WikiIndaba conference 2019/Travel Information and Visa Assistance

WIKI INDABA 2019	Program	Attend	Location	Fringe Events	Logistics	Contact	Documentation
	Submissions Program Questions & Needs	Registration Information Scholarships Participants' List Friendly Space Policy	Conference Venue and Hotel	Social Events Meetups	Travel Information and Visa Assistance Conference Guide	WikiIndaba 2019 team	Documentation Report

Visa information

Please check the here to find out whether you need a visa for travelling to Nigeria: Note that countries with zero cost for visa do not require visa to visit Nigeria.

Please note that the visa approval process can be long and time consuming. We recommend to register and get an appointment (if required, depends on country of origin) at the Nigerian embassy or consulate of your choice as early as possible. Moreover, please note that if you are transiting certain countries (e.g. United States, United Kingdom) en route to Abuja, you may also be required to apply for a transit visa.

Depending on your country of origin, you need to get an appointment at the Nigerian embassy or consulate. It is advisable to get one as soon as possible. We advise you to check the appointment availability now, as in some countries longer waiting times and scarcity of appointment options are likely. We recommend you to submit the visa application 6-8 weeks before the conference. We kindly ask you to make sure to obtain your visa by 25 October 2019. In case that it is absolutely not possible for you to keep this deadline, it is essential to inform us via indabawikimedia.org.ng and we will do our best to assist you.

We would also like to highlight that you need to have a passport that is at least valid for six months beyond the period of your stay.

Visa assistance from Wikimedia Nigeria

Once registered, the orgnaizers will send you all the necessary documents. After you have successfully completed the visa application process, please inform us via indabawikimedia.org.ng

We will assist you with your visa application and will provide the following documents:

Letter of invitation.
Flight Itinerary.
Hotel Booking Confirmation.
Copy of Wikimedia Nigeria registration certificate (Corporate Affairs Commission Certificate).
Copy of the identity card from Wikimedia Nigeria's chairman.

The documents will be sent to you via email. Please print these documents and bring them along to your appointment at the embassy/consulate.

Furthermore you will need the following:

Documents to include in your application for the conference participation

Your valid international passport
A copy of your international passport.
Two passport photographs that are no more than six months old.
A letter of introduction from you.
Visa application form.
Documents to prove residence in your country of residence and current occupation.
Bank account or credit card statement.

Please note that this is just a compilation of the most common documents that need to be provided by visa applicants. The full set of required documents majorly depends on the country of origin. Please check this in advance on the website of the consulate/embassy.

Interviews at the embassy/consulate

In some countries a personal visit and interview at the embassy/consulate for visa processing is required. Below is a list with the most commonly asked questions in such an interview. We advise you to prepare for these questions in order to be able to give satisfactory answers.

Where are you going?
Have you been there before?
What are you going to do there? What is the purpose of the trip?
What kind of event is it that you will attend?
How long will you stay?
What is your organization? What does it do?
What is Wikimedia? How are you involved with Wikipedia/Wikimedia?
What is your relation to Wikimedia Nigeria?
Who is paying for your trip?
Why should you be permitted to go?
What is the purpose of the conference?
How were you selected to attend the conference?
What is your profession?
What do your family members do?

Checklist for Non-Nigerian participants

	To do
1.	Check whether you need a visit visa to Nigeria.
2.	Check whether you need a transit visa.
3.	Check validity of your passport (must be valid at least six months beyond the period of your stay).
4.	Check whether you need to make an appointment with the nearest Nigerian embassy/consulate and make an appointment straight away in case it is necessary.
5.	Check which other documents are required (e.g. birth and marriage certificate, copy of your passport, biometric photo etc).
6.	Collect all the required documents and submit the visa application as soon as you have received confirmation about attendance, the latest by 6-8 weeks before the conference.
7.	Prepare for the interview at the embassy/consulate in case that one is required.