Turkey Tour from Nigeria: Sefa Visa Steps, Flights and First Trips

Nigerians with ordinary passports need a sticker visa for Türkiye, and since 5 January 2026 every application goes through one authorised company, Sefa Visa, at its centre in Abuja's Central Business District or, since 1 June 2026, its office in Lekki, Lagos. There is no e-Visa route for Nigerian ordinary passports, so the visa comes first and everything else is planned around it. Once it is issued, Turkish Airlines flies to Istanbul from Lagos and Abuja, and a first trip usually means five to eight days in Istanbul and Cappadocia. Our Istanbul and Cappadocia 5-day package starts from $1,150 per person with domestic flights and a cave hotel.

This page puts the steps in the order Nigerian travellers actually need them: who needs a visa, where to apply, which documents to prepare, how to time the application against flights and bookings, and which tour lengths make sense for a first visit.

Who needs a visa: the rule for Nigerian passports

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye lists three cases for Nigeria.

• Ordinary passport: a visa is required. You apply for a sticker visa through Sefa Visa.
• Official or service passport: a visa is also required; check the procedure with the Turkish Embassy in Abuja.
• Diplomatic passport: no visa is needed for stays of up to 90 days.

Two points cause most of the confusion we hear from Nigerian clients.

• No e-Visa. Some nationalities can buy a Turkish e-Visa online if they already hold a US, UK, Schengen or Irish visa. The ministry's entry for Nigeria contains no such option. A website offering a Turkish e-Visa to a Nigerian ordinary passport is not an official channel.
• No visa on arrival. You cannot fly to Istanbul and get a visa at the airport. Airlines check for the visa at check-in in Lagos or Abuja.

The rules for other nationalities, and the warnings about fake visa websites, are on our Turkey visa requirements update.

Where to apply: Sefa Visa in Abuja and Lagos

The Turkish Embassy in Abuja announced that from 5 January 2026, Turkish visa applications must be submitted through the newly authorised company Sefa Visa. A second office opened in Lagos on 1 June 2026, so applicants in Lagos and the south-west no longer need to travel to Abuja to lodge their files.

Things worth knowing before you go:

• Only one provider. Apply only through Sefa Visa. Agents who claim to "fast-track" a Turkish visa through other routes are not recognised by the embassy.
• Fees. The visa fee and Sefa Visa's service charge are quoted when you book. We do not quote a figure here because the official schedule was not published in a form we could check.
• Updates. The embassy posts changes on its website, abuja-emb.mfa.gov.tr, and its social media. Check there before your appointment: the arrangement is new, and the January notice gave only a temporary phone number for the Abuja centre.

Documents to prepare before your appointment

Sefa Visa gives you the current checklist when you book, and it is the list that counts. Have these ready so nothing holds you up:

1. Passport. It must be valid for at least 60 days beyond the last day of your permitted stay; the ministry recommends six months from arrival. Make sure it has blank pages, and bring old passports if you have previous visas in them.
2. Photographs. Recent passport-size photos to the centre's specification.
3. Proof of funds. Recent bank statements in your name, or your sponsor's statements with a letter if someone else is paying.
4. Employment or business proof. A letter from your employer, or company registration documents if you run a business.
5. Accommodation. Hotel reservations or a tour confirmation covering every night.
6. Travel plan. A flight reservation and a day-by-day itinerary.
7. Travel health insurance covering your dates in Türkiye.

If you book a package with us, we send a written confirmation with your names, dates, hotels and the day-by-day programme. That is what any operator provides, and it is usually what visa officers want to see for the accommodation part. We do not issue invitation letters and cannot influence the decision; that rests with the Turkish mission.

Timing: what to book, and when

The safest order for a Nigerian traveller is reservations first, visa second, payment for flights third.

1. Choose dates with a margin. Pick travel dates at least several weeks ahead, and ask Sefa Visa for the current processing time when you book the appointment. December and the Easter and Sallah holidays are busy.
2. Reserve, do not buy. Reserve your package or hotels and hold a flight booking. Avoid non-refundable tickets until the visa is in your passport.
3. Apply. Lodge the file in Abuja or Lagos with the documents above.
4. Confirm and pay. When the visa is issued, buy the flights and confirm the tour.
5. Check the dates on the visa. Make sure your trip fits inside the validity and the number of days the visa allows.

If your dates move after the visa is issued, the tour can usually move with them; flights bought too early are the expensive part to change.

Flights from Lagos and Abuja

Turkish Airlines flies to Istanbul Airport from both Lagos and Abuja, which is the simplest way in for most Nigerian travellers. Connections through other hubs exist but add a stop and, in some cases, transit rules of their own.

On arrival at Istanbul Airport, the passport check for non-Turkish passports can take time when several long-haul flights land together. A private driver who waits in the arrivals hall takes the stress out of the last step. Our Istanbul airport private transfer page explains how pickup works; the VIP airport transfer starts from $60 per group.

For the trip to Cappadocia, our packages include the domestic flight from Istanbul. It is a short flight to Kayseri or Nevşehir, followed by a drive to the hotel.

Which tour suits a first visit

Most Nigerian travellers we host have five to eight days and want Istanbul plus one landscape. These are our real prices; packages are per person.

The 7-day package covers four regions by moving every day or two; it suits travellers who want to see as much as possible. The 6-day and 8-day Istanbul and Cappadocia trips suit couples, families and anyone who prefers fewer hotel changes.

For a step-by-step version of the classic route, see our Istanbul and Cappadocia itinerary for 5 days. For a longer trip, the 7-day Turkey itinerary and 10-day itinerary show how the coast fits in.

Money, shopping and getting around

• Currency. Day-to-day spending is in Turkish lira. Cards are widely accepted in Istanbul and Cappadocia; bring a card that works abroad and some US dollars or euros to change at an exchange office (döviz) in the city rather than at the airport.
• Prices in dollars or euros. Hotels, tours and packages are often priced in foreign currency. State museum tickets are set in euros and charged in lira at the day's rate; the Hagia Sophia galleries cost €25 for foreign visitors.
• Shopping. Many Nigerian travellers come with a shopping list: textiles, leather, home goods and gold. The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays, and the wholesale streets around it are busiest on weekday mornings. Our Grand Bazaar tour page explains how to shop there.
• Getting around Istanbul. Trams and ferries are cheap and frequent; a private car with a driver is easier with luggage, shopping or a family. The private car with driver page has the details.
• Safety. Istanbul is a large city with the usual city precautions. Our is Turkey safe to travel guide covers the practical points.

Tours that cover this

• Istanbul and Cappadocia tour package, 5 days with flights and cave hotel: from $1,150 per person.
• 7-day Turkey tour package: Pamukkale, Ephesus, Cappadocia and Istanbul: from $1,510 per person.
• Istanbul and Cappadocia tour package, 8 days: from $2,400 per person.
• Private Istanbul tour with a licensed guide, 1 to 3 days: from $199 per group.

Frequently Asked Questions