The Nigeria Immigration Service has announced that, effective September 1, 2025, foreigners who overstay their visas will incur a daily fine of $15 for each day spent in the country beyond the approved duration of stay.
The development was disclosed in a statement signed on Monday by AS Akinlabi, the Service Public Relations Officer at the Nigeria Immigration Service Headquarters in Abuja.
This new penalty regime is part of ongoing immigration reforms under the current administration, following the rollout of a digital e-Visa system and automated landing and exit cards effective May 1, 2025
According to the updated guidelines:
- A $15 daily fine will apply to all instances of visa overstay.
- Individuals who overstay by three months or more will face the fine in addition to a five-year entry ban.
- Those who overstay for one year or longer will be subject to the fine, blacklisting, and a permanent ban from re-entering Nigeria.
Although the fines will be enforced from September 1, the overstay tracking mechanism will be activated a month earlier, on August 2, 2025.
“In addition to the introduction of the e-Visa, Nigeria Visa Policy 2025 now makes it mandatory for foreigners who overstay their visas to be liable to the following penalties (effective from 2nd August 2025):
“Overstay Penalties (Effective from 1st September 2025):
“$15 per day
“3 months & above: $15/day + 5-year entry ban
“1 year & above: $15/day + blacklisting (permanent entry ban),” the statement read in part.
To allow a smooth transition, the Nigerian Immigration Service has granted a three-month amnesty window from May 1 to August 1, 2025. During this period, foreigners residing in Nigeria with expired visas are permitted to return to their home countries voluntarily without incurring penalties.
Credit: Nairametrics
