The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has commenced a nationwide enforcement exercise against foreigners who have overstayed their visas or violated immigration rules. This follows the expiration of the Federal Government’s visa amnesty programme, which officially ended at midnight on September 30, 2025.
The amnesty period, which started on July 5, 2025, gave non-citizens with expired documents the opportunity to regularise their stay in Nigeria without facing fines or penalties. However, with that window now closed, the NIS has announced that full enforcement has begun.
In a statement released late Tuesday, NIS spokesperson ACI Akinsola Akinlabi explained that immigration officers will from October 1 focus on individuals with expired Visa on Arrival, expired short-visit or business visas, as well as those holding lapsed Comprehensive Expatriate Residence Permits and Automated Cards (CERPAC).
According to the Service, offenders risk deportation, financial penalties, and restrictions on future entry into Nigeria. The penalty framework includes:
- Overstay between three months and one year: removal, daily fines of $15, or a five-year entry ban.
- Overstay of more than one year: removal and either a 10-year ban or a permanent ban.
The NIS noted that this crackdown is part of efforts to ensure lawful migration, strengthen national security, and promote accountability within the country’s immigration system.
