Japa Budget 2026: How Much You Really Need to Relocate to UK/Canada From Nigeria

Figures checked on 2 November 2026. Immigration fees and exchange rates change often, so confirm the final numbers on GOV.UK or the IRCC website before you pay for anything.

Everyone in your family WhatsApp group has an opinion on japa. Very few can tell you the actual number you need.

That gap is where people get hurt. Some start the process with half the money they need and stall halfway. Others pay an "agent" for a visa that was never real. And many only discover the extra costs, the ones nobody mentions, when the bills start arriving.

This guide sets out what it really costs to move from Nigeria to the UK or Canada in 2026. We look at the four most common routes: UK student visa, UK skilled worker visa, Canada Express Entry, and Canada study permit. For each one, you will see the official numbers, what they mean in naira, and the costs people forget.

First, the exchange rate problem

Every figure in this article is in pounds or Canadian dollars, so the naira rate matters a lot.

On 2 November 2026, the official dollar rate was about ₦1,346, while the parallel market quoted around ₦1,386. In early October, the official pound rate was roughly ₦1,767. For planning, this article uses ₦1,800 per £1 and ₦1,000 per CAD 1. These are round numbers on purpose.

Why does this matter? If the pound moves by just ₦100, a £30,000 budget changes by ₦3 million. So treat every naira figure below as an estimate and add a cushion of at least 5 to 10 percent.

The quick answer

Route

Core money you need

Roughly in naira

UK Student (master's, outside London, example)

About £29,200

About ₦52.5 million

UK Skilled Worker (3 years, single)

About £3,900 in fees

About ₦7.1 million

Canada Express Entry (single)

About CAD 16,850

About ₦16.9 million

Canada Study Permit (single, before tuition)

At least CAD 23,448

At least ₦23.4 million, plus tuition

These are the core numbers only. Add ₦1.5 million to ₦4 million on top for tests, documents, flights and your first weeks abroad. We cover that further down.

Route 1: UK Student visa

This is still the most common way Nigerians reach the UK, and it is the most expensive upfront. You are paying for a degree and proving you can live on your own money.

What you must show or pay

Tuition: The amount on your CAS (the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies letter) for your first year, minus any deposit you have already paid. Tuition varies a lot by university and course. Many postgraduate courses fall somewhere between £14,000 and £30,000, but check your own offer letter.

Living costs (maintenance funds): Right now, you must show £1,529 per month for up to nine months if you study in London, which is £13,761. Outside London it is £1,171 per month, or £10,539.

Visa fee: £558 since the April 2026 increase.

 Immigration Health Surcharge: £776 per year for students.

The 30 November deadline

The Home Office has confirmed that the living cost requirement goes up on 30 November 2026. Applications made on or after that date need £1,570 per month in London (£14,130 for nine months) or £1,203 per month outside London (£10,827 for nine months). That is an extra £369 for London and £288 elsewhere. If your application is nearly ready, submitting before that date saves you money.

A realistic example

Take a one-year master's outside London with £17,000 in tuition, applying under the old rules:

Tuition: £17,000

Living funds: £10,539

Visa fee: £558

 Health surcharge: £776

Total: about £28,900, or around ₦52 million

If you apply after 30 November, the living funds rise to £10,827 and the total is about £29,200.

Two rules that catch people out

First, the living funds must usually sit in your account for at least 28 days before you apply. A large lump sum that appears last week raises questions. Second, you can deduct at most one month of maintenance if you have paid accommodation directly to your university. Money paid to a private landlord does not count.

Also, most international students cannot bring dependants. If you are planning to bring a spouse or child, confirm that your course allows it before you pay a deposit.

Route 2: UK Skilled Worker visa

This route is far cheaper for you, but only if you already have a sponsored job offer. That is the hard part. Employers must hold a sponsor licence, and your role and salary must meet the Home Office rules, which have tightened in recent years. Check the current salary thresholds on GOV.UK before you celebrate an offer.

What you usually pay

Visa application fee (from outside the UK): About £819 for up to three years, or £1,618 for more than three years.

Immigration Health Surcharge: £1,035 per year, paid upfront. A three-year visa means £3,105. A five-year visa means £5,175.

Dependants: Each person pays their own fee and their own surcharge.

For a single person on a three-year visa, that comes to roughly £3,924, or about ₦7.1 million. On a five-year visa, it is about £6,800, or around ₦12.2 million.

Who pays what

The employer pays the sponsor licence, the Certificate of Sponsorship and the Immigration Skills Charge. The Home Office does not allow the employer to pass the Skills Charge or the sponsorship fee on to you, not directly and not by deducting it from your salary.

So if anyone asks you to pay for a "Certificate of Sponsorship" or a "sponsorship fee," stop. That is either a scam or a breach of the rules, and it can leave you with no visa and no money.

The Health and Care route

Nurses, doctors and other eligible health workers pay much less. The fee is about £324 for up to three years, and these applicants are exempt from the health surcharge. Rules on who can apply, especially for care roles, have changed, so confirm your eligibility before planning around this route.

You may also choose to pay for priority processing, which costs extra.

Route 3: Canada Express Entry

Express Entry is for skilled workers who want permanent residence. It is points-based, so you need a strong score, good English or French test results, and a credential assessment for your degree.

