The federal government of Nigeria has issued a renewed warning to foreigners residing in the country with expired visas, urging them to leave within a three-month grace period or face penalties, including visa bans and fines.
In a statement released on Friday, May 2, in Abuja, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) spokesperson, Assistant Comptroller of Immigration Akinsola Akinlabi, announced that the window for voluntary departure without penalty will run from May 1 to August 1, 2025. “The Nigeria Immigration Service wishes to further inform the general public that a window period of three months… shall be granted to allow foreigners residing in Nigeria with expired visas to return to their home country voluntarily without penalty,” the statement read.
From August 2, 2025, new enforcement measures will be implemented, including permanent blacklisting for foreigners who overstay their visas for more than one year. This announcement follows earlier comments made by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who proposed a five-year ban for expatriates overstaying their visas by six months and a ten-year ban for those overstaying by a year, alongside a $15 daily fine.
Akinlabi clarified that under the new Nigeria Visa Policy 2025, effective September 1, the following overstay penalties will apply: “$15 per day for overstays, $15 per day plus a five-year ban for overstays of three months and above, and $15 per day plus a permanent entry ban for overstays of one year or more.”
The government also announced the launch of a fully automated e-Visa application system, effective from May 1, 2025, marking a significant overhaul of the country’s immigration process. “The new system allows applicants to process their visas entirely online within 48 hours and covers 13 types of Short Visit Visas (SVV), detailed on the official portal at https://evisa.immigration.gov.ng/.”
Additionally, the traditional manual entry and exit cards have been replaced by an automated landing and exit card system accessible via https://lecard.immigration.gov.ng/. Foreign passengers are now required to complete landing cards online before boarding inbound flights and exit cards before leaving the country. “This system is integrated with the Visa Processing Centre to automatically enforce applicable penalties.”
Visa on Arrival has also been officially discontinued as of May 1, 2025. However, visas already issued under the previous system will remain valid until May 30, 2025.
