Software Engineer Moving to Germany from Nigeria

Get your NYSC discharge certificate (or exemption letter) authenticated at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja or through their Lagos office. Note: Nigeria is not a signatory to the Hague Apostille Convention — the correct process is authentication, not apostille. This is mandatory for German qualification recognition and takes 2–4 weeks. Do not wait until after your job offer — book the appointment now.

Obtain a police clearance certificate from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) headquarters in Abuja. The clearance is valid for 3 months — time it to arrive 4–6 weeks before your visa appointment. The NPF now accepts applications through NIMC-linked channels.

Get your university degree certificate and transcripts officially verified by your issuing university, then authenticated at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The German anabin database may not list your institution — if it doesn't, the Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen (ZAB) will do a manual assessment. Start this process early: ZAB assessments take 3–6 months.

Obtain a National Identity Number (NIN) slip and ensure it is linked to your passport. German visa applications increasingly require biometric-consistent identification. Apostille the NIN slip if your employer or the visa authority requests it.

Get a medical certificate from a government-recognised hospital. Required for some work visa categories and useful to have regardless. Have it authenticated at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the same time as your other documents to save a trip.

Notify the Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) where your RSA (Retirement Savings Account) is held — contributions stop once you leave Nigeria, but the account stays active. You cannot access it until retirement age (50+) or permanent emigration. Do not close it: the balance will continue to grow from existing contributions.

File a tax clearance certificate with FIRS (Federal Inland Revenue Service) before departure. Some German employers or embassies may request proof that you have no outstanding Nigerian tax liabilities. The TCC takes 2–4 weeks and requires your last 3 years' ITRs.

Update your BVN-linked contact details with your Nigerian bank. Banks freeze accounts when they can't reach the account holder, and a frozen Nigerian account is difficult to resolve from abroad. Update your address to a reliable family address in Nigeria before departure.

Notify your Nigerian bank that you're moving abroad. Banks increasingly apply FATCA/CRS reporting requirements; a proactive disclosure avoids the account being flagged. This also positions it as a non-resident account for the bank's records.

Consider keeping one Nigerian bank account open (GTBank, Zenith, or Access Bank all have reasonable international transfer infrastructure). A domiciliary (USD or EUR) account can receive foreign currency from Germany without conversion — useful if you want to maintain liquid savings in Nigeria.

Keep your Nigerian driving licence valid — Germany allows NIN-licence holders to drive on a Nigerian licence for 6 months, after which you must convert. The conversion process requires a certified English translation of the Nigerian licence and a practical test (theory is usually waived). Start the conversion process within your first 3 months to avoid the 6-month deadline.

Do not close your Nigerian health insurance (NHIS) if you have employer-subsidised coverage — it may cover family members still in Nigeria. If it's a personal policy, cancel it after confirming your German statutory health insurance (GKV) is active.

Maintain one current account in Nigeria for receiving Nigerian income or managing Nigerian obligations (bills, property, family transfers). GTBank and Access Bank both have functional internet banking accessible from Germany.

Close NSIA or pension-linked products only after confirming the terms — some have exit penalties. Your RSA pension cannot be withdrawn early without meeting the statutory conditions regardless of emigration status.

If you own property in Nigeria, ensure the property management or agent relationship is formally documented and your rental income is declared to FIRS. Undeclared Nigerian-source income while resident in Germany creates exposure under both Nigerian law and the German–Nigeria tax information exchange agreement.

Use Wise or Remitly for sending money to Nigeria — both support the NGN corridor with competitive rates. Bank transfers via German banks to Nigerian accounts cost 4–6% in exchange rate margin; Wise typically charges under 1%. For large transfers, compare on the day.

Register with the Nigerian Embassy in Berlin (Nigerians abroad are encouraged to register for consular assistance and emergency support). The embassy also processes Nigerian document renewals, which is relevant once your passport approaches expiry.

Keep an active Nigerian phone number (MTN, Airtel, or Glo). You need it for Nigerian bank OTPs and government portal logins. A local Nigerian SIM in a cheap phone left with a trusted family member is the simplest solution.

The Nigerian diaspora community in Germany is active, particularly in Frankfurt, Berlin, and Munich. Connecting with organisations like NIDO Germany (Nigerians in Diaspora) provides practical support and networking during your first year.