Nigeria – Resident expatriates within Nigeria no longer need re-entry visas

Executive summary

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recently announced new legislation removing the requirement to issue re-entry visas to resident expatriates within Nigeria.

Resident expatriates with valid residence permits, such as endorsed Combined Expatriate Residence Permit, Alien Card forms or Green Cards, are now permitted to travel into and out of Nigeria freely, without any requirement to obtain a re-entry visa.

This new NIS policy only applies to resident expatriates and their dependants. It is expected the new legislation will allow for more flexible travel as well as a reduced administrative burden.

Background

The Federal Ministry of Interior, through one of its regulatory agencies, the NIS, has been considering a number of options in order to simplify the regular processes for existing investors while at the same time attracting more foreign direct investments into Nigeria.

The recent introduction of the new visa policy which removes the previous requirement for re-entry visas for resident expatriates in Nigeria is one of these initiatives introduced by NIS.  Re-entry visas were granted by NIS allowing for expatriates to commute into and out of Nigeria within a certain time period.

Next steps

Resident expatriates within Nigeria are advised to ensure their residence permits are up-to-date ahead of any planned travel.

Ajibola Aderonke is an auditor at professional services firm Ernst & Young (EY). She previously worked another Big 4 accounting firm PwC. She can be reached at ajibolaaderonke@gmail.com for ideas and suggestions. The post above and its ensuing comments, if any, is purely the opinion of the writer.