Form A in Nigeria

Banking

How to apply for “Form A in Nigeria,” PTA/BTA, school fees, requirements, etc.

Form A in Nigeria – If you are familiar with sending payments abroad, you’d surely understand that, to source, FX or USD for your overseas payment aren’t a tea party at this time.

First, Nigeria is going through the toughest economic downturn of its existence, this is largely attributed to the fact that Nigeria is a densely importing nation without corresponding export to equate and ameliorate the effect of foreign exchange shortage short supply.

The Central Bank of Nigeria, has continued to support the market with supply yet there is no visible effect to pacify the situation, this has led to job losses, insecurity, inflation, and businesses crumbling.

Several CBN policies in recent times too have resulted in nothing.

What is Form A in Nigeria?

Form A simply put is an application form designed by the Central bank of Nigeria, through which Nigerians can pay for service transactions which can still be referred to as “Invisible trade.”

Through Form A, customers can buy forex at the CBN interbank rate, this is to enable them to make payments due for eligible services as speculated by the foreign exchange manual.

That said, if you are looking to get a personal or Business travel allowance, forex to pay for your school fees as well as medical, etc., this guide will up your knowledge on how to do just that.

About e-Form A

Subsequently, in 2021, the CBN introduced the e-Form A, now a web-based service that allows the customers to initiate the Form A from their respective abodes and conveniences, as well as submit the completed form to the authorized dealer bank afterward.

This means to explain that having processed your e-Form A, you will need to visit a commercial bank for onward processing of the foreign exchange requirements.

Why the Form A in Nigeria?

Form A was designed to solve the problem of foreign exchange shortage in Nigeria, by this standard, eligibility for Form A is limited to certain transactions like the;

  • BTA: Business Travel Allowance
  • PTA: Personal Travel allowance
  • Medicals, and
  • Education, etc.

Requirements for e-Form A

  • TIN: Tax Identification Number for organizations
  • BVN for individuals
  • Valid email address

How to register Form A on the trade portal/fill CBN form A online

  • Kindly vis🇳🇬trade portal
  • For returning users; kindly provide your username and password
  • For new users; click on “Register now,” see the below diagram for your perusal.
  • In the next column, you will choose Organization or Individual as it applies; organizations are required to provide their TIN, while individuals will provide their BVN.
  • Choose and confirm a strong password
  • Continue to verify by fetching and submitting the “OTP” sent to your valid registered email.

Read also: How To Process Form M Nigeria For Importation Of Goods

The next thing you will need to do is to apply for any service you wish like; PTA/BTA, school fees, medical, etc.

Recall, that you are looking to source forex/USD through the CBN interbank window for any of the listed services.

How to apply for Personal and Business travel allowance/PTA/BTA

  • Launch the trade portal
  • Select the “Start application”
  • Click on the PTA/BTA, enter your details, and upload travel documents like; your Visa page, flight ticket to and fro, international passport
  • For BTA, upload the company’s nomination form
  • Enter your bank account number to be debited
  • From the dropdown menu, select your bank and the branch where you prefer to treat your transaction, then submit.

AF-number is generated, you can then follow up with your preferred bank to process your fund which may take optimally 3 working days at most, excluding Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays.

How to apply for your school fees via the trade portal

  • Launch the trade portal
  • Login with user username and password
  • Select the “Start application,” then the “Educational fees.”
  • Select “School fees”
  • Enter school and student details
  • Upload documents like; international passport, admission letter, school invoice, WAEC/degree certificate
  • Upload your sponsor’s identification if you are paying through a sponsor as a student
  • Enter the school fee amount usually with a max of $15,000 each semester
  • Enter your bank account number through which debit will occur, select your preferred bank and submit.

How to process your medical bill payment

  • Login to the trade portal, and click on “Start application”
  • Select “Medical allowance”
  • Upload your requisite documents like the flight to and fro ticket, international passport data page, and the Specialist’s letter of recommendation for treatment overseas addressed to the hospital
  • If the patient is paying through a sponsor, you will have to include the sponsor’s authorization letter to pass debit on such an account
  • Enter the preferred bank account number and submit

Read also: CBN Circular on Integration of Digital Marine Insurance Certificate with e – FORM M on Nigeria Trade Portal

The transaction limit for PTA/BTA

For a personal travel allowance, you can access a maximum of $4,000, while the business travel allowance is pegged at $5,000 at the moment.

How to update rejected Form A in Nigeria

To update an application, such an application should be validated by the bank in the first place. Applicants should update their form A on rejection by the bank.

This usually comes with an email from the bank

  • Kindly log on to the portal and pool up the form A you are looking to update
  • Click on the input button at the bottom to upload more documents
  • Update and submit the form

Update your phone number

To update your phone number in any case, go to your profile, click on the “Action key” and select “Update contact details.” Input your phone number and click on submit.

Conclusion

You can complete various payments with For A, it provides an avenue for cheap FX against what is obtainable on the black market, besides the funds are remitted to the school, hospitals, etc., on your behalf for education and medical purposes.

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