant’s recent passport photograph;
   4. Evidence of e-Payment i.e. printed payment confirmation page;
   5. Duly completed and signed Application Form;
   6. Letter from Employer accepting immigration responsibilities;
   7. Applicant’s Credentials/ CV where applicable;
   8. Evidence of Lease/ Ownership of business premises;
   9. Certificate of Incorporation of business name with Corporate Affairs Commission;
   10. Copy of COT form;
   11. Tax Clearance Certificate; and
   12. Evidence of Capital Importation (where applicable).

• Renewal of ECOWAS Residence Permit

An ECOWAS citizen who desires to renew his permit simply needs to provide the following documents:

1. Photocopy of Bio-data and Information page of passport;
2. Two (2) copies of applicant’s recent passport photograph;
3. Evidence of e-Payment i.e. printed Payment Confirmation Page
4. Duly completed and signed Application Form.

WORK PERMIT IN NIGERIA

The ECOWAS Residence Card when issued by the Nigerian Immigration is valid for work in Nigeria and definitely serves as prove of residence in Nigeria.