Niger visa and entry requirements

Niger's Foreign Ministry says all foreigners must present at the border a passport bearing a Nigerien visa, unless exempted by a bilateral or community agreement, and that the visa is in principle applied for at a Nigerien diplomatic or consular post where the applicant lives (exceptionally at the point of entry); it publishes no list of exempt nationalities. Niger's embassy in Turkey says a visa is mandatory to enter Niger except for nationals of the member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and of certain states with which Niger has agreements abolishing short-stay visas. The UK, Canadian and Australian governments say their citizens need a visa; Canada says to obtain it before travel. The UK and Canadian governments advise against all travel to Niger.

Every fact on this page verified on or after: Aug 26, 2026· How this site works

Check requirements for your passport

Requirements differ by nationality. Select your passport above, or scan the full table below.

Visas & entry authorisations

Entry requirements

Passport validity

The UK government tells British nationals their passport should be valid for the proposed duration of their stay, and that no additional period of validity is needed.

Vaccinations

Required
  • Yellow fever (International Certificate of Vaccination (yellow card)) — WHO's country list marks Niger as requiring proof of yellow fever vaccination from travellers aged 9 months and over arriving from any country.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: cdn.who.int (opens in a new tab) · International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36Compare every country: Vaccination certificates required at the border

Travel insurance

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states a travel-insurance requirement for visitors to Niger. The UK Foreign Office says medical facilities are poor, even in Niamey, that serious medical treatment would require evacuation to Europe, and advises adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds.

Verified Oct 4, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Onward or return ticket

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states an onward- or return-ticket requirement for Niger.

Proof of funds

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states a proof-of-funds requirement or amount for Niger.

Customs & currency

  • The UK Foreign Office says not to photograph military or government installations; Canada says photography of sensitive installations, including military sites and government buildings, is prohibited, and not to photograph political or student demonstrations or military personnel.

Yellow fever certificate

WHO's country list marks Niger as requiring proof of yellow fever vaccination from travellers aged 9 months and over arriving from any country.

Compiled Aug 26, 2026 · Source: cdn.who.int (opens in a new tab) · International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36

International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36 and Annex 7; WHO International Travel and Health, Annex 1, 18 November 2022 (revised 3 January 2023)

Country in a nutshell

Currency
CFA franc (XOF, FCFA)
Cards & payments
The UK Foreign Office says Niger is a cash-based society: credit cards are rarely accepted even in hotels and restaurants visited by international clients, and there are few ATMs.
Safety — High risk
The FCDO advises against all travel to Niger because of the rise of reported terrorist and criminal kidnappings of foreign nationals, says there is a very high threat of kidnapping throughout Niger, including Niamey, and that the political situation remains unstable following the July 2023 military coup. It says the government will only allow foreign nationals to travel outside Niamey with its permission and an escort of Nigerien security and military forces, and reports gunfire around the Presidential Palace and Niamey airport early on 29 August.Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab) · archived copy Jul 31, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Power plugs
A, B, C, D, E, F · 220V 50Hz
Emergency numbers
Police: 17 · Ambulance: 15 · Fire: 18
Time zone
UTC+1
International Driving Permit

Niger is a party to the 1949 Geneva and the 1968 Vienna Conventions on Road Traffic (UN Treaty Collection). The UK government says you can drive using a 1968 International Driving Permit (IDP) for up to 3 months; Canada's travel advice says you must carry an International Driving Permit along with your valid Canadian driver’s licence.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: treaties.un.org (opens in a new tab) · Convention on Road Traffic · archived copy Aug 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab) Compare every country
Tap water
not for drinking. Use bottled

Best time to visit

No official source we could read names a best time to visit Niger.

Tips & warnings

The UK and Canadian governments both advise against all travel to Niger.

Canada's travel advice says to avoid the regions bordering Mali and Burkina Faso, and the UK Foreign Office says banditry, smuggling and other criminal activity is common in border areas, particularly Maradi, Tillabéri and Diffa.

The UK Foreign Office says not to photograph military or government installations; Canada says photography of sensitive installations, including military sites and government buildings, is prohibited, says not to photograph political or student demonstrations or military personnel, and to always seek permission before photographing a person.

The UK Foreign Office says Niger is a cash-based society, credit cards are rarely accepted even in hotels and restaurants visited by international clients, and there are few ATMs.

Visa requirements by nationality

Visa requirements by nationality. Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.
PassportsVisas & entry authorisationsMax stay
AustraliaEmbassy visa—
BelgiumEmbassy visa—
BeninVisa-free—
Bosnia and HerzegovinaEmbassy visa—
Cabo VerdeVisa-free—
CanadaEmbassy visa—
ColombiaEmbassy visa—
Côte d'IvoireVisa-free—
CzechiaEmbassy visa—
EcuadorEmbassy visa—
FranceEmbassy visa—
GambiaVisa-free—
GhanaVisa-free—
GuineaVisa-free—
Guinea-BissauVisa-free—
HungaryEmbassy visa—
IrelandEmbassy visa—
ItalyEmbassy visa—
JamaicaEmbassy visa—
KazakhstanEmbassy visa—
LiberiaVisa-free—
MoldovaEmbassy visa—
NetherlandsEmbassy visa—
NigerFree movement—
NigeriaVisa-free—
PolandEmbassy visa—
PortugalEmbassy visa—
RussiaEmbassy visa—
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesEmbassy visa—
SenegalVisa-free—
SerbiaEmbassy visa—
SeychellesEmbassy visa—
Sierra LeoneVisa-free—
SingaporeEmbassy visa—
SloveniaEmbassy visa—
SpainEmbassy visa—
TaiwanEmbassy visa—
TajikistanEmbassy visa—
TogoVisa-free—
TurkeyEmbassy visa—
United KingdomEmbassy visa—

Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.

No official page we read states the rule for 158 nationalities, so the table leaves them out: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Comoros, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Korea, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of the Congo, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Algeria8 of 199 passports visa-freeLibya5 of 199 passports visa-free · 190 eVisa/ETAChad20 of 199 passports visa-free · 179 eVisa/ETANigeria15 of 199 passports visa-free · 182 eVisa/ETABenin54 of 199 passports visa-free · 145 eVisa/ETABurkina Faso13 of 199 passports visa-free · 173 eVisa/ETAMali15 of 199 passports visa-free

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Niger?

Niger's Foreign Ministry says all foreigners must present at the border a passport bearing a Nigerien visa unless a bilateral or community agreement exempts them; it publishes no list of exempt nationalities. The UK government says British nationals need a visa and can apply at the Nigerien embassy in Geneva, Canada says its citizens must obtain a visa before travel, and Australia says its citizens need a visa. Niger's embassy in Turkey says a visa is mandatory except for nationals of ECOWAS member states and of certain states with which Niger has agreements abolishing short-stay visas, and that the visa exemption agreement between Turkey and Niger covers holders of diplomatic, service and special passports. No official source we could read names the other states with such agreements.

Is it safe to travel to Niger right now?

The UK and Canadian governments both advise against all travel to Niger; Canada cites political instability and the risks of terrorism and kidnapping.

Did Niger's exit from ECOWAS end visa-free travel for West Africans?

The ECOWAS Commission says the citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger continue to enjoy, until further notice, the right of movement, residence and establishment without visas, in accordance with the organisation's protocols. Niger's embassy in Turkey says a visa is mandatory to enter Niger except for nationals of the member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and of certain states with which Niger has agreements abolishing short-stay visas.

Is yellow fever vaccination mandatory for Niger?

Yes. WHO's country list marks Niger as requiring proof of yellow fever vaccination from travellers aged 9 months and over arriving from any country, and the UK government says that to enter Niger you must have a certificate proving yellow fever vaccination.

Can French citizens get a visa for Niger?

France's Foreign Ministry says entry requires obtaining a visa beforehand and that no visa is issued on arrival at the airport. Niger's Foreign Ministry says foreigners need a Nigerien visa unless an agreement exempts them, applied for in principle at a Nigerien diplomatic or consular post.

Sources & verification

Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources:

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source