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CERPAC Nigeria: getting and renewing your residence permit, cost and e-CERPAC

What it is
Getting and renewing the residence permit for foreign nationals in Nigeria (CERPAC, now e-CERPAC): compulsory beyond 90 days to work, study or live there, applied for online with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
What it costs
USD 2,000 for the e-CERPAC and USD 1,000 of expatriate insurance for one year, payable in naira (Ministry of Interior fee schedule, recorded on 23.10.2026). Students: USD 600 or USD 400 a year depending on the page. Spouse of a Nigerian: free.
How long
2 to 4 weeks of processing announced by the e-CERPAC portal. Renewal to be applied for at least 30 days before expiry.
Can be done remotely : Partly Application, payment and tracking online on the e-CERPAC portal, which also announces online fingerprinting. Other NIS pages still mention a visit to the embassy or an NIS office.

The steps

  1. The employer obtains the business permit and expatriate quota

    From the Ministry of Interior (Citizenship and Business). Applies to employees; the employer accepts immigration responsibility.

    first of all

  2. Create an account on the e-CERPAC portal

    cerpac.immigration.gov.ng, with the passport number (valid for at least another 6 months).

    1 day

  3. Upload the documents

    Contract, employer's letter, quota verification, degrees, CV, police clearance certificate; specific documents for students, spouses, retirees.

    a few days

  4. Pay

    Online, in naira at the current rate: USD 2,000 for the e-CERPAC plus the compulsory insurance. Non-refundable; paid by the employer for an employee.

    1 day

  5. Fingerprinting and decision

    Online according to the portal; at the embassy or an NIS office according to other pages.

    2 to 4 weeks

  6. Renew

    On the portal, with updated documents, at least 30 days before expiry; the employer's quota must be valid.

    every year

What it really costs

e-CERPAC, employee (Ministry of Interior; “per annum” according to the portal)USD 2,000
e-CERPAC, student: NIS CERPAC page / portal (students and missionaries)USD 600 / USD 400 a year
Spouse of a Nigerian citizen (NIS CERPAC page)free
Compulsory expatriate insurance, 90 to 180 days / 1 yearUSD 500 / USD 1,000
STR visa, Lebanese passport (service charter, April 2026), if the old route appliesUSD 100
Employer's business permit, company limited by sharesNGN 1,500,000
Expatriate quota position: establishment / renewalNGN 1,000,000 / NGN 500,000
Overstay (announced penalty, reported by the press)USD 15 a day
Observed totalAbout USD 3,000 a year for an employee (e-CERPAC and insurance), paid by the employer, excluding quota fees

Amounts recorded on 23.10.2026.

What most often gets stuck

  • Employer without a valid expatriate quota, or quota not yet linked to the new platform.
  • Passport valid for less than 6 months.
  • Missing police clearance certificate: it is required in almost every category.
  • Marriage certificate not attested for the spouse.
  • Renewal applied for too late: more than 30 days after expiry, it is an offence.
  • Change of employer without a transfer application.
  • Entry on a short-stay visa or e-Visa: it cannot be converted into a residence permit on the spot.
  • Payment on an unofficial website: fees are not refunded.

CERPAC Nigeria: any foreign national, Lebanese citizens included, who settles in Nigeria for more than 90 days to work, study or live there must hold this residence permit, now issued in electronic form (e-CERPAC). Since 1 August 2025, applications are made online only and, for an employee, the permit is issued before arrival. It costs USD 2,000 a year, payable in naira at the current exchange rate, plus compulsory insurance of USD 1,000 a year, and must be renewed at least 30 days before it expires (amounts recorded on 23 October 2026 on the official websites).

A word of caution: the pages of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) do not all say the same thing about how long the permit lasts, the student fee or where fingerprints are taken. We say which page says what each time, and we list the contradictions further down.

In short

  • Who: foreign employees and business owners, their spouses and children, students, spouses of Nigerians, retirees aged 65 and over. Only nationals of ECOWAS countries are exempt.
  • Cost: USD 2,000 for the e-CERPAC (Ministry of Interior fee schedule), plus USD 1,000 of expatriate insurance for one year. Students: USD 600 according to the NIS CERPAC page, USD 400 a year according to the e-CERPAC portal. Spouse of a Nigerian: free according to the CERPAC page.
  • Validity: one year according to the e-CERPAC portal; up to two years according to the 2017 Regulations and the NIS FAQ.
  • Wait time: 2 to 4 weeks according to the portal; 10 days after fingerprinting according to the NIS service charter (April 2026).
  • Where: on the official portal cerpac.immigration.gov.ng. An employee’s fees are paid online by the employer.

CERPAC and e-CERPAC: what changed in 2025

The CERPAC (“Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card”, which the NIS now writes as “Comprehensive Expatriate Residence Permit and Automated Card”) serves as both a residence permit and an identity document for foreign nationals. It has existed since 2001. It rests on sections 37 to 39 of the Immigration Act 2015 and on sections 11 to 14 of the Immigration Regulations 2017.

