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The short answer
The quickest clean route is to pay the hospital's own naira account by bank transfer, using the invoice or patient number as the reference, after the billing office has sent you an itemised bill. In an emergency the hospital cannot lawfully refuse treatment while you arrange money: the National Health Act 2014, s.20(1), says no one may be refused emergency medical treatment for any reason.
First call: what to ask the billing office
When a parent or sibling is admitted in Lagos, Enugu or Benin and you are in Rome or Brescia, the temptation is to send money to whoever is at the bedside. That is the slowest way to get a clean record and the easiest way for money to go astray. Ask the relative to put you in touch with the hospital's billing or accounts office directly, by phone or WhatsApp, and ask for four things before you pay anything.
- An itemised estimate or interim bill on the hospital's letterhead, with the patient's full name and hospital number.
- The hospital's own bank account details: account name (it should be the hospital or its owning company, not a staff member), bank and NUBAN account number.
- The reference they want on the transfer (usually the patient or invoice number).
- The name and number of the person who will confirm receipt and issue the receipt.
If the account name on the details is a person rather than the hospital, ask why before paying. Many private clinics do collect through a director's account, but a hospital receipt in the hospital's name is what protects you if there is later a dispute about what was paid.
Emergencies: treatment comes before the deposit
Families abroad often hear that a hospital wants a deposit before it will start treatment. Nigerian law says otherwise for emergencies. Section 20(1) of the National Health Act 2014 provides that a health care provider or establishment shall not refuse a person emergency medical treatment for any reason, and s.20(2) makes refusal an offence punishable by a fine of ₦100,000, up to six months' imprisonment, or both. For gunshot wounds, the Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshot Act 2017 requires hospitals to treat with or without police clearance and with or without an initial deposit.
In Lagos, the state's health insurance order of July 2024 also says emergencies are treated without proof of insurance, according to KPMG's summary of the order. None of this makes the care free; the bill still comes. It means your relative should not be turned away while you arrange the transfer, and the family on the ground can say so politely if pressed.
Ways to move the money from Italy
The hospital wants naira in a Nigerian account. From Italy you have three broad routes, and each has the same cost parts: a transfer fee, the exchange margin (the gap between the rate you get and the mid-market rate), the time to arrive, and any limit on how much you can send at once.
| Route | How it reaches the hospital | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Money transfer app or agent | Pays naira into the hospital's Nigerian account | Fee and rate shown before you confirm; per-transfer limits for large bills |
| Italian bank bonifico estero (SWIFT) | Euros sent abroad and converted along the way | Your bank's fee, any intermediary deductions, and who converts |
| Naira you already hold in Nigeria | Local transfer from a Nigerian account | That the account is active and your BVN details are in order |
For large bills, check the per-transfer and daily limits of the route you choose before the hospital's deadline, not after. Some providers hold big first transfers for checks, which can cost a day. Our guides to sending money from Italy to Nigeria and getting money home the same day go through the costs route by route.
Worked example (illustrative figures only)
Suppose the hospital's interim bill is ₦1,500,000 and a second bill of ₦600,000 is expected on discharge. Sending ₦2,100,000 in one go to a relative feels simpler, but if the discharge bill comes in at ₦450,000 you have ₦150,000 sitting with someone else and no hospital receipt for it. Paying ₦1,500,000 now and ₦450,000 at discharge, each straight to the hospital's account, gives you two receipts that add up to exactly ₦1,950,000.
Getting an itemised receipt you can rely on
A transfer confirmation shows that money left your account. It does not show what it paid for. Ask the billing office for an itemised receipt that shows:
- patient's name and hospital number, and the dates of admission;
- each item: consultation, ward or bed days, drugs, laboratory tests, procedures, consumables;
- the amount you paid, the date, and how (bank transfer, with your reference);
- any balance still owing or any refund due;
- a name, signature or stamp from the accounts office.
Keep the bill, the receipt and your transfer confirmation together. If the patient has an HMO plan, the itemised bill is also what the HMO will look at when deciding what it covers; see our guide to health insurance for parents in Nigeria.
What to check first
- Is the account in the hospital's name? If not, get the reason in writing.
- Does the bill have the patient's hospital number on it?
- Has anyone else in the family already paid part of it? Agree one payer for each bill.
- Is the patient covered by an HMO or a state scheme (for example Ilera Eko in Lagos)? Ask the hospital to bill the scheme first.
- Is there a deadline, and can your chosen route meet it?
Where Pryme fits
With a Pryme account opened from Italy you can hold euros, convert to naira with Swap when you choose, and send to the hospital's Nigerian account; the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve. Naira deposits are held by a licensed Nigerian microfinance bank. You can also produce a verifiable receipt of the payment through our partner VerifyDoc.ai, which anyone, including the hospital, can check is genuine and unaltered.
Questions people ask
Can a Nigerian hospital refuse treatment until I send a deposit?
Not for emergencies. The National Health Act 2014, s.20(1), says no one may be refused emergency medical treatment for any reason. The bill is still payable afterwards.
Should I send the hospital money to my sibling or to the hospital?
To the hospital's own account where you can, with the patient's number as reference. You then get a receipt in the hospital's name for exactly what was paid.
How do I get a breakdown of a hospital bill in Nigeria?
Ask the accounts office for an itemised bill on letterhead listing consultation, bed days, drugs, tests and procedures, with the patient's hospital number.
How fast can I pay a Lagos hospital from Italy?
It depends on the route and its checks. Look at the arrival time and limits your provider shows before you confirm, and pay well before the hospital's deadline.
Sources
- Abuja one-chance victim: what does the law say about police report (National Health Act s.20) · accessed Oct 2026
- Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshot Act 2017: things to note · accessed Oct 2026
- KPMG: Lagos State Government issues Executive Order on health insurance (Aug 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.