Nigeria has officially launched a fully digital e-Visa and automated entry system as part of the country’s 2025 Visa Policy. The initiative, which took effect on May 1, 2025, aims to improve national security, simplify the visa application process, and eliminate the previous Visa-on-Arrival system.
The new platform, a collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Interior and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), offers 13 categories under the Short Visit Visa (SVV) class. The e-Visa applications will be processed online and completed within 48 hours, with successful applicants receiving their visas and QR codes via email.
The policy also introduces strict penalties for visa overstays, with fines of \$15 per day starting from September 1, 2025. Foreigners who overstay for three months or more will face a five-year entry ban, while those who overstay for one year or more could face a permanent ban from entering Nigeria.
Additionally, the government has phased out manual embarkation and disembarkation forms, replacing them with a fully automated landing and exit card system for all inbound and outbound passengers.
A three-month grace period, from May 1 to August 1, 2025, has been granted to foreigners with expired visas, allowing them to leave Nigeria without incurring penalties.
