Travelling from Nigeria to Cotonou: Lagos, Seme Border, Arrival

Every month, Nigerians ask us the same questions. How do I get from Lagos to Cotonou? Do I need a visa? Where do I change money? What do I tell the driver when I get to the city?

We first wrote this guide years ago, and it gave bus fares. We have taken them out. Fares change, and an old number in a guide does more harm than good. What does not change much is the route itself, the documents, and how to arrive without getting lost. That is what this guide covers. Before you leave, look at the border post on the Ceety Boy map so you know where the road goes after you cross.

You travel visa-free. Nigeria and Benin are both members of ECOWAS, and Nigerian citizens can visit Benin without a visa for up to 90 days. Carry a valid Nigerian passport and keep it on you.

Yellow fever: Benin's Ministry of Health says vaccination cards, including the yellow fever card, are no longer checked at the airport, the port or the land borders. The ministry still recommends yellow fever vaccination for every traveller, and says it can bring checks back at any time in a health emergency. Our advice: get the vaccine and keep the card in your passport.

The road route is simple once you see it as four stages:

1. Get to Lagos. Wherever you start in Nigeria, travel to Lagos first. Many travellers take their onward car or bus from Mile 2.

2. Lagos to Seme. Cars and buses run from Lagos to the Seme border. Keep your bag with you or where you can see it.

3. Cross the border. On the Nigerian side the town is Seme. On the Benin side it is Kraké, in the commune of Sèmè-Kpodji. You leave Nigeria, then you enter Benin. Go through the official posts on both sides, and keep your passport in your own hands throughout.

4. Kraké to Cotonou. From the Benin side, transport runs west along the main road (the RNIE 1 ter at the border) through Sèmè-Kpodji into Cotonou. Sèmè-Kpodji sits between Nigeria in the east and Cotonou in the west, so you pass through it all the way.

Some coach companies sell a ticket from Lagos straight to Cotonou, which saves you finding new transport at the border. Compare a few and ask exactly where they drop passengers in Cotonou.

Cotonou's airport is Cardinal Bernardin Gantin International Airport (code COO), in the Cadjèhoun neighbourhood. It was called Cadjèhoun Airport until 2021, so you will see both names. Air Peace is listed among the airlines flying Lagos–Cotonou. The flight is short, and it removes the border crossing completely. If you are carrying documents for school or business, or travelling with children, it is worth comparing the price against the road.

Benin uses the CFA franc. You will need CFA for transport the moment you are in Benin.

• Change only what you need for the first day or two at the border. Then change the rest in Cotonou, where you can compare.

• Always ask for the rate before you hand over any money, and count what you receive before you walk away.

• In Cotonou, Ceety Boy lists currency exchange offices in Cotonou by neighbourhood, with the road route to each one. It gives no rates, because rates change every day.

Many smaller streets in Cotonou have no name on the map, so directions are given by landmarks: a roundabout, a market, a church, a filling station. So before you travel, ask your school, host or hotel for the nearest landmark, not the street address. Well-known ones include Place de l'Étoile Rouge, Dantokpa market, Ganhi, the Ancien Pont, the Stade de l'Amitié.

For short trips inside the city, most people use a zémidjan, the motorbike taxi. The name means "take me quickly" in Fon. Agree on the price before you climb on.

If this is your first time and you are coming to study, arrange for someone to meet you at your drop-off point. Share your arrival time with family in Nigeria, and message them when you arrive.

The way to bring a car home is by sea, through a Nigerian port, with full Nigerian duty. Nigeria allows vehicle imports through seaports only, not through its land borders including Seme, and the rule dates from 2017. In June 2023 Nigeria Customs at Seme denied reports that it had been lifted. On 11 September 2026 the Customs Comptroller-General was reported as saying it could be lifted once a Nigeria–Benin trade-interconnectivity arrangement is complete, but he gave no date. The rule is in force today. In August 2026 Customs at Seme showed vehicles it had seized.

A car bought in Benin is ready for use in Benin. To bring one to Nigeria, follow our guide to shipping a car from Cotonou to Lagos. Our cars in Benin section covers buying a car for use here.

• Your admission letter and passport, together, in your hand luggage.

• Where you will sleep on the first night. See our guide to student accommodation in Benin Republic.

• The landmark nearest your school or hostel, and a phone number of someone there.

• For general first-trip advice, read our first-time travel guide to Benin Republic.

Do Nigerians need a visa to enter Benin Republic?
Nigerians travel visa-free. As ECOWAS citizens, they can visit Benin without a visa for up to 90 days. Carry a valid passport.

What is the name of the border between Lagos and Cotonou?
Seme on the Nigerian side and Kraké on the Benin side, in the commune of Sèmè-Kpodji.

How much is transport from Lagos to Cotonou?
We no longer publish fares, because they change too often to stay correct. Ask two or three transport companies on the day, and agree on the price before you board.

Is the yellow fever card checked at the Benin border?
Benin's Ministry of Health says it is no longer checked at entry points, but vaccination is still recommended and checks can return without notice.

Can I buy a car in Cotonou and drive it to Nigeria?
The route to bring it home is by sea through a Nigerian port with full Nigerian duty. Nigeria allows vehicle imports through seaports only, and that rule is in force.

See the road before you go: Ceety Boy lets you preview the drive across Cotonou in 3D. The phone version is a tester build and a heavy download, so open it on Wi-Fi.