The Federal Government has approved over 14,000 electronic visa applications within the first six weeks of its rollout and is now preparing to impose strict penalties on foreigners who overstay their visas, beginning August 1, 2025.
As part of efforts to overhaul Nigeria’s immigration system, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced on Monday that an immigration amnesty portal will open in July, offering affected individuals a chance to regularise their stay before the deadline.
“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,” Tunji-Ojo said during a stakeholders’ sensitisation session held at the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking directly to members of the diplomatic corps, he added, “Please tell your people to take advantage of the amnesty,” and emphasized, “Once the grace period lapses, the law would be enforced 100 per cent.”
“I plead with you, we are opening the immigration amnesty portal in July, I think within the next one or two days. Please, for the benefit of our diplomatic corps, encourage your people to take advantage of it.
“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.
“Our laws are not meant to be abused. Our laws are meant to be respected. And wherever you are from, once you are in Nigeria, you must respect the laws of Nigeria,” he affirmed.
The amnesty scheme forms part of a wider immigration reform plan that started in April and is being implemented in phases. From May 1, a $15 daily surcharge was introduced for each day a visitor overstays beyond the date stamped in their passport.
However, the ministry simultaneously granted a three-month moratorium lasting until July 31, allowing overstayers to update their immigration status without penalty.
Effective August 1, those still out of compliance will be required to pay the full surcharge and may also face re-entry bans: a five-year ban for overstaying by six months and a 10-year ban for staying one year or more, as outlined in the implementation guide issued by the NIS.
The newly launched online portal allows foreigners holding expired visa-on-arrival permits, single-entry visas, or lapsed expatriate residence cards to apply for a stay permit, submit necessary documents, and receive clearance—all without physically visiting an immigration office.
Tunji-Ojo also revealed that the federal government had cut costs by nearly N1bn annually after terminating a contract for physical archiving of passport and visa records in late 2023.
“We cancelled the physical presentation [and] manual archiving that was costing us almost a billion a year.
“It gives us the opportunity to verify those documents ahead of time, so the integrity of our foundational data is better enhanced…saving us almost a billion naira every year,” he said.
The passport and visa automation initiative officially began on January 8, 2024. Since then, all applications and renewals have moved to a fully digital platform where applicants can fill out forms, upload documents, and make payments online.
According to the minister, this reform has helped eliminate long-standing issues such as scarcity, exploitation, and corruption in passport issuance.
“Years ago, people waited months and paid touts N200,000, sometimes N500,000, for a N100,000 booklet,” he recalled. “If you want to kill corruption, kill scarcity.”
He said that as of May 2025, 99 per cent of all passport processing was fully digital, with biometric data capture and booklet collection now taking just 20 minutes per applicant.
The automation of the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC) and the Temporary Work Permit (TWP) is also nearing completion and will go live in early July.
“I can tell you that within the first six weeks of the e-visa, we were able to process over 14,000 visa applications. Within six weeks.
“So, by any standard in the world, that is a pass mark. It is a huge one and, of course, those little hitches, I tell you, within the next one to two weeks, will be history. We will correct them,” Tunji-Ojo said.
Giving a glimpse into the commitment behind the reforms, he disclosed, “Even yesterday in my house, the CGIS was there. Technological partners were at my house. The DCG visa was in my house. All of us were in my house.
“We worked for hours yesterday, Sunday, even in my conference room at home. We were working because we understand that when you are in the process of innovation, there is no room, there is no opportunity for you to close your eyes. You must make sure it works. We are ready for the challenge.”
According to him, the e-visa system is expected to drive economic growth by simplifying access and removing bottlenecks previously exploited by middlemen.
“To me, when somebody needs a visa to Nigeria, and all he is looking for is who knows the minister, who knows the CG Immigration, who knows the permanent secretary, that is not how to grow a country. That is the truth.
“You must make it easy while not compromising national security. There must be a strategy. So, the e-visa, I want to assure you, by the grace of God, is here to stay,” he stated.
Addressing concerns over abuse of the TWP system, the minister said reforms would end exploitation.
“That era when people will come on TWP almost for free, keep renewing over and over, just to evade the law, is gone. So, for us, TWP is automated just like CERPAC is already automated,” he stated.
On her part, the Comptroller General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, said the new visa regime includes innovations like the e-Visa Application Channel, e-CERPAC, Landing and Exit Cards, and Temporary Work Permits.
“The already installed e-Gates at our major airports and commissioned command and control centre are positioned to house and harness these technologies.
“These digital solutions leverage technology to streamline processes, enhance security, and improve the overall experience for travellers and stakeholders,” she said.
According to her, “The e-Visa system allows for seamless online applications, eliminating the need for physical visits to immigration offices.”
She added, “The e-CERPAC integrates residence permits into a digital document, simplifying processes for foreign nationals residing in Nigeria.
“Our Temporary Work Permit has also been digitised, reducing processing times and increasing efficiency.”
