Nigeria’s New Visa Rules: Tough Penalties for Overstays

New Visa Policy in Nigeria: Overstayers to Face Strict Penalties Starting August 2025

The Nigerian government has introduced a stringent new policy aimed at visa overstayers in an effort to strengthen immigration control and update visa laws. Foreign nationals who stay longer than permitted in Nigeria would be fined $15 per day beginning in August 2025 and could be banned from reentering the country for up to five years or forever. At a stakeholders’ meeting on April 11, 2025, at NECA House in Lagos, Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo made the news. The amended Nigeria Visa Policy 2025 and the updated expatriate quota rules were the main topics of discussion.

Under this new policy, enforcement will commence in August, following a three-month amnesty period beginning in May 2025. During this grace window, affected individuals can regularize their stay without incurring penalties. “The goal is not to punish, but to provide an opportunity to comply,” stated Tunji-Ojo.

Foreigners who continue to overstay without using the grace period, however, will be penalized $15 for each additional day starting in August. Those who stay in Nigeria for more than three months will be prohibited from doing so for five years, and those who stay for more than a year will be prohibited from entering for life. Along with the penalties, the Minister said that starting on May 1, the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC) application process will be entirely digital. Through the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) platform, individuals will be able to finish the entire application online, doing away with the present laborious form processes.

International security databases such as INTERPOL would be integrated with the new digital system, Tunji-Ojo said. Because they will be instantly marked, people with criminal backgrounds are therefore discouraged from applying. Additionally, employers will now be held responsible by the Nigerian government for the immigration status of their foreign workers. Nigeria’s dedication to updating its immigration laws while maintaining compliance and national security is demonstrated by these significant reforms. Employers and foreign nationals are encouraged to remain educated and adhere to the new regulatory framework.

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