Proof of funds

If you apply under the Federal Skilled Worker or Federal Skilled Trades programs, you must show settlement funds. The 2026 amounts are:

 1 person: CAD 15,263

2 people: CAD 19,001

 3 people: CAD 23,360

 4 people: CAD 28,362

Each extra family member adds about CAD 4,112. You count everyone in your family, even if they are not travelling with you.

Here is the good news. This money is not a fee. You are showing it, not paying it, and you keep it. You are also exempt from this requirement if you apply through the Canadian Experience Class, or if you have a valid job offer and are already authorised to work in Canada.

What you actually pay

Government processing fees for a principal applicant are about CAD 1,590, which includes the Right of Permanent Residence Fee. Add that to the funds and a single applicant needs about CAD 16,850, or ₦16.9 million.

If you are applying with a spouse, expect the fees to roughly double, plus a smaller fee per child.

One warning

The money must be liquid and properly documented. Bank letters, statements and transfers from family members all need to follow IRCC's rules. Weak financial documents are one of the most common reasons applications get rejected.

Route 4: Canada Study Permit

Canada raised its study permit requirement on 1 September 2026. A single applicant outside Quebec must now show at least CAD 23,448 for first-year living costs. That is up from CAD 22,895 under the old rules, and roughly ₦23.4 million at our planning rate.

This amount does not include tuition or travel. You must also show:

 Your first year of tuition fees

 Return travel costs to and from Canada

If you plan to study in Quebec, the rules are different. For 2026, a single applicant there must show about CAD 24,617, and Quebec has its own process, so check with the province directly.

Funds you cannot borrow

The money must be genuinely yours, or support from someone who can show where it came from. Borrowed money, even a short-term loan to pad your account, is a serious red flag. The funds must also be accessible without you having to work in Canada.

An example budget

For a student with CAD 20,000 in tuition:

Living funds: CAD 23,448

Tuition: CAD 20,000

Flights and travel: about CAD 1,500

Total: about CAD 45,000, or around ₦45 million

Also remember that Canada has put caps on study permits, so getting a spot is now harder than getting the money together. Make sure your school is a designated learning institution and that you hold the correct attestation letter from the province before you apply.

The costs nobody puts in the brochure

The official numbers are the floor, not the full bill. Here is what usually gets missed. These are rough estimates, and your own costs will depend on your city, your job and your documents.

Language tests: IELTS or a similar test, often more than once. Many people retake it.

Credential assessment: Needed for Canada's Express Entry.

Medical exams and TB test: Required for most long stays.

Police certificates, translations and document certification.

Biometrics fees.

Flights and excess baggage.

First month's rent plus a deposit. In the UK, a deposit and the first month can come to two months' rent. In big Canadian cities, expect something similar.

Winter clothing, especially for Canada.

Mobile line, transport card, bedding and kitchen basics.

Agent or consultant fees, if you use one.

A fair planning figure for all of this is ₦1.5 million to ₦4 million before you even land, plus enough to cover your first two to three months abroad. Many people arrive with money for the visa and nothing for week three. Don't be one of them.

How to build your budget

Here is a simple way to work it out.

1. Pick your route and write down the exact official amount. Use GOV.UK or IRCC, not a blog or a WhatsApp voice note.

2. Convert to naira at a conservative rate. Use a higher rate than today's.

3. Add the hidden costs. Use the list above.

4. Add a 10 percent buffer for exchange rate swings and surprise fees.

5. Work out your monthly savings target. Divide the total by the number of months you have.

Then think about how you will hold the money. Many people keep part of their savings in dollars or pounds to protect against naira movement. That is a personal decision, so compare your options carefully, and speak to a qualified financial adviser if you can.

Mistakes that cost Nigerians the most

Paying anyone for a "guaranteed" visa. No agent can guarantee a visa. Sponsored job offers sold on social media are one of the biggest scams around, and the losses can reach millions of naira.

Using "show money" or borrowed funds. Immigration officers check where money came from. A balance that appears the week before you apply and disappears right after can lead to a refusal and a ban from future applications.

Ignoring the date on the rules. Rules change on fixed dates. The UK student maintenance figure changes on 30 November, and Canada's changed on 1 September. A few weeks can cost you hundreds of pounds or dollars.

Forgetting the family. A spouse and children multiply your costs. The surcharge, the fees and the proof of funds all go up with every person.

Planning for the visa, not for life after it. Getting approved is not the finish line. The first three months abroad are where most people feel the real pressure.

So how much do you really need?

Here is the honest summary.

If you have a sponsored UK job offer, you can move for as little as ₦7 million to ₦12 million in visa costs, plus a landing budget.

If you qualify for Canada Express Entry, plan for about ₦17 million to ₦20 million, most of which is money you keep.

If you are going as a student, the number jumps. Expect ₦45 million to ₦55 million or more for one year, depending on your school, your city and your tuition.

Japa is possible, but only if the numbers are planned, not guessed. Start with the official figures, convert them with a safe margin, and give yourself enough time to save properly. A well-prepared move with a smaller budget will always beat a rushed one with a big dream and no plan.

Home Office, IRCC, or a regulated immigration adviser before you apply.