The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced stricter penalties for expatriates who overstay their visas.
According to Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, expatriates who overstay their visas by six months will face a five-year entry ban, while those who overstay by one year will be barred from entering the country for 10 years.
Additionally, a daily fine of $15 will be imposed on overstayers, effective August 1.
The new regulations are part of the Ministry of Interior’s Expatriate Administration System reforms, aimed at curbing visa overstays and obtaining accurate data on expatriates in Nigeria.
The reforms include an automated landing and exit card system, electronic visa, expatriate comprehensive insurance, an upgraded combined expatriate resident permit and alien card, temporary resident visa, temporary work permit, and a revised expatriate quota system.
Under the new system, expatriates must exit the country on or before their visa expiry date and apply for extensions only from outside Nigeria.
The Minister emphasized the need for accurate data on expatriates, stating that Nigeria’s current records indicating fewer than 50,000 expatriates are inaccurate.
A three-month moratorium will be given to allow expatriates to regularize their status before strict enforcement begins in August.