Nigeria Requires Visitors Provide 3-Day Old COVID Test Results

Passengers visiting Nigeria (including returnees and stranded Nigerians) are required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test result from an accredited lab within 3 days of the scheduled departure date. Give or take, test results shouldn’t be later than 72 hours to the intended travel date. Any test result dated more than 4 days to departure date will be rejected. Such bearer won’t be allowed to board.

Each passenger authorised to embark on a flight (return) to Nigeria are required to duly complete the Health Declaration or Self-Reporting and the Sample Collection Time Allocation paperwork. Too many forms? Never mind. These forms simply ascertain you’ll comply with quarantine protocols pending confirmation you’re COVID-19-free within 96 hours (preferably 72 hours) pre-boarding and 7 days after arrival in Nigeria. Passengers can access these forms from airlines at the airports or on NCDC onboarding page.

Information and contact details provided on the form(s) must be accurate and valid. Passengers must guarantee phone numbers and address supplied in respective forms are reachable. The Health Declaration Form will be assessed and collected along with the Sample Collection form, upon arrival in any of the Nigerian airports.

Passengers, upon arrival in Nigeria, shall queue in an orderly manner (maintaining social distancing). Disembarkation isn’t business as usual, where passengers will be jumping cabin or seat lines. There will be orderly disembarkation, done in batches to avoid overcrowding. Passengers shall proceed for health screening at the Point of Entry.

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Other important airport protocols include:
1. Keeping facemasks on at all times.
2. Perform hand hygiene.
3. Ensure respiratory / cough etiquette; cough into a tissue, sleeve/ bent elbow and discard used tissue safely into a bin.
4. Always observe and maintain physical distancing measures.

It’s recommended foreigners or returnees in either Lagos or Abuja airports self-isolate for 7-14 days (depending on the result of their COVID-19 PCR test done from the 7th day of arrival). They must remain in the City or State of their Point of Entry (usually Lagos or Abuja) throughout self-quarantine. Passengers, who aren’t resident in Lagos or Abuja, shall foot their accommodation bill.

The Federal Government has made it clear she won’t be “responsible for providing accommodation nor transportation to the place of abode”. She, also, wouldn’t foot the cost for a COVID-19 PCR test for any passenger.

Persons, unable to remain in Lagos or Abuja, throughout self-quarantine may re-locate to their respective states of residence ONLY after:

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1. They have had their samples collected and are NEGATIVE for COVID-19.
2. They have provided public health officials with a detailed and valid address and phone number through which they can be reached.

As part of preventive safety measures to curb the spread of Coronavirus, the Lagos and Abuja international airports run temperature screenings upon arrival and departure. Travellers, who have a temperature greater than 38 Celsius / 100.4 Fahrenheit will have a second screening. Travellers, at this second screening, undergo further checks for COVID-19 symptoms and other health conditions.

Passengers arriving Nigeria from abroad get an appointment time and date to return to the Sample Collection Centres (in Lagos or Abuja) for a repeat COVID-19 PCR test. The government, understandably, would ONLY recommend a two-test scheme as the most effective option. This has so much to do with the risk of missing cases where people receive a single test on the first day of infection.

Get an “Access Report” containing a QR Code from the Nigeria International Travel Portal. Print or download it and present at boarding. There’s the option of paying for the repeat PCR test on arrival in Nigeria.

Passengers arriving Lagos or Abuja international airports are required to undergo clearance via the Nigeria Immigration System’s Migrants Identification Data Analysis System (MIDAS). Passengers biodata page will be forwarded to the all COVID-19 PCR Sample Collection Centres for proper identification. Their passports will not be retained.

You’re expected to have completed the required 7-day self-quarantine protocol before you can rejoin the society. There will be exit interviews.

Children under the age of 10 are exempt from providing a negative COVID-19 PCR test result before travelling out of the country.