Commercial Diving Permits and Mobilisation in Nigeria

Commercial diving contractors working in Nigeria clear a project fastest by getting three things right before the dive spread ever leaves the dock: diver immigration paperwork, an Offshore Safety Permit for every offshore person, and temporary importation approval for equipment. Miss any one and the whole team sits idle on full day rates while paperwork catches up.

Which diving class applies to your job

Surface-supplied air diving handles most inshore and shallow work at berths, jetties and terminals across Apapa, Tin Can, Onne, Warri, Calabar and Bonny. Mixed-gas and saturation diving are reserved for deepwater fields in the Gulf of Guinea, run from a DP2 dive support vessel with bell and chamber systems. Each class has its own manning scale, standby diver rule and medical cover requirement, so confirm the class before you plan crew numbers.

Entry documents every dive crew needs

  • A Temporary Work Permit (TWP) approved by the Nigeria Immigration Service for short-rotation expatriate divers, supervisors and life support technicians
  • A Business Visa on Arrival (BVoA) pre-approval where the trip is under the short-stay threshold and no local payroll is involved
  • CERPAC registration for anyone staying on longer rotations under an expatriate quota position
  • An Offshore Safety Permit (OSP) for every person going offshore, alongside BOSIET/HUET certification and a current offshore medical
  • Diver-specific medicals to a recognised hyperbaric standard, refreshed within validity before mobilisation

Getting the dive spread through customs

Dive compressors, umbilicals, chambers, gas quads and NDT kits normally move under temporary importation so the whole spread can leave Nigeria at the end of the campaign without attracting duty. Helium and oxygen quads are treated as regulated goods, so build in lead time to source or import them, and always confirm gas purity certification before anything goes into a chamber. Serial numbers on the packing list must match the shipment exactly, since dive equipment routinely draws physical examination at Onne and Apapa.

Nigerian Content requirements you cannot skip

Diving contractors bidding into oil and gas scopes are scored on their Nigerian Content Plan under the NOGICD Act. NCDMB looks at local diver participation, use of Nigerian-flagged and Nigerian-crewed support craft where available, training and succession plans, and local procurement. Sorting this documentation at tender stage, not after award, avoids a scramble that can delay mobilisation by weeks.

Shore support that keeps the campaign moving

  1. Fly project crew changes into Lagos or Port Harcourt and move them onward the same day, with no overnight gaps at the airport
  2. Keep a hotel and vehicle pool at readiness for crew rotating on short notice
  3. Coordinate offshore boarding, manifesting and heliport access ahead of each rotation
  4. Maintain a 24-hour point of contact for the dive superintendent when the plan changes mid-campaign
  5. Track visa and permit expiry dates against the actual campaign schedule, not the original plan

PeaceRyde handles this shore-side workload for diving contractors directly: TWP and visa-on-arrival processing for dive crews, Offshore Safety Permit coordination, airport reception, secure transport, hotel arrangements, customs handling for dive spreads and gas, and ongoing husbandry for the DSV while it works in Nigerian waters.

Key Takeaways

  • TWP or CERPAC is required for every expatriate diver, supervisor and LST — mixing entry routes causes delays
  • Every offshore person needs a current Offshore Safety Permit, BOSIET and offshore medical
  • Dive spreads and gas quads usually move under temporary importation, not permanent import
  • NCDMB Nigerian Content documentation should be prepared at tender stage, not after award
  • A named 24-hour shore contact is what actually keeps a dive campaign on schedule

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fastest legal way to bring an expatriate diver into Nigeria for a short job?

For short rotations, a Business Visa on Arrival with a Temporary Work Permit application in progress is the usual route. The TWP is what authorises the person to actually work, so it should be filed as early as the scope is confirmed.

Do saturation divers need different documents from surface-supplied divers?

The immigration and OSP requirements are the same, but saturation crews need chamber and hyperbaric rescue certification available for inspection, and their medicals must reflect saturation diving specifically, not general offshore fitness.

Can dive equipment be imported permanently to avoid re-export paperwork?

It can, but most contractors use temporary importation because the spread is demobilised at the end of the job. Permanent import attracts duty that temporary importation avoids, provided the equipment actually leaves Nigeria on schedule.

Which agency issues the Offshore Safety Permit?

The Offshore Safety Permit is issued by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for personnel travelling to offshore installations in Nigerian waters, and it must be backed by valid BOSIET/HUET certification and an offshore medical.