The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has launched visa amnesty for foreigners with expired documents. The agency sets September 30 deadline for foreigners currently residing in Nigeria with expired immigration documents to come regularize their stay without facing penalties.
This programme began in May 1 2025, but just been announced yesterday July 5 2025 in a press statement signed by ACI AS Akinlabi, Service Public Relations Officer at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, and it's scheduled to run till September 30, 2025 when the grace period will be put to end.
According to Akinlabi in the press statement, the Expired Visa Initiative (Amnesty) was introduced "in a bid to enhance compliance with the New Visa Regime and reinforce a secure and transparent migration system" in Nigeria. He said the Amnesty is for "individuals who have either overstayed their visas or violated their visa conditions."
Expired Visa Initiative (Amnesty) Eligibility Requirements
In addition to the fact that federal government states that the Amnesty is applied to anyone who has either violated their visa conditions or overstayed their time, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) further gives a precise requirements:
- The Amnesty Visa is applied to those with expired Visa on Arrival (VoA).
- Persons holding an expired Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC) whose renewal is overdue by more than 30 days after the expiration date.
- Individual holding expired Single and Multiple-Entry Visas.
The Immigration Service has called on all concerned foreign nationals to start the process of updating their immigration status through the official website. They advised, “Foreign nationals affected by this directive should take immediate steps to regularize their stay via (https://amnesty.immigration.gov.ng) within the designated period to avoid penalties for overstaying.”
In addition to that, the NIS also stated that it has established a special support team to guide foreign national applicants through the Visa amnesty process. The NIS said foreign nationals in need of assistance can reach out to the team by emailing: amnesty@immigration.gov.ng.
Final Note
Nigeria’s immigration system has seen significant reforms since late 2024, with the introduction of a contactless passport application process and the rollout of an electronic visa (e-Visa) platform. These initiatives are designed to enhance efficiency and reduce opportunities for corruption, marking a major shift toward a fully digital immigration process.
As part of this transition, the traditional visa-on-arrival option has been replaced with e-Visas, and all travelers are now required to complete automated landing and departure forms. Alongside these digital reforms, stricter enforcement measures have been introduced. From May 1, a pilot program began imposing a daily surcharge of $15 for visa overstays.
Foreign nationals overstaying by more than three months face a five-year ban from re-entering Nigeria, while those exceeding a twelve-month overstay risk a ten-year blacklist. To ease the adjustment, the government announced a grace period from May 1 to July 31, allowing affected individuals to update their immigration status without facing penalties.
