Marrying and Sponsoring a Nigerien Citizen
Listen to this articleMarriage to a Nigerien Citizen
Every country has its own laws that apply to its citizens marrying a person from a different country. Getting married to a Nigerien citizen with the goal of eventually bringing them to Canada to live is a process with many steps.
If you want to bring your Nigerien spouse or partner to live in Canada, you must then file a sponsorship application for them to become a permanent resident. If they would like to visit you in Canada while their application is in process, they must also apply for a visitor visa. For more information, please see our family sponsorship page and our visitor visa page.
Processing Time
Once the necessary documents are gathered, it usually takes the Nigerien government up to 3 weeks to authenticate the documents.
If you then file a Canadian sponsorship application for your Nigerien spouse or partner, this application takes an average of 10-12 months.
A visitor visa application for your spouse or partner to visit you in Canada while the sponsorship applications are processing takes an average of 3 –14 days.
Please see our pages on family sponsorship and Canadian visitor visa for more information on the processing times of these applications.
Nigerien Marriage Basic Requirements
The following information is to assist Canadian citizens contemplating marriage in Niger.
A marriage performed in Niger under Nigerian law is generally recognized as valid throughout the Canada. Civil marriages in Niger can be performed only in a “mairie” (city hall).
The Civil Ceremony
To be legal, all marriages must be performed by a Nigerien civil authority, i.e., an “officier de l’état civil”. In practice, this means the mayor (maire) or his legally authorized representative, such as a deputy mayor (adjoint), or his secretary general (secrétaire general).
Documentary requirements
- Birth Certificate
- A valid Canadian passport containing a valid Nigerien visa
- National I.D. Card
- Certificat de non-opposition (certificate showing that the parties are free to marry)
- Certificat de Residence (certificate of Residence from the Central Police Station)
- Déclaration en vue de mariage (Affidavit for marriage purposes)
Witnesses
- One witness for the bride
- One witness for the groom
- Documents of identification (Passport or I.D. Card) for the witnesses
Fees
No fees are charged for performing the ceremony but, two hundred francs (200 FCFA) is charged for the issuance of each copy of the marriage certificate. There is no limit on the number of copies that are requested.
Family Members
If your Niger spouse has dependent children, this does not affect the Nigerien Marriage document application.
If you have dependent children, they have no effect on the application to marry a Nigerien citizen.
List of Nigerien Consulates in Canada
Calling Niger from Caanda
Dial 011 – 227- Network Code – local number
- Most landlines have the network code 20
Cell Codes by Provider:
- Celtel: 96
- Sahelcom: 93
- Sonitel: 21
- Telecel: 94
Calling Canada from Niger
00 – 1 – Area Code – TEL #
Follow the dialing format shown above while calling Canada from Niger.
- 00- Exit code for Niger, and is needed for making any international call from Niger
- 1 – ISD Code or Country Code of Canada
Area Codes
| Province | Code | Province | Code |
| Alberta | 403 / 587 (southern Alberta)
587 / 780 (central and northern Alberta) |
Nunavut | 867 |
| BC | 236 / 250 / 778 (majority of BC)
236 / 604 / 778 (Metro Vancouver) |
Ontario | 226 / 519 (southwestern Ontario)
249 / 705 (northeastern Ontario) 289 / 365 / 905 (Greater Toronto Area) 343 / 613 (eastern Ontario) 416 / 647 (Toronto) 807 (northwestern Ontario) |
| Manitoba | 204 / 431 | PEI | 782 / 902 |
| New Brunswick | 506 | Quebec | 418 / 581 (eastern Quebec)
438 / 514 (Montreal) 450 / 579 (Greater Montreal) 819 / 873 (remainder of Quebec) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 709 | Saskatchewan | 306 / 639 |
| Northwest Territories | 867 | Yukon | 867 |
| Nova Scotia | 782 / 902 |
Time Difference
Niger is on West Africa Time. Niger does not participate in Daylight Saving Time due to its proximity to the equator.
| Canadian Time Zone | # of Hours Niger is Ahead | # of Hours during DST |
| Pacific (BC, Yukon) | 9 hours | 8 hours |
| Mountain (Alberta, western Nunvaut, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan) | 8 hours | 7 hours |
| Saskatchewan | 7 hours | 7 hours |
| Central (Manitoba, Northwest Territories, central Nunavut, northwestern Ontario) | 7 hours | 6 hours |
| Eastern (most of Ontario, most of Quebec) | 6 hours | 5 hours |
| Atlantic (Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, eastern Quebec) | 5 hours | 4 hours |
| Newfoundland | 4.5 hours | 3.5 hours |
Emergency Information for Canadians in Niger
There is no Canadian diplomatic mission in Niger. For assistance, please contact the Embassy in Mali.
Embassy of Canada in AbujaImmeuble Séméga, Route de Koulikoro Postal Address: Telephone: 223 20-21-22-36 |
View Larger Map |
The Government of Canada’s Travel Alerts for Niger
Sponsoring a Nigerien to come to Canada
The sponsorship process is long and complicated. To learn more about it, click the button below:
Want to know more about marrying in Niger? Let us know!
Sponsorship Review
Immigroup will review your completed spousal sponsorship application for $550+HST. Immigroup will make sure you have not made any mistakes on your application or in gathering the documentation of your relationship. We will assess your sponsorship letter and give you peace of mind that you are submitting an application with a very good chance of success. Don’t lose sleep at night worrying about whether you’ve done enough. Call us at 1-866-760-2623 for a review.
