The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on 2 May 2025, released guidelines for the Implementation of the e-Visa Application System and Automated Landing and Exit Cards (the “Guidelines”). The Guidelines are part of the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s Visa Policy, control the movement of foreigners in and out of Nigeria. As part of the reforms, the NIS is introducing 2 (two) new systems; e-visa application system and automated landing and exit cards. The new systems apply primarily to short stay visas (30 – 90 days) and took effect on 1 May 2025. With the introduction of the e-visa system, the issuance of visa-on-arrival (VOA) has been discontinued, however, all VOAs already issued prior to 1 May 2025 will remain valid until 30 May 2025.
The highlights of the Guidelines are as provided below:
- 1. Introduction of e-visa application and approval process
Under the Guidelines, short stay visas will be processed strictly online within 48 (forty-eight) hours or less. Upon approval, the e-visa sticker and a unique QR code will be sent to the applicant’s email address. The e-visa system expands the short-stay visa categories from 2 (two) visa types- business visa (single entry) and tourist visa (single entry) to 13 (thirteen) categories.[1]
To be eligible for the e-visa, an applicant must possess a valid passport with at least 6 (six) months’ validity and must fall under one of the 13 approved visa categories. The application documents required for the e-visa will vary depending on the visa category applied for. However, applicants will generally be required to provide:
- the data page of their international passports;
- a recent passport-sized photograph;
- travel itinerary; and
- evidence of payment of the prescribed application fee.
The e-visa will be valid for 30 and 90 days from the date of issuance, depending on the approval granted, and applicants must enter Nigeria within this period. Persons requiring a visa for longer periods must apply for the appropriate visa through the Nigerian embassy or consulate in their country of residence. The e-visa will permit the applicant to enter Nigeria for the following purposes: tourism, business, medical tourism, sports, creative arts, study tours, academic exchanges, cultural exchanges, emergency relief work, and transit.
- 2. Landing and exit cards
The Guidelines also provide that the current manual embarkation and disembarkation cards will be replaced by an electronic landing and exit cards. The cards will be utilised by inbound and outbound passengers (non-Nigerians and Nigerians with dual nationality/ citizenship) and will be duly completed before boarding and departure, respectively. The exit card system will be synchronised with the visa processing centre and will automatically apply penalties, including visa bans, where applicable.
The landing and exit cards must be obtained 72 hours before entry or departure flights here: https://lecard.immigration.gov.ng/. Applicants will be required to provide their passports and travel details, and complete a biodata form to process the cards. A completed exit card will be requested by an immigration officer at the port of exit.
- 3. Penalties and fines for visa overstays
The Guidelines now make it mandatory for foreigners who overstay their visas to be liable to penalties. The overstay penalties will be as follows:
- upon visa expiration – a daily penalty of US$15.
- overstays for a period of 3 (three) months and above – US$15 per day and a 5 (five) year entry ban, and
- overstays up to a year and above – US$15 per day and a permanent entry ban.
The Guidelines provide a 3 (three) months’ window from 1 May to 1 August 2025, to allow foreigners residing in Nigeria with expired visas to return to their home country without imposition of the aforementioned penalties.
We note that certain aspects of proposed reforms, particularly with respect to their implementation, remain unclear. In this regard, the Guidelines provide two different effective dates for the implementation of penalties for visa overstays- 2 August 2025 and 1 September 2025. The NIS needs to issue clarification on the actual commencement date.
For more information on compliance requirements under Nigerian immigration laws and policies, please contact aoimmigration@aluko-oyebode.com
Our Associate, Favour Agbonyehemen, contributed to this article.
[1] These will include: (i) transit visa, (ii) business visa (for single entry, multiple entry, and frequently travelled business executives), (iii) tourist visa, (iv) sports visa, (v) creative arts visa, (vi) study tour visa, (vii) academic exchange programmes, (viii) international cultural exchange visa, (ix) emergency relief work visa, (x) returning holders of foreign passports who are Nigerians by birth, and (xi) visitor visa (single entry).
