Nigeria Immigration opens visa amnesty for foreigners with expired documents, sets September 30 deadline

Nigeria Immigration opens visa amnesty for foreigners with expired documents, sets September 30 deadline

For foreigners currently residing in Nigeria with expired immigration documents, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has introduced the Expired Visa Initiative (Amnesty). This unique visa amnesty window permits them to regularize their stay without incurring fines.

ACI AS Akinlabi, Service Public Relations Officer at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, signed a press release on July 5, 2025, revealing this information.

The program will conclude on September 30, 2025, having started on May 1, 2025, according to the release.

“The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Interior and the Nigeria Immigration Service, announces an Expired Visa Initiative (Amnesty) in an effort to improve adherence to the New Visa Regime and strengthen a safe and open migration system. For foreigners whose immigration status has expired and they are currently living in Nigeria, this initiative offers a special opportunity to regularize their stay without incurring fines.

People who have overstayed their visas or broken their visa terms are expressly covered by the program, which began on May 1, 2025, and ends on September 30, 2025, according to the announcement.

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Those eligible for the amnesty 

The NIS clarified that the amnesty applies to the following categories of foreign nationals:

• Those with expired Visa on Arrival (VoA)
• Holders of expired Single and Multiple-Entry Visas
• Individuals with an expired Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC) whose renewal has exceeded 30 days post-expiration

The Immigration Service urged affected foreigners to begin the process of regularizing their immigration status via the official portal

“All affected foreign nationals are urged to promptly regularize their stay through (https://amnesty.immigration.gov.ng) within the grace period to avoid overstay penalties.” 

In addition, the Nigeria Immigration Service has set up a dedicated support team to assist applicants with the amnesty process. Foreign nationals seeking help can contact the team via email at: amnesty@immigration.gov.ng

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What you should know 

Nigeria’s immigration system has been undergoing a sweeping overhaul since late 2024. The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) introduced a contactless passport application system and unveiled plans to launch an electronic visa (e-Visa) platform, aimed at curbing corruption and improving efficiency across immigration processes.

Nairametrics reported in early May that Nigeria’s immigration has fully transitioned into its digital migration phase. The traditional visa-on-arrival was discontinued, replaced by e‑Visas, and travelers were mandated to complete automated landing and exit cards as part of the new regime.

This shift toward digitization was accompanied by stricter enforcement rules. Starting May 1, a pilot phase introduced a daily surcharge of $15 to all instances of visa overstay. Foreigners who overstayed by more than three months risked a five-year re-entry ban, while those whose stay exceeded twelve months faced a ten-year blacklist.