Until 2025, an employee entered Nigeria on an “STR” visa (Subject to Regularization), then had their status regularised on the spot, using paper forms. According to the NIS e-CERPAC page, published in July 2025, the new e-CERPAC “eliminates the need for post-arrival regularization”: it is processed and issued before entry into the country. According to the consultancy KPMG, which cites an NIS press release of 16 July 2025, the online portal has been the only channel for applications since 1 August 2025.

Already hold a CERPAC? We found no official page requiring a CERPAC that is still valid to be replaced before it expires. According to the consultancy EY (September 2025), companies must link their current expatriate quotas to the new platform, in a “Legacy Records” section of the Ministry of Interior portal. Renewal, for its part, goes through the e-CERPAC portal. Ask your employer whether your file has been carried over.

The switch is not yet consistent everywhere: the NIS service charter revised in April 2026 still describes the old route for the employment visa (R2A): STR visa at the embassy, then regularisation in Nigeria. The e-CERPAC portal, on the other hand, says the permit must be obtained before arrival.

Employees: expatriate quota, visa and e-CERPAC

A foreign national can only be hired in Nigeria for a position open under their employer’s “expatriate quota”. The company handles the procedure: it obtains a business permit and a quota from the Ministry of Interior (Citizenship and Business department), then invites the employee on the e-CERPAC portal and pays the fees. Ministry fees, page updated on 6 April 2026:

  • business permit (company limited by shares): NGN 1,500,000;
  • establishment grant of an expatriate quota position: NGN 1,000,000; quota renewal: NGN 500,000;
  • e-CERPAC: USD 2,000;
  • compulsory expatriate insurance (“Expatriate Comprehensive Insurance”): USD 500 for 90 to 180 days, USD 1,000 for one year.

According to EY (July 2025), this annual insurance comes on top of the USD 2,000 e-CERPAC fee; it is meant to avoid the state paying for the repatriation of a foreign national. The portal states that the e-CERPAC costs USD 2,000 “per annum” and that payments are non-refundable.

Documents required from the employee (e-CERPAC portal, R2A category):

  • passport data page, valid for at least another 6 months;
  • employment contract or appointment letter, and signed letter of acceptance;
  • letter from the employer, on letterhead, accepting “immigration responsibility” for the employee;
  • expatriate quota verification by the Ministry of Interior;
  • degrees, transcripts or other proof of qualification, and a CV;
  • board resolution for a senior management post (CEO, general manager…);
  • registration with a professional body and security clearance, where applicable;
  • police clearance certificate.

The application is made on the portal: create an account, enter the passport number, upload the documents, pay, then wait for the decision. The NIS announces 2 to 4 weeks of processing. If the old STR visa route still applies to your case, the entry visa costs USD 100 for a Lebanese passport according to the fee table in the service charter (April 2026); the NIS is represented at Nigeria’s mission in Beirut.

For a job in a free zone, the category is R3A: the employer first obtains approval from the free zone authority. To change employer, the portal provides for a transfer application, with the new employer’s quota. A short-stay visa, including an e-Visa, cannot be converted into a residence permit once in Nigeria, the NIS FAQ states.

Spouse of a Nigerian, dependants, students, retirees

Spouse of a Nigerian citizen (N1A category). This is a permanent residence category, provided for in section 37 (10) of the 2015 Act. Documents: passport, photo, attested marriage certificate, the Nigerian spouse’s identity document, evidence of stable residence in Nigeria (utility bill, lease), police clearance certificate. The NIS CERPAC page states that the permit is free. It does not allow you to work. Its validity depends on the page: 4 years according to the service charter, indefinite with no renewal (provided the passport is valid) according to the FAQ.

Spouse, children and dependent parents of an employee (R2B to R2E). Yes, each dependant has their own permit: the portal states that spouses, children and wards must also obtain an e-CERPAC. Their permit cannot last longer than the employee’s (section 13 of the 2017 Regulations) and is renewed along with it. Documents: passport, letter from the employee, birth certificate, letter from the employer accepting immigration responsibility, attested marriage certificate for the spouse, parental consent for an accompanied minor, adoption decree where applicable, police clearance certificate. No specific fee for dependants is published.

Students (R7A). Documents: admission letter from an accredited Nigerian institution, proof of payment of the minimum tuition fee, letter from the institution accepting immigration responsibility, visa page and entry stamp, 6 months of bank statements or proof of sponsorship. Cost: USD 600 according to the NIS CERPAC page, USD 400 a year according to the portal. According to the service charter, the student permit lasts 2 years, renewable, and work is only possible with approval.

Retirees aged 65 and over. Two categories. N5A: you retired in Nigeria after at least 20 years of work in the country; residence with no time limit. N5B: you retired abroad and want to live in Nigeria; 2-year permit, renewable. Documents: passport, proof of retirement and income (pension), medical insurance, police clearance certificate, reference letters from two prominent Nigerians, proof of intended