Nigerian visitors still need passports, Cyril Ramaphosa clarifies

The presidency has clarified a misunderstanding about Nigerian citizens being eligible to apply for a visa to enter SA without a passport, explaining that applicants would be required to submit a certified copy instead.

President Cyril Ramaphosa gave the opening remarks at the SA-Nigeria binational commission on Tuesday about the simplified visa process for Nigerian nationals.

He had expressed his desire to see more Nigerian products on SA shelves and, to facilitate that, Ramaphosa said qualifying Nigerian businesses would be granted a five-year, multiple-entry visa to make trade easier.

In addition, Nigerian tourists would now be able to apply for a visa without submitting a passport, Ramaphosa said.

While his remarks sparked outrage on social media, with some calling for Ramaphosa’s removal, the presidency said there seemed to be a misunderstanding of Ramaphosa’s remarks.

“Prospective travellers can apply for their visas without submitting their passports along with their applications. At the time of application, they are only required to submit certified copies of the bio-page of their passports and their actual passports should also be availed during the application process for verification,” said presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.

Once a visa has been approved, the applicant will be required to submit their passport for the process to be finalised and for the visa to be affixed to the passport, he said.

“These changes have improved the customer experience while ensuring the security and integrity of the overall visa application process. As part of the work under way to modernise and streamline visa application processes worldwide, SA missions in Nigeria have improved the efficiency and convenience of applying for a visa,” Magwenya said.

“This is part of the visa reforms initiated by the government to enable economic activities and boost tourism while protecting our national security. The modernisation of the visa application process does not compromise the integrity of the visa system.”

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