Moving to Italy from Nigeria
Quick answer
Nigerian citizens need a Schengen (type C) visa even for a short visit to Italy. To live in Italy they need a national (type D) visa, which is a different application from the short-stay visa, then a permesso di soggiorno within 8 working days of arriving. In addition, documents issued in Nigeria generally need full consular legalization plus an official Italian translation.
As a Nigerian citizen you need a Schengen visa even to visit Italy, and a separate national (type D) visa to live there. Once in Italy you have 8 working days to start your permesso di soggiorno, and your civil documents must be legalized for Italian use. Approdo builds your exact checklist and pre-fills the forms.
- ✓Short-stay visa vs national visa — which one you actually need
- ✓The 8-working-day permesso deadline, counted for you
- ✓Codice fiscale, residenza and tessera sanitaria, in order
Frequently asked questions
Do Nigerian citizens need a visa to move to Italy?+
Yes, and for two separate things. Nigeria is on Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, so you need a Schengen (type C) visa even for a short visit. To live in Italy you need a different document: a national (type D) visa, applied for at an Italian consulate before you travel. A short-stay visa cannot be converted into the right to live in Italy — check your own case on the Italian foreign ministry's official visa tool at vistoperitalia.esteri.it.
How do I legalize my documents from Nigeria for use in Italy?+
Nigeria is not a contracting party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so civil-status documents issued there generally need full legalization by the Italian consulate, plus an official Italian translation. This takes longer than an Apostille and is done before you travel. Confirm the exact procedure with the Italian consulate covering your area.
What is the most common way to move to Italy from Nigeria?+
Most people moving from Nigeria use the work, study or family-reunification routes, each with its own documents and its own permesso di soggiorno category. Approdo builds the checklist around your specific situation once you enter your visa type.
What do I do after arriving in Italy from Nigeria?+
Apply for your permesso di soggiorno within 8 working days, then get your codice fiscale, open a bank account, register your residenza at the comune, put the utilities in your name, and enrol in the health service. Approdo lists them in the right order with the forms pre-filled.
The steps in detail
Each of these is a full guide: what it is, what you need, how long it takes and what it costs.
- Permesso di soggiorno: the 8-working-day rule
- Codice fiscale: what it is and how to get one
- Residenza in Italy: registering with your comune
- Health insurance for an Italian visa and permesso di soggiorno
- Opening a bank account in Italy as a foreigner
- Voltura, subentro or allaccio: putting utilities in your name
Other places and situations
Approdo provides information, not legal or tax advice. Where a step legally requires a professional, we say so and point you to one.