UK visa English test in Nigeria: 19 approved centres (SELT)
There are 19 approved centres for UK visa English tests (SELT) in Nigeria, in Lagos (10), Abuja (6), Port Harcourt (2), Benin (1), run by IELTS SELT Consortium, LanguageCert, Pearson (PTE) and PSI Services (Skills for English), according to the Home Office list of approved test centres outside the UK dated 23 October 2026 (GOV.UK, downloaded on 30 October 2026). The first partner (spouse) visa needs A1 in speaking and listening.
Approved SELT centres in Nigeria: 19 in 4 cities
Source: Home Office, List of approved test centres outside the UK (ODS, list dated 23 October 2026, downloaded on 30 October 2026), from the GOV.UK page Prove your English language abilities with a secure English language test (SELT) (updated 26 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Not immigration or legal advice. This page lists the Home Office's approved test centres and the levels written in the GOV.UK guidance on the dates shown. Some people do not need a test (for example nationals of some English-speaking countries, people over 65, or people with a degree taught in English). Check the guidance for your own route on GOV.UK, and the provider's website for dates and fees, before you book.
Approved test centres in Nigeria
| City | Provider | Centre | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abuja | IELTS SELT Consortium | BC Abuja | British Council Abuja, Plot 3645 IBB Way, Maitama. Abuja, Nigeria |
| Abuja | IELTS SELT Consortium | BC Abuja - ATZ | Art-Thez Abuja, Suite 1A, First floor, Plateau House, Ralph Sodeinde street, Central Area, Abuja |
| Abuja | IELTS SELT Consortium | IDP IELTS Abuja | 50 Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Ground Floor Osas and Oseji Building, Between UBA and Hmedix, Wuse 2, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria |
| Abuja | PSI Services (Skills for English) | Abuja - Art-Thez | First Floor, Suite 1A, Plateau House, Plot 79 Ralph Sodeinde Street (beside Federal Ministry of Finance), Central Area, Abuja, FC |
| Abuja | PSI Services (Skills for English) | Abuja - Management Edge | SUITE A03, MAINA COURT, PLOT 252A, HERBERT MACAULAY WAY, CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, ABUJA |
| Abuja | Pearson (PTE) | Emerging Trees Ltd. | El-Salem Estate, HS C42 Grace Street, Lugbe., Abuja, 900211, Nigeria |
| Benin | IELTS SELT Consortium | Lapo Institute, Benin City | Plot 6, S&T Barracks Road, Opposite Uselu Market, Uselu, Benin, Edo State, Nigeria |
| Lagos | IELTS SELT Consortium | BC Lagos - PHIC | Premier Hub Innovation Centre, 1B Birrel Avenue, Off Herbert Macaulay Way, Next to Fidelity Bank, Yaba, Nigeria |
| Lagos | IELTS SELT Consortium | BC Lagos - Workforce | Workforce The Zone, Plot 9, Gbagada Industrial Scheme, Beside UPS, Gbagada Expressway, Lagos |
| Lagos | IELTS SELT Consortium | British Council, Lagos | 20, Thompson Avenue, Off Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria |
| Lagos | IELTS SELT Consortium | IDP IELTS Nigeria | Landmark House, 52-54 Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA, Lagos State, Nigeria |
| Lagos | IELTS SELT Consortium | IDP IELTS Victoria Island | 2A, LOUIS SOLOMON CLOSE, OFF AHMADU BELLO WAY, VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS, Nigeria |
| Lagos | LanguageCert | LC - Lagos | Katia Gardens, Plot 1676, 3rd Floor, Oladele Olashore Street, Off Sanusi Fafunwa Street, Victoria Island, Lagos |
| Lagos | PSI Services (Skills for English) | Lagos - TestFlex Professional Test Centre | 5/7 Alade Lawal Street Anthony Lagos |
| Lagos | PSI Services (Skills for English) | Yaba - Ciel Consulting | 27 Moronfolu Street, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria |
| Lagos | Pearson (PTE) | Bellaz Education Services | First Floor, Back Wing, No 56 Ogunlana Drive, Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria |
| Lagos | Pearson (PTE) | Centerbase International Communications Ltd. | Premierhub - 1B Birrel Avenue, Off Hebert Macaulay Way, Next to Fidelity Bank, Yaba, Lagos, 101245, Nigeria |
| Port Harcourt | IELTS SELT Consortium | BC Port Harcourt | British Council Port Harcourt, No. 3 Odi street Old GRA Port-Harcourt, Rivers State Nigeria |
| Port Harcourt | LanguageCert | LC - Nigeria | 4 Iriebe Street, D/Line, Port Harcourt, 500201 |
Source: Home Office, List of approved test centres outside the UK (ODS, list dated 23 October 2026, downloaded on 30 October 2026), from the GOV.UK page Prove your English language abilities with a secure English language test (SELT) (updated 26 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Which level for which visa
| Application | Minimum level (CEFR) | Skills tested | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partner or parent visa (family), first application | A1 | Speaking and listening | Family visas: knowledge of English (GOV.UK, read on 30 October 2026) |
| Partner or parent visa, extending after 2.5 years | A2 | Speaking and listening | Family visas: knowledge of English (GOV.UK, read on 30 October 2026) |
| Settlement (indefinite leave to remain), application made before 26 March 2027 | B1 | Speaking and listening | Prove your knowledge of English for citizenship and settling (GOV.UK, read on 30 October 2026) |
| Settlement on the routes listed in HC 1691, application made on or after 26 March 2027 | B2 | Speaking and listening | explanatory memorandum to the Statement of Changes HC 1691, paragraphs 5.60–5.62, and the rule changes (published on GOV.UK on 6 March 2026, read on 30 October 2026) |
| British citizenship | B1 | Speaking and listening | Prove your knowledge of English for citizenship and settling (GOV.UK, read on 30 October 2026) |
| Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker visas (new applications) | B2 | Reading, writing, speaking and listening | Skilled Worker visa (GOV.UK, read on 30 October 2026); Health and Care Worker visa (GOV.UK, read on 30 October 2026) |
| Student visa, course at degree level or above | B2 | Reading, writing, speaking and listening | Student visa (GOV.UK, read on 30 October 2026) |
| Student visa, course below degree level | B1 | Reading, writing, speaking and listening | Student visa (GOV.UK, read on 30 October 2026) |
| High Potential Individual and Scale-up Worker visas | B2 | Reading, writing, speaking and listening | High Potential Individual visa (GOV.UK, read on 30 October 2026); Scale-up Worker visa (GOV.UK, read on 30 October 2026) |
Skills tested: GOV.UK, Prove your English language abilities with a secure English language test (SELT) (citizenship, parent, partner and settlement: speaking and listening test; Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, Student, High Potential Individual and Scale-up: reading, writing, speaking and listening). People who already had a Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa before 8 January 2026 and are extending need B1 (Skilled Worker visa (GOV.UK, read on 30 October 2026)).
B2 for settlement from 26 March 2027
For settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027, the UK Statement of Changes HC 1691 raises the English level from B1 to B2 in speaking and listening on the routes it lists (Skilled Worker, Settlement Family Life, Long Residence, Global Talent and others). Applications made before that date still need B1. On the approved lists we read on 30 October 2026, there is no speaking-and-listening-only test at B2: every B2 test listed assesses all four skills. What changes in 2027.
Source: explanatory memorandum to the Statement of Changes HC 1691, paragraphs 5.60–5.62, and the rule changes (published on GOV.UK on 6 March 2026, read on 30 October 2026).
How to book
- Book on the provider's own website: IELTS SELT Consortium, LanguageCert, Pearson (PTE) and PSI Services (Skills for English). GOV.UK says to check the provider's website for dates and to make sure the centre is open: "Do not contact the test centre directly."
- Book the SELT version of the test (for example IELTS for UKVI or IELTS Life Skills, not ordinary IELTS). The approved names are: IELTS SELT Consortium: IELTS for UKVI, IELTS Life Skills; LanguageCert: LanguageCert International ESOL SELT, LanguageCert Academic SELT, LanguageCert General SELT; Pearson (PTE): PTE Academic UKVI, PTE Home; PSI Services (Skills for English): Skills for English UKVI.
- "You should be able to take a test within 28 days of booking, but it may not always be at the location nearest to you." Use the name exactly as it is on your passport or identity document.
- Test results are valid for 2 years from the date the test is awarded. After you pass, you get a SELT reference number to use in your application.
- Fees are set by each provider and are not on the Home Office lists, so we do not show them. If you book through an agent, GOV.UK says its fees should be "the same as, or lower than, the price on the test provider's website".
Source: GOV.UK, Prove your English language abilities with a secure English language test (SELT) (updated 26 October 2026, read on 30 October 2026).
Prepare for the speaking test
AffiliateFor partner, parent, settlement and citizenship applications the SELT tests speaking and listening only. Speaking English often with a teacher, even online, is one way to prepare. On italki you choose an English teacher and pay per lesson.
Find an English teacher on italki (opens in a new tab)
Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. A teacher cannot book your test or change your result: you book the test only on the provider's website, and lessons do not change the decision on your visa.
Questions people ask
Where can I take the A1 English test for a UK spouse visa in Nigeria?
At an approved SELT centre: the Home Office list dated 23 October 2026 has 19 approved centres in Nigeria, in Lagos (10), Abuja (6), Port Harcourt (2), Benin (1). The A1 speaking and listening tests approved outside the UK from the providers with centres in Nigeria are: IELTS Life Skills – A1 Speaking & Listening from IELTS SELT Consortium; LanguageCert International ESOL SELT A1 (Speaking & Listening) from LanguageCert; PTE Home A1 from Pearson (PTE); Skills for English UKVI A1 (2 component) from PSI Services (Skills for English).
How many SELT test centres are there in Nigeria?
19 approved centres in 4 cities, from IELTS SELT Consortium, LanguageCert, Pearson (PTE) and PSI Services (Skills for English) (Home Office list dated 23 October 2026).
Does every centre offer every test?
The Home Office list does not say which tests or dates each centre offers. Check the provider's booking page before you travel.
How much does the test cost?
Fees are set by each provider and are not on the Home Office lists, so we do not show them. If you use an agent, GOV.UK says its fees should be the same as, or lower than, the price on the provider's website.
Is the English level for UK settlement going up?
Yes, on many routes: for settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027, HC 1691 raises the level from B1 to B2 in speaking and listening.
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UK visa English tests: all centres and levels · UK spouse visa income requirement · UK family visa refusal rates