FG grants 5-month amnesty for foreigners to regularise expired visas

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced a five-month amnesty programme allowing foreigners with expired visas or immigration infractions to regularise their status without facing penalties.

In a statement on Sunday, Akinsola Akinlabi, the NIS spokesperson, said the initiative—which began on May 1—was introduced in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and will run until September 30.

According to the NIS, the amnesty applies to three main categories:

• Foreign nationals with expired visas on arrival;

• Holders of expired single or multiple-entry visas;

• Individuals with expired Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Cards (CERPAC) overdue by more than 30 days.

The immigration agency urged all affected individuals to take advantage of this window to regularise their stay through the designated online portal, thereby avoiding penalties for overstaying.

“To facilitate the process, the NIS has deployed a dedicated support team to assist applicants,” Akinlabi said, adding that the service remains committed to lawful migration, national security, and an efficient, transparent immigration system.

This amnesty comes ahead of tougher measures that will take effect later this year. Under new rules announced in May, foreigners who overstay their visas by more than three months face a daily fine of $15 and a five-year entry ban. Those who exceed a year could be permanently barred from re-entering Nigeria. These penalties will be enforced starting September 1.

Previously, the NIS also granted a three-month window from May 1 to August 1 for foreigners with expired visas to voluntarily depart Nigeria without facing fines.

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The amnesty programme is seen as a final opportunity for non-compliant foreigners to update their immigration status before strict penalties kick in.