How Much Does It Really Cost to Jakpa in 2025? Budget Breakdown for Nigerians

Travel Budget Breakdown for Nigerians in 2025

With a lot happening in Nigeria this days, from inflation to insecurity, down to low quality of lifestyle, a lot of people are seeking for means and routes to leave the country. And questions like where do I start, what do I need and how much will it cost in total to actualize these desires and dreams, are being asked.

All these question are valid and very realistic, especially for an average Nigerian, a novice starting completely afresh to travel abroad in 2025, with:

No international passport yet
No IELTS
No visa experience
Likely using mobile data to research
Considering either study or work relocation route
Possibly travelling alone or with family
Paying fully or hoping for sponsorship opportunities.

This article covers your questions with real figures, scenarios, and step-by-step budget. In general, how much you need to keep on ground before taking any action as a student, skilled worker, or family person looking to relocate.

Major Factors We Will be Covering in This Article:

Family size or traveling alone
Travel route (education or work)
Destination Country
Application format (Visa assistant agents or applied by yourself online)

1. For Yourself or Family (Miscellaneous Expenditures):

With in Nigeria and beyond traveling alone is much more easier and smother and can not be same as travelling with your family. Every expense you make will be double, lets say you are paying just 10,00 naira for your personal transport fare, with a family of 3 that would be 30,000 naira. So from acquiring your international passport to your visa applications and documentations, down to transportation for your visa interviews would cost you double if you are with family, keep your mind and pocket ready.

Here are the basic/general requirements you'll pay for a start:

International Passport (32 or 64 pages), 35,000 – 70,000 depending on the validity
passport photos 2,000 - 3,000, for applications and documentations
printing and scanning of document 5,000 - 10,000 at most
data and call cards 5,000 - 10,000 (for online research and calling of agents)
Translation of Documents, 50,000+
Embassy Travel (Lagos/Abuja), 50,000 – 150,000
Transit Visa (for stopovers), 30,000 – 70,000
Luggage and Essentials,100,000 – 200,000
Initial feeding, SIM, transport abroad, 100,000+
Notarization, Affidavits, 10,000 - 30,000

You would have to pay roughly 200,000 - 500,000 per person.

2. The Travel Route (Study or Work) You Will Be Taking:

There are a lot of means/route one can travel out the country in 2025, from student visa to work visa, down to tourist visa and more. Checkout for Best Visa Routes for Nigerians Ready to Travel to know the one that best suits you. In this article we will be looking at the major two "study and work route" because a lot of Nigerians travel through this route.

Option A: Study Route

Going through Study Route means you are applying mainly to go and study abroad, you can still choose to remain or stay longer than proposed if you get a job "that's in demand or offers visa sponsorship or support PR application" after studies. Some countries even offer a Post-Study Work Permit (e.g., UK gives 2 extra years after studies).

Lets look at some of the expenses you'll be making:

IELTS (Academic), about a 100,000 (optional for some schools and countries)
School Application Fees, 20,000 - 100,000 (depending on school and country)
Visa Application Fee, 300,000 - 700,000 (depending on country)
CV/Resumes and SOP, 10,000 - 30,000 (if you hired someone to write for you)
Proof of Funds, 5M - 15M (depending on country)
Police Clearance, 5,000 - 10,000
Flight Ticket, 1M - 2M (depending on country)
Tuition Fee, 5M - 15M (Deposit or in full)
Medical Clearance, 50,000 - 100,000
Accommodation, 300,000 -800,000 per month (depends on the country and if you are sharing a room)

Note: you will pay 11.3M max, except you badge a full sponsored scholarship that covers "flight ticket, tuition, cost for living" you wont be needing proof of funds and would paying about 300,000 only.

Option B: Work Route

The Work Route means you are applying to travel abroad to work, because you have gotten a job offer or you are applying directly for a work visa or permit.

Below are some of the expenses you'll be making:

IELTS, about a 100,000 (depends on country, visa type and the category of job)
Visa Application Fee, 300,000 - 900,000 (depends on country fee)
Proof of Funds, 10M - 15M (depends on country)
Police and Medical Clearance, about a 100,000
Flight Ticket, 1M - 3M (depends on the country)
ECA, about 100,000 (to evaluate your credentials, e.g degree result if equivalent to theirs)
Accommodation, 300,000 -800,000 per month (depends on country and if you are sharing a room)

Note: you will have to pay about 12M - 15M in total, except if you have a "visa sponsored job offer". Which can cover as far as flight and accommodation and most countries/embassy's wont demand for proof of funds, leaving you with a sum of 1M, if they do 11M.

3. The Destination Country:

The destination or country you choose to travel to matters a lot and have a huge effect on your budget, whether it is through a study or work route. They operate on different economic realities, some cost way higher than the others, for example countries like UK, USA, and Australia are way higher (in cost of living, accommodation, school fees) than the likes of Canada, UAE and France.

Country Cost Comparison

Country	Visa Fee	Flight Ticket	Cost of Living
UK	£524 - £776	₦1.6M+	₦500 - 700K	High cost of living & visa fee
Canada	CAD 150 - 155	₦800K+	₦400 - 600K	Moderate cost of living
USA	$185 - $580	₦1.3M+	₦500 - 800K	Very Competitive
UAE	AED 1,500–3,500	₦350 - 600K	₦250 - 400K	Affordable

Note: While countries like the UK, USA, and Australia have high cost of living and very expensive to relocate to, they are competitive and have, world class universities, high demand for workers, family-friendly support system, good salary structure, and one can get a PR after 5 years.

4. Application Format (Visa Agent or Online Application):

While self-processing is cheaper (you dont have to pay agents), you are in full control (know the exact step you are in at every moment), you receive real emails from embassy, and you wont fall victim to fraudulent agents, it is also very stressful and time consuming. As such many Nigerians prefer to use the help of visa assistant agents. though they too have their own ups and downs,

With the help of visa assistant agent/agency, the entire application process will be convenient, saves time, professional support and some time faster result. But you can also fall victim to scammers if not careful, high agency fees (300K - 1M), no transparency or guaranty of success.

Note: If you must use a visa assistant agent/agency, check if they are registered and are licensed body, check their track records (peoples review on or offline), their success rates, and always request for all login details and receipt for every transaction (if possible carry a third party along while working with them).

Your Total Budget Estimate to Travel Out in 2025 As A Nigerian:

After breaking down the expenses that would be made in four categories, the sum total is:

Travel Routes	Alone	Family (2 dependent)
Study route	1.5M (if sponsored) - 15M	5M - 20M
Work route	2M (if sponsored) - 20M	8M - 25M

Note: what made the amount skyrocket is the proof of funds that are usually very high and flight ticket.

Inconclusion, ask yourself important questions, as to why you want to travel out, do you intend going alone or with your family, what do you have to offer (skill or certification), do you want to just go and study/work or you plan on settling and gaining permanent residency? This questions will help you plan better, follow the best routes/visa, apply for sponsored jobs and opportunities, choose family/budget friendly countries, and in general give you a clear purpose and direction every step of the way.

Bonus Tips:

make your decisions on time
Be budget realistic (know and go with what/country you can afford)
Always confirm what is and isn't in every document and contract (admission or job offers)
Avoid agents who promise quick and cheap services (they are usually scammers)
Count the long-term cost before any financial decisions be it getting a loan or selling properties

Jakpa isn't all about leaving, it is about planning for a future (both yours and family), arriving prepared (mentally & financially etc), surviving smartly, and settling in smoothly.

I will always leave you with this last word, Jakpa with Sense.... Don't Rush....