With the grace period ending September 30, foreign nationals who remained in Nigeria beyond visa expiry now face fines, deportation and multi-year bans under new immigration rules.
The Nigeria Immigration Service has begun enforcing new immigration measures targeting foreigners who have overstayed their visas or violated immigration conditions, after a government-announced amnesty period expired at midnight on September 30, 2025. The amnesty was first introduced on July 5, 2025, giving non-citizens with expired documents time to regularise their immigration status without penalties.
Categories covered included holders of expired Visa on Arrival, expired single- and multiple-entry visit or business visas, and expired Combined Expatriate Residence Permits and Aliens Cards. Effective October 1, 2025, overstayers now face escalating penalties depending on how long their visa has lapsed.
Those who overstay by less than three months are subject to removal through deportation, a daily fine of US$15, or a two-year ban on re-entry into Nigeria. Foreign nationals whose overstay ranges between three months and one year risk similar removal, the same daily fine, or a five-year re-entry ban. Overstays exceeding one year may result in deportation and a ban of 10 years or even permanent exclusion, according to NIS.
These measures are part of broader immigration reforms launched earlier in 2025, which include the rollout of an electronic visa system, digitization of landing and exit cards, and stricter tracking of foreign nationals’ arrival and departures. The end of the amnesty marks a shift from leniency to enforcement. Officials have indicated that the crackdown is intended to promote compliance with immigration laws, enhance national security, and ensure transparency in migration data.
Foreign nationals who allowed their status to lapse but did not regularise during the amnesty period are now at risk of facing the full force of the new rules. Immigration authorities are urging such individuals to take urgent steps to comply or exit the country lawfully. Travelers or expatriates whose visas have expired, even if only by a few weeks, face a US$15 daily fine, starting from the date on which their visa expired.
For those overstaying significantly, the cost is not just monetary: loss of future access to Nigeria through bans is a serious consequence. Employers who rely on foreign staff may also need to ensure their employees’ immigration paperwork is in order to avoid disruptions.
Nigeria’s tightened immigration regime reflects a clear shift from previous grace periods to strict enforcement. The new penalties are designed to ensure that foreign nationals adhere to visa regulations, failure to comply could mean being banned from the country for years or permanently. For those affected, prompt action will determine whether they come under these sanctions or avoid them.
Source: Nigeria Immigration Service