Nigeria, or the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is made up of 36 different states, along with Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. Located on the western coast of Africa, Nigeria borders Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and the Republic of Benin. The largest city in the country is Lagos with a population of around 8 million, followed by Kano and Ibadan.
If you are planning to ship to Nigeria, there are several different shipping ports in the country. Nigeria’s coastal waterways include the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Guinea. Some of the shipping ports in Nigeria include the Port of Apapa, Port Harcourt, Port of Onne, Port of Pennington, and Port of Calabar.
If you need to ship internationally to Nigeria, there are some important documents you need to have in order. You will need the following before international shipping to Nigeria:
- passport (original)
- Visa
- Work permit (if applicable)
- residence permit
- Certificate of Change of Residence
- Declaration of unaccompanied baggage for customs and excise duties
- Sales Form 48
- shipping inventory
- The PUBD form must be completed after the client arrives in Nigeria
- Letter authorizing the destination agent to clear the shipment
When you ship to Nigeria, your cargo will be inspected during the customs clearance process. You should plan to be present for customs clearance if you are shipping to Nigeria. Additionally, you will need to obtain a personal bank account while in Nigeria to apply for the required Form “M”.
Duty free shipping and shipping to Nigeria
When shipping to Nigeria, it’s helpful to note that used personal and household goods generally qualify for duty-free shipping to Nigeria.
To qualify for duty free shipping to Nigeria, your items must be unused and you must have owned them for at least 6 months prior to shipping. Also, items must be for your personal use and not for resale.
If you are a Nigerian citizen returning to the country and want to qualify for duty-free shipping to Nigeria, you must have been abroad outside the country for at least nine months.
It is also important that your shipment to Nigeria arrive within two months of arrival in the country.
Taxable and restricted items when shipping to Nigeria
Please note that you have to pay various fees to ship certain items to Nigeria. You can ship alcohol and tobacco products to Nigeria without an import permit if they are included as part of your household goods shipment. These items must be in a reasonable amount for personal use. In addition, you are expected to pay import duties on any alcohol and tobacco products.
You can also ship electrical appliances to Nigeria, but your quantity is limited. You can send one of each type of appliance to Nigeria.
Other items that are restricted or require specific import duties when shipping to Nigeria include the following:
- Fragrance
- jeweler’s
- All motion pictures, video tapes, video discs, compact discs, publications, audio tapes, and gramophone records
- computers
prohibited items when shipping to Nigeria
If you are shipping to Nigeria, there is a long list of items that are prohibited from entering the country. You are not allowed to send the following to Nigeria:
- air guns
- Air Mail Photo Printing Paper
- Counterfeit money of any kind
- Pearls composed of flammable celluloid or other similar substances
- blank bills
- Cars that are eight years old or older
- Coupons for foreign soccer pools or other betting arrangements
- cowries
- Exhausted tea or tea mixed with other substances. For the purposes of this article, “spent tea” means tea that has been deprived of its proper quality, strength, or virtue by steeping, brewing, or other means.
- Implements belonging to the reloading of cartridges
- Prints deemed indecent or obscene, or other items including paintings, books, cards, prints, or items of any kind deemed indecent
- handcuffs
- Matches made with white phosphorus
- Materials of any description with a design which, having regard to the purpose for which such material is intended to be used, is likely, in the opinion of the President, to create a disturbance of the peace or offend the religious views of any class of persons in Nigeria.
- Meat, vegetables or other provisions declared by a Nigerian health officer to be unfit for human consumption
- Piece goods and all other textiles, including clothing. Hardware of all kinds, earthenware and articles of earthenware or earthenware bearing inscriptions (whether in Roman or Arabic characters) of the Koran or traditions and commentaries on the Koran
- Guns disguised in any form
- second-hand clothes
- Silver or metal alloy coins are not legal tender in Nigeria
car shipping and RO – RO Shipping to Nigeria
If you are interested in shipping a vehicle to Nigeria, it must be for your personal use and not for resale or disposal.
It is not allowed to send vehicles eight years or older to Nigeria. You are also expected to pay duties when shipping a vehicle to Nigeria.
Documents required for shipping cars to Nigeria include the following:
- Proof of vehicle ownership
- Vehicle Registration Certificate or Original Vehicle Registration Book
- car insurance papers
- passport (original)
- invoice
- Road solvency certificate (if sending a used vehicle)
- Make, model and serial number of your vehicle
Bringing a pet to Nigeria
If you are moving abroad to Nigeria or returning to the country after being away for a while and are interested in bringing a pet, there are a few rules you need to be aware of beforehand.
Birds of the parrot family are not allowed to be brought into Nigeria. You must have a Certificate of Good Health for your pet. You will also need vaccination documentation and an import permit to bring your pet into Nigeria.
You must expect a quarantine period when bringing a pet to Nigeria.
A qualified shipping company can advise you of important customs rules and regulations if you are shipping to Nigeria or any other destination around the world. Working with an experienced shipping agency will make your experience with international shipping to Nigeria much easier.