How to Get PTA and BTA in Nigeria — 2026 Guide
Last updated: 8/1/2026 | By Aboki Forex
If you are travelling out of Nigeria, your bank can sell you foreign currency at the official market rate rather than the street rate. That is what Personal Travel Allowance (PTA) and Business Travel Allowance (BTA) are. It is the cheapest legal dollars most Nigerians will ever buy — when the bank has FX to sell, and when you show up with the right documents.
PTA vs BTA
| PTA | BTA | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Personal Travel Allowance | Business Travel Allowance |
| Purpose of trip | Holiday, family visit, personal travel | Business travel |
| Who applies | The traveller | A registered company, for its staff |
| Typical quarterly cap | Up to $4,000 | Up to $5,000 |
| Extra documents | — | Company registration and tax documents, letter from the employer |
| Rate applied | Official market rate plus the bank's margin | |
Caps are set by CBN circular and have changed over the years; banks may also apply lower limits based on the FX they actually have. Confirm the current figure with your bank before planning around it.
Who Qualifies
The requirements are consistent across banks, because they come from the same CBN framework:
- You must be at least 18 and hold an account with the bank you are applying to.
- You must actually be travelling — with a confirmed ticket, usually for departure within about 14 days of the application.
- You must have a valid visa for the destination, where one is required.
- Your passport must be valid for at least six months.
- You must have a BVN and be within your quarterly allowance.
Some banks require that your account has been active for a minimum period. Practically, you are far more likely to be served at a bank where you already hold a meaningful relationship.
What You Need to Bring
- International passport — original plus a photocopy of the data page.
- Valid visa for the destination country.
- Confirmed return ticket showing travel dates within the bank's window.
- Completed Form A, processed electronically by the bank through the trade portal.
- BVN and account details.
- Naira funds in your account to cover the purchase at the applicable rate.
- For BTA: the company's CAC registration documents, tax identification, and a letter from the employer confirming the trip and the traveller.
Form A is the same instrument used for other invisible transactions — school fees abroad, medical bills and similar. If you are also paying tuition overseas, see how to pay school fees abroad from Nigeria, which covers the Form A process in more detail.
How the Process Runs
- Call the branch first. Ask two questions: do you have FX available for PTA this week, and what documents does this branch want? FX availability varies day to day and branch to branch, and this call saves wasted trips.
- Visit with your documents. Some banks now start the application in-app or online, but the verification is usually in person.
- Form A is filed by the bank on your behalf and processed.
- Your naira account is debited at the applicable rate.
- You receive the currency — as cash, or loaded onto a prepaid travel or dollar card depending on the bank and the amount. Card issuance has become the more common route.
Allow a few working days. Applying the day before a flight is the most common reason people end up buying at the parallel rate at the airport instead.
Is It Actually Cheaper Than the Black Market?
Usually, yes — but check rather than assume, because the size of the advantage moves with the spread between the official and parallel markets.
Compare three numbers before you decide the paperwork is worth it: the CBN official rate, what banks are actually quoting, and the live parallel market rate.
| Currency | Sell |
|---|---|
| USD / NGN | ₦1381.00 |
| Currency | Buy | Sell |
|---|---|---|
| USD / NGN | ₦1350.00 | ₦1385.00 |
| GBP / NGN | ₦1796.12 | ₦1884.23 |
| EUR / NGN | ₦1534.52 | ₦1615.85 |
| ZAR / NGN | ₦81.80 | ₦86.40 |
| Currency | Sell |
|---|---|
| USD / NGN | ₦1370.00 |
| GBP / NGN | ₦1869.78 |
| EUR / NGN | ₦1604.54 |
Run the maths on your own amount. If PTA costs you ₦1,380 per dollar and the parallel rate is ₦1,400, the saving on a full $4,000 allowance is around ₦80,000 — real money for a morning at the bank. When the spread narrows to a percent or less, the saving on a small amount may not justify the trip. Use the USD to naira converter to price your exact figure.
One thing PTA gives you that the parallel market does not: documentation. You get a receipt and a bank record of the transaction, which matters for visa applications, tax questions and simply being able to prove where your travel money came from.
When Your Bank Has No FX
It happens, and it is not personal. Options in rough order of preference:
- Try another bank where you hold an account. Allocation differs between institutions.
- Ask about a licensed BDC. The CBN has at various points allowed licensed Bureaux de Change to sell PTA at the official window rate. Confirm the licence and get a receipt.
- Use a dollar card instead. A Nigerian dollar card lets you spend abroad without carrying cash, though the rate and limits differ from PTA.
- Buy at the parallel rate from a licensed BDC. More expensive, always available. See how to buy dollars in Nigeria.
- Draw on a domiciliary account if you have one. See how to open one.
What Not to Do
- Don't apply for a trip you aren't taking. Buying PTA at the official rate and reselling at the parallel rate is round-tripping. Banks and the CBN monitor for it, and the outcome is a flagged or restricted account.
- Don't use an agent who offers to "get PTA" using your passport. You are handing your identity documents to someone doing exactly the above, in your name.
- Don't exceed your quarterly limit across multiple banks. BVN links your applications; it is visible.
- Don't travel with undeclared cash. Nigeria and most destination countries require declaration above set thresholds — commonly $10,000 or equivalent. Undeclared cash gets seized.