- The Federal Government introduces strict penalties for visa overstays, effective August 1
- Overstaying by six months attracts a five-year entry ban; one year results in a 10-year ban
- A daily fine of $15 imposed from the day a visa expires
Starting August 1, the Federal Government of Nigeria will enforce tougher immigration penalties to curb visa overstays by expatriates.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the announcement on Friday, April 11, during a stakeholder meeting with the Organised Private Sector at the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association House in Ikeja, Lagos.
According to the new policy, foreigners who overstay their visas by six months will face a five-year entry ban, while those who overstay by one year will be banned from entering the country for ten years.
Additionally, overstayers will be required to pay a daily fine of $15, effective from the visa's expiration date.
Tunji-Ojo unveiled these changes as part of a broader reform under the Ministry’s new Expatriate Administration System, aimed at digitising and streamlining immigration procedures.
These changes will roll out from May 1, with a three-month grace period for expatriates to regularise their status before enforcement begins.
Key features of the reforms include:
- Automated Landing and Exit Cards
- Electronic Visa System (e-Visa)
- Mandatory Annual Expatriate Comprehensive Insurance
- Upgraded Combined Expatriate Resident Permit and Alien Card (CERPAC)
- Revised Expatriate Quota System
- Temporary Resident Visa and Temporary Work Permit options
Speaking on the importance of these reforms, Tunji-Ojo highlighted the need for accurate data on the expatriate population in Nigeria.
“Our records show fewer than 50,000 expatriates in Nigeria, which is not accurate. Reliable data is crucial for national planning and development,” he said.
He emphasised that all landing and exit cards must now be completed online.
"We are not introducing anything new with these cards, just moving from paper to digital. With a population of over 230 million tech-savvy people, paper processes are outdated,” he added.
The automation of these systems will also help authorities track overstays more effectively.
“Expatriates must leave the country on or before their visa expiry date and can only apply for extensions from outside Nigeria,” the Minister stressed.
The Electronic Visa (e-Visa), also launching on May 1, is designed to simplify visa application processes and reduce corruption.
Tunji-Ojo said visas will now be issued within 48 hours, replacing the visa-on-arrival system.
“No more lobbying. It’s now a seamless, secure, and efficient system that supports tourism and business,” he noted.
To address the financial burden of repatriating foreigners, the government is also introducing a mandatory Expatriate Comprehensive Insurance policy.
This will cover the cost of deportation in cases of default, eliminating the need for the current $10,000 repatriation deposit and saving government funds.
“We spent our entire annual repatriation budget just a month ago and had to request an additional N25 million. That money should be used for infrastructure, not deportations,” Tunji-Ojo explained.
Employers will also be held accountable for immigration violations committed by their expatriate staff under the revised framework.
Finally, the upgraded CERPAC system will be fully automated, with no increase in fees.
The platform will be integrated with INTERPOL to help monitor and track individuals with criminal records or questionable intentions.
Tunji-Ojo said the overarching goal of these reforms is to ensure Nigeria remains open to legitimate travelers while protecting its borders and resources.
Nigerian government to end visa-on-arrival policy by April over security concerns
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Federal Government of Nigeria announced plans to phase out the visa-on-arrival policy, citing security risks and the need for stricter border control measures.
He emphasised the importance of the pre-arrival clearance system, which will require visitors to undergo rigorous background checks before being allowed into Nigeria.