NIS BEGINS CRACKDOWN ON VISA OVERSTAYS AFTER AMNESTY ENDS

October 1, 2025

Read Time:58 Second

By Aishat Momoh. O.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has launched a nationwide crackdown on foreign nationals who overstayed their visas or breached entry conditions, following the expiration of a three-month amnesty granted by the Federal Government.

The amnesty, which ran from July 5 to September 30, allowed foreigners with irregular status to regularise their stay without penalties.

“With the expiration of the amnesty period, effective October 1, 2025, enforcement actions will commence nationwide against foreign nationals who have overstayed their visa or violated their entry conditions,” NIS spokesperson Akinsola Akinlabi said in a statement on Wednesday.

Targeted categories include holders of expired Visa on Arrival, expired short visit or business visas, and those with lapsed Comprehensive Expatriate Residence Permits. Offenders face deportation, daily fines of $15, and entry bans ranging from two to 10 years or permanent restrictions, depending on the duration of the overstay.

The NIS said the move aims to safeguard national security and enforce immigration laws. Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo earlier urged diplomats to advise their nationals to comply with Nigeria’s regulations, stressing that the laws “are not meant to be abused but respected.”