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The short answer
Your parent applies in Nigeria with a DHA-84 form, three months of their own bank statements, bookings and a Port Health yellow fever card. As host you add an invitation letter with your address and phone number, a utility bill, a certified copy of your ID (or passport and permit) and three months of bank statements signed and stamped by your bank, per the High Commission's current checklist.
When a Nigerian living in South Africa invites a mother or father to visit, the visa application is made by the parent in Nigeria, through the South African High Commission's visa centre, but much of the paperwork comes from you. The parent shows their own finances and travel plans; you, as host, show where they will stay, who you are and that you can support the visit. This guide sets out what the High Commission's own checklist asks for, what it leaves unsaid, and how to put your part together so it reads clearly to the officer.
What the parent submits
The most recent visitor's visa checklist we found for Nigeria is a High Commission document published through VFS Global with "Abuja Dec 2025" in its file name (the document itself is undated). For every visitor's visa it lists:
- A completed DHA-84 form, in black ink.
- Two identical passport photos, 35mm x 45mm, white background, full face.
- A passport valid for at least 30 days beyond the intended stay, plus copies of the data page and of current and previous visas.
- A self-introduction letter with the applicant's physical address and phone number.
- An employer letter where applicable, physically signed with a stamp or seal.
- A verifiable flight booking, and verifiable hotel bookings made directly with the hotel where the visitor will use one.
- A yellow fever card issued by Port Health, with the full details the checklist lists (vaccine batch, centre stamp, validity).
- Three months of recent bank statements; for private travel the checklist says they should show salary deposits.
- The non-refundable visa fee, which the checklist gives as ₦10,400, excluding the visa centre's service fee.
A retired parent will not have salary deposits. The checklist does not say what a pensioner should show instead, so send what demonstrates regular income: pension credits on the statement, rent received, or business takings, with a short explanation in the self-introduction letter.
What you, the host, must provide
For visits to friends or family, the same checklist adds four items that come from the person in South Africa:
| Item | What the checklist says | Practical point |
|---|---|---|
| Invitation letter | From the person living in South Africa, with physical address and phone number | Name each parent as in their passport, give the dates, your relationship and who pays for what |
| Proof of residence | A utility bill (water or electricity) | If the bill is in a landlord's name, add your lease |
| Host's ID | Certified copy of the host's ID; a foreign national host gives a passport copy and residence permit | Make sure the permit is valid for the whole visit |
| Host's bank statement | Three months, signed and stamped by the bank | An earlier version of the checklist asked for six months, so check the current list before you print |
What the invitation letter should say
The checklist only requires the host's address and phone number in the letter. Officers read it alongside the bank statements, so it helps to be specific. A clear letter covers:
- Your full name, nationality, South African permit type and number, address and phone number.
- Each parent's full name, date of birth and passport number, and your relationship to them.
- Arrival and departure dates and the reason (for example, the birth of a grandchild, a graduation, a family holiday).
- Where they will stay (your address) and that you will cover accommodation, local transport and meals, if you will.
- Whether you are paying for flights or medical cover, and that they will return to Nigeria at the end of the visit.
- Your signature and date.
Showing financial means without confusing the officer
The checklist does not set a minimum balance for the visitor or the host. What the officer is weighing is whether the trip is affordable and whether the visitor has reasons to return. Large unexplained deposits shortly before the application tend to raise questions rather than answer them. If you send money to your parents so the trip shows on their statement, the transfer will appear as a one-off credit; it is better to say plainly in your letter that you are sponsoring the trip and let your own statement carry the weight.
Example (illustrative only): a host in Pretoria invites both parents for three weeks. Return flights are booked and paid by the host; the parents stay in the host's flat. The pack includes the host's invitation letter, lease and electricity bill, certified passport and permit copies, three stamped months of the host's statements, and each parent's own three months of statements showing pension credits, with a note that the host is covering costs.
What to check first
- Download the current visitor's checklist from the VFS Global South Africa Nigeria page and compare it with this list.
- Check that your own South African permit is valid beyond the visit end date.
- Ask your bank for statements signed and stamped by the branch, not just downloaded.
- Get the yellow fever cards from Port Health in good time; the checklist says only Port Health cards are accepted.
- If a parent is coming for medical treatment, use the medical section of the checklist instead; treatment over 90 days needs a different visa.
Budgeting for the visit itself and for care at home while you plan it is covered in monthly support for parents in Nigeria from South Africa, and cover for when they are back home in health insurance for parents in Nigeria.
Where Pryme fits
If you pay for flights or a deposit in naira from Johannesburg, a Pryme account lets you hold naira alongside other currencies, and verifiable receipts through VerifyDoc.ai give you a record of what you paid that you can keep with the application. The app shows the rate and the fee before you approve.
Questions people ask
Is there a minimum amount my parents must have in the bank for a South Africa visa?
The High Commission's Nigeria checklist does not state a minimum. It asks for three months of recent statements and, for family visits, three months of the host's stamped statements. The officer judges whether the trip is affordable as a whole.
Can I sponsor my parents' South Africa visa if I am on a work or critical skills visa?
The checklist allows a foreign national host: you give a copy of your passport and residence permit instead of a South African ID. Make sure the permit is valid for the whole visit.
How many months of bank statements does the host need?
The newer checklist says three months, signed and stamped by the bank. An older version said six, so check the current list on the VFS Global site before you print.
What is the South Africa visa fee for Nigerians?
The newer High Commission checklist gives a non-refundable ₦10,400, excluding the service fee; an older version gave ₦8,600. Check the current fee when booking.
Sources
- South African High Commission, Nigeria: Visitor's visa checklist (Abuja, Dec 2025 file, via VFS Global) · accessed Oct 2026
- South African High Commission, Nigeria: general visitor's visa checklist (earlier version, via VFS Global) · accessed Oct 2026
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