VisaNigeria tourist e-visas cannot be extended under the closed amnesty programme
This current guide distinguishes Nigeria’s 30-day tourist stay from visa validity, explains the evidence and advance-application process, and confirms that the former amnesty portal is closed.
Official source date: 2026-10-29
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
Tourist visa validity does not create a 90-day stay
Nigeria’s tourism e-visa is a single-entry category with a 30-day stay and no extension, according to the Immigration Service visa-classes guidance. The April 2026 Service Level Agreement separately describes 90-day validity from issuance. This current guide explains that distinction and the closed regularisation programme; it does not announce a new October amnesty or extension concession.
The two periods answer different questions. A traveller must use the permission within its validity and comply with the shorter stay actually authorised. A future departure reservation inside the visa’s 90-day validity does not prove that a continuous 90-day visit is allowed. Check the issued document and entry record against the tourist class before relying on a proposed itinerary.
Prepare the tourist evidence and obtain permission before travel
The Immigration Service tourism checklist requests a valid passport, return travel, accommodation evidence and a bank statement showing adequate funds. Minors also need parental consent documents. The April service agreement specifies at least six months of passport validity and a passport photograph. It describes an online application, document upload, visa-fee payment and delivery of a certificate by email.
The service agreement gives 48 hours where there is no local objection, rather than an unconditional approval guarantee. Its fee appendix varies charges by nationality and visa product; applicants should confirm the charge generated for the selected case rather than assume one universal tourist price. Use the current service agreement for that tariff check and keep the receipt separately from the visa certificate.
Arrival processing and other visa categories are different questions
UK government advice for British passport holders says visas on arrival are no longer available and applications must be completed online before travel. It identifies a separate exemption for holders of valid Nigerian residence permission, such as CERPAC or a Green Card. A visitor without that status should not treat the resident exemption as applying merely because family or a business partner lives in Nigeria.
The Immigration Service visa-classes page distinguishes tourism from business meetings, employment and other activities. Its single-entry business category requires company invitation and registration evidence, accommodation and return travel, and does not authorise direct employment. Selecting a tourist category should not be used to bypass documents required for a business or work assignment. Identify the actual purpose before paying or requesting an invitation.
The 2025 amnesty was a time-limited programme
The Immigration Service announced an expired-visa initiative that ran from 1 May until 30 September 2025. Its published scope included expired visas on arrival, expired single- and multiple-entry visas, and specified expired residence cards. That was a historical regularisation opportunity, not an ongoing right to extend every short-stay e-visa.
The dedicated amnesty portal now states that the application programme has concluded and no new applications can be submitted. It says previously submitted cases continue to be processed and applicants receive outcomes through the contact details supplied. Someone with a pending historical case should follow those official case instructions; someone who never applied cannot assume that an old announcement or a page still describing the initiative reopens it today.
Resolve expiry and complete the separate border forms
The UK entry guidance says foreigners must complete the online landing and departure cards and may be asked to show them at airports or other border points. These forms do not replace the visa or extend the permitted visit. Keep the passport, issued certificate, travel arrangements and relevant border-form records consistent.
For illustration, a tourist wanting to remain beyond the authorised 30 days should seek direction from Immigration about a lawful route before expiry, rather than submit to the closed amnesty portal or assume a routine tourist extension exists. The visa-class page expressly labels that tourist permission non-extendable. The resources reviewed do not establish an automatic grace period, a guaranteed alternative status or permission to remain while an unrelated application is considered. The next action depends on the actual visa class, residence status and expiry date.
