China visa centre Lagos: everything you need to know

The China visa centre in Lagos moved to Purple Mall, Lekki in March 2026. The address, the hours, applying online first, and why it takes debit cards only.

Important: ChinaBridge is a private Nigerian company, not the Chinese Embassy, Visa Application Service Centre, or any government agency. We simply help you prepare and review your application. You submit it yourself and pay official fees directly to the Centre. No agent can approve or guarantee a visa.

The China Visa Application Centre in Lagos has moved.

If you are still using an old address from a blog, WhatsApp message or previous application, check it before leaving home.

Since 16 March 2026, the Lagos China Visa Application Centre has operated from:

3rd Floor, Purple Mall, Freedom Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

The Chinese Consulate-General published the relocation notice and said the move took effect immediately.

China Visa Centre Lagos address #

China Visa Application Centre

3rd Floor, Purple Mall
Freedom Way
Lekki Phase 1
Lagos, Nigeria

The centre’s current contact page gives the postcode as:

106104, Lagos.

Do not go to the old Manor House address.

The centre itself says it relocated from The Manor House to Purple Mall effective 16 March 2026.

Lagos visa centre opening hours #

The current CVASC page lists:

Monday–Friday

excluding weekends and public holidays.

Application submission: 9:00am–3:00pm

Passport collection: 9:00am–4:00pm.

Check the centre’s current holiday notice before travelling.

China and Nigerian public holidays can both affect opening days.

Lagos visa centre contact details #

The live Visa Application Centre contact page currently lists:

Telephone: +234 807 119 1134

Email: lagoscentre@visaforchina.org.

There is one small complication.

The Chinese Consulate-General’s March 2026 relocation notice lists a different helpline:

+234 807 989 0023.

So if one number does not connect, try the other.

The email address is consistent across the official sources.

Lagos or Abuja? #

The official China Visa Application Service Centre system currently operates Nigerian centres in:

Lagos

and:

Abuja.

The Abuja centre handles the same ordinary-passport visa process from its Abuja location.

If Lagos is not practical for you, read our China visa centre in Abuja guide.

Do you just walk into the Lagos centre? #

No.

The process is now online first.

China introduced online visa applications in Nigeria from 28 April 2025.

You first:

1. create an online account
2. complete the application
3. upload the supporting documents
4. submit the file for preliminary review
5. monitor the application status

Only after the application reaches the passport-submission stage do you go to the Visa Application Centre.

This saves many applicants from travelling across Lagos only to discover that a document is missing.

What status are you waiting for? #

The official Lagos guidance says to wait until the online application changes to:

“Passport to be submitted.”

At that stage, you take the required documents and passport to the centre for the offline part of the process.

The Visa Centre also says applicants receive a Visa Application Certificate after the online review is approved and should print it for passport submission.

Do not travel to Lekki simply because you finished filling the form.

Wait for the system to tell you the passport is required.

Use the Visa Application Centre website, not an old COVA link #

Older China visa instructions frequently refer to the standalone COVA system.

The current Nigeria process directs ordinary-passport applicants through the China Visa Application Service Centre website, where the form and supporting documents are submitted online.

The Lagos Consulate’s April 2025 notice directs applicants to the official Lagos Visa Application Centre application portal.

Visa websites attract fake copies.

The safest route is:

Chinese Consulate/Embassy page → official Visa Application Centre link → application.

Do not Google:

“China visa form Nigeria”

and upload your passport to the first website that appears.

Our China visa application form guide walks through the form.

What happens after the online review? #

Once the online stage is approved, you proceed to the centre with:

passport + required documents + Visa Application Certificate.

The application then moves into the consular processing stage.

The original online application cannot simply be edited after final submission unless the system sends it back for correction, so check your information carefully before clicking submit.

The centre’s step-by-step guide specifically warns that once the application is submitted, normal edits are no longer available unless correction is requested during review.

Do you still need fingerprints in 2026? #

Most short-term travellers currently do not.

China has temporarily exempted applicants whose intended stay is 180 days or less from fingerprint collection until:

31 December 2026.

The exemption covers ordinary short-term visas, including the normal M business visa used by traders.

Fingerprints are still required for applicants who will normally obtain residence permits after entering China, including:

• D
• J
• Q1
• S1
• X1
• Z visas.

So a Nigerian travelling for:

Canton Fair

supplier meetings

or:

factory visits

will normally fall within the short-term exemption if the stay is 180 days or less.

Do you still need to go to the centre? #

Plan on it.

The online process does not mean:

“Everything is now done from home.”

The Lagos online-process guidance still requires applicants to submit the passport and physical materials at the Visa Application Centre once instructed.

If you intend to use a representative or visa agent, confirm what the centre currently permits for your specific case.

Do not assume an agent can replace every part of the process.

Use our China visa agent in Nigeria guide before paying anyone.

How much is the visa fee? #

China’s reduced Nigerian visa-fee schedule remains in force until:

31 December 2026.

Current consular fees are:

Single entry: ₦10,500

Double entry: ₦15,750

Six-month multiple entry: ₦21,000

One-year multiple entry: ₦31,500.

But that is not your full cost.

The Visa Centre also charges a service fee #

The Lagos Visa Application Centre currently publishes a regular service fee of:

₦74,500 including tax.

That is separate from the Embassy visa fee.

So for a normal Nigerian single-entry application, the basic published figures are:

Visa fee: ₦10,500

Regular centre service fee: ₦74,500

Total before optional extras: ₦85,000

The centre’s own step-by-step application guide displays the same ₦85,000 combined total for a regular Nigerian single-entry example.

Optional services can cost more.

Do not confuse the service fee with VIP services #

The centre also offers optional services such as:

• VIP lounge
• prime-time submission
• form-filling support
• courier/passport delivery

The current Lagos page lists these optional packages at ₦74,500 each in the examples shown.

You do not need a VIP package simply to make a normal application.

The normal Visa Centre service fee is already part of the standard process.

How should you pay? #

This is one area where the Visa Centre’s current published pages are not completely consistent.

The Lagos online application guide shows offline payment at the centre after online submission.

Some Visa Centre pages for different services display different payment-method wording.

So do not build the trip around:

“cash only”

or:

“debit card only”

without checking.

Contact the Lagos centre before travelling and ask:

“Which payment methods are currently accepted for an ordinary China visa application?”

Then take a backup payment option if possible.

Whatever you pay, collect the official receipt.

How long does a China visa take in Lagos? #

The current Nigeria visa guidelines state:

Regular processing: 4 working days

Express processing: 3 working days.

But that clock is not the whole application.

You have:

online review first

then:

passport submission

then:

visa processing.

The Lagos online-process notice also makes clear that choosing Express does not speed up the preliminary online review.

It only accelerates processing after the online review is approved and the physical documents are submitted.

And a consular officer can still extend the processing time if more documents or additional review are required.

So do not book your visa process around exactly four days.

Does express service exist? #

Yes.

The Nigeria online-application FAQ explicitly says applicants may select:

Regular

or:

Express

processing.

Express attracts an additional service charge.

The Lagos centre’s published fee notice lists higher service fees for expedited service levels.

But availability can still depend on the visa type, applicant and current centre instructions.

If your trip is urgent, confirm availability with the centre before paying for a flight you cannot change.

Canton Fair applicants should apply early #

The Visa Application Centre has a dedicated 2026 process for the 140th Canton Fair.

For Lagos, online Canton Fair applications opened in September 2026 ahead of the October session.

Do not wait until the week before your phase.

Remember that the Fair starts:

Phase 1: 15 October

Phase 2: 23 October

Phase 3: 31 October.

You need time for:

online review + corrections + passport submission + consular processing + collection.

Our how long China visa takes in Nigeria guide covers the timing properly.

What should you take to Purple Mall? #

For a normal M business-visa application, your exact list depends on the online approval and your circumstances.

But before leaving home, check that you have:

PASSPORT

✓ At least six months validity?

✓ Blank visa pages?

ONLINE APPLICATION

✓ Preliminary review completed?

✓ Status says passport should be submitted?

✓ Visa Application Certificate printed?

PHOTO

✓ Correct China visa photograph?

INVITATION

✓ Correct invitation documents?

✓ Signed/sealed where required?

FINANCE

✓ Six months of applicant/company bank statements?

TRAVEL

✓ Paid flight booking?

✓ Hotel booking?

✓ Dates consistent?

PAYMENT

✓ Current payment method confirmed?

✓ Enough money for visa fee + service fee?

That is a much better checklist than arriving with a folder full of documents the centre never asked for.

Keep the collection document safe #

When your passport is accepted, keep every collection document or receipt issued by the centre.

Passport collection operates between:

9:00am and 4:00pm

on normal working days.

If you use the centre’s optional courier service instead, confirm the terms and additional charge when submitting.

Do not trust an old Lagos visa-centre address #

This is the main reason this page exists.

The current address is:

3rd Floor, Purple Mall, Freedom Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

If an agent, blog or Google result sends you to:

The Manor House

the information is out of date.

Check the official centre page on the morning you travel.

The short answer #

For an ordinary China visa application in Lagos in 2026:

Apply online first.

Wait for:

“Passport to be submitted.”

Then go to:

3rd Floor, Purple Mall, Freedom Way, Lekki Phase 1.

Normal submission hours are:

9:00am–3:00pm.

Collection is:

9:00am–4:00pm.

For a Nigerian single-entry visa, the current published charges are:

₦10,500 Embassy visa fee

plus:

₦74,500 regular Visa Centre service fee

before optional services.

And most short-term applicants staying 180 days or less are currently exempt from fingerprint collection until 31 December 2026.

Before travelling, confirm:

address + opening day + payment method + your application status.

Then use our China visa documents checklist.

For the application itself, see China visa form guide.

And if Abuja is easier for you, use China visa centre in Abuja.

First published 23 Sep 2026. Last checked 27 Sep 2026 by The ChinaBridge desk. Something here out of date? Tell us in the comments and we will fix it.