Nigeria announces $15 daily fine for visa overstays

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has introduced a new penalty for foreigners who exceed their approved stay in the country, announcing a $15 daily fine for each day of overstay beginning September 1, 2025.

The measure was revealed in a statement issued Monday by AS Akinlabi, Public Relations Officer at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja. The fine is part of broader immigration reforms introduced under the current administration, which include the launch of a digital e-Visa platform and automated landing and exit cards that took effect May 1, 2025.

Under the revised policy:
A daily fine of $15 will apply to all visa overstays.
Those who overstay by three months or more will face the daily fine plus a five-year ban from re-entering Nigeria.Nigerian students to pay over N2m visa fee as Australia considers hike

Overstays of one year or longer will result in the fine, blacklisting, and a permanent entry ban.
While the fines will officially be enforced from September, the tracking system for overstays will go live 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.

The NIS has also announced a three-month grace period, from May 1 to August 1, 2025, allowing foreigners with expired visas to voluntarily leave Nigeria without facing penalties.

As part of the updated visa system, the Visa on Arrival scheme has been discontinued, while 13 categories of Short Visit Visas (SVVs) have been introduced. Visa applications will now be handled entirely online, with e-Visas expected to be processed within 48 hours and approved documents sent via email with a QR code.

Travelers arriving or departing Nigeria will also be required to complete electronic landing and exit cards at https://lecard.immigration.gov.ng. According to the NIS, inbound passengers (except Nigerian citizens) must submit the landing card online before boarding, while outbound passengers must complete the exit card before departure.

The agency emphasized that the new system is integrated with the Visa Processing Centre, allowing automatic enforcement of penalties, including entry bans.

The NIS urged travelers and stakeholders to comply fully with the new rules, reiterating its dedication to creating a transparent, secure immigration process in line with global standards