Nigeria introduces lifetime ban, $15 daily fine for those who overstay visas

The Federal Government has introduced new immigration measures to crack down on those who overstay their visas, proposing penalties, which include daily fines and potential bans from returning to the country.

Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the new policy initiative during a stakeholders’ meeting at NECA House in Lagos on Friday, April 11, 2025.

The event examined the progress of the ongoing immigration reforms and provided updates on the expatriate quota system and the Nigeria Visa Policy (NVP) 2025.

According to Tunji-Ojo, the government will implement a daily fine of $15 for foreign nationals who overstay their visas starting in August.

In the same vein, the minister disclosed that foreigners who overstay for three months will receive a five-year re-entry ban, while those who overstay for a year or more will be banned from returning to Nigeria.

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He said that although penalties will apply from May 20205, the government has provided a three-month grace period until August before implementation begins.

He explained that the grace window is intended to give visa holders time to regularise their status or make necessary travel arrangements without penalty.

“From first of August, anybody that does not take advantage of the amnesty period of three months, penalty will come,” Tunji-Ojo said.

“But if you take advantage of that window to regularise, we will not charge you. Because the whole idea is not to punish you, the whole idea is for us to regularise. Let’s know the people who are actually in Nigeria.

“From the first of August, if you (-) it’s 15 dollars per day, and if you have stayed more than three months, five years, please, we don’t need violators in Nigeria.

“And if you have stayed more than one year without coming forward during the amnesty period, abeg don’t come to Nigeria again for life.”

FG to fully digitalise the resident permit

The Minister also disclosed plans by the government to fully digitalise the process of obtaining the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC) to simplify the application process for foreign nationals residing and working in Nigeria.

He noted that the digitalised process will allow foreign nationals to fill out and submit CERPAC applications online, eliminating the need for manual forms. To streamline the entire process, an online payment option will also be made available.

Tunji-Ojo added that the digital platform for CERPAC will be activated on May 1, 2025, with a link on the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) website.

“On issue of the CERPAC. Do not be scared. We are not increasing your CERPAC fee. To me, let us sanitise the system. That’s the first thing,” he said.

“We are automating it end-to-end. Because, as it is today, the procedure is that you have to go buy a form. When you buy a form, you pay at the bank and take the form to the CERPAC centre. There’s no country in the world that does that.

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“Your CERPAC will be filled online. Payments will be done online. Immigration will review at the bank end.

“And if you know you have criminal issues, do not apply for CERPAC. Because we are integrating the CERPAC solution with Interpol 24/7 and all other criminal systems. So that Nigeria will not be a safe haven for somebody that they are looking for all over the world. This place is not safe for you. Go back.

“So, everything, you can do it with the comfort of your office. And by our laws, we are going to be holding employers responsible from the foundations. It’s the way it’s done all over the world. It is the employers that will hold employees. My business is with you, business owners.

“We’ve been working on this for months, if not over a year, looking at the way it’s done all over the world, best practices, and everything.”

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