The Federal Government has announced August 1, 2025, as the enforcement date for penalties against foreigners who overstay their visas, urging affected individuals to regularise their stay via an immigration amnesty portal now live online.
Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo made the announcement on Monday during a stakeholder sensitisation session in Abuja, revealing that an immigration amnesty portal will go live in July to allow overstayers to update their records.
“Once the amnesty period is over, we will implement the law 100 per cent, and of course, there will be a penalty for overstaying in Nigeria,” the minister said.
“Our laws are not meant to be abused. They are meant to be respected. And wherever you are from, once you are in Nigeria, you must respect the laws of Nigeria.”
The new policy follows a reform that introduced a $15 daily surcharge for each day a visitor overstays. The grace period, ending July 31, allows affected individuals to regularise without paying fines.
From August 1, anyone still in violation risks a five-year re-entry ban for overstays of six months and a 10-year ban for overstays of one year or more
The portal will enable digital submissions for expired visa-on-arrival permits, lapsed single-entry visas, and overdue residence cards, removing the need to visit immigration offices.
Tunji-Ojo said over 14,000 visa applications have already been processed through Nigeria’s new e-visa platform in just six weeks, describing it as a major achievement.
“Please tell your people to take advantage of the amnesty,” he told members of the diplomatic corps. “We are ready for the challenge.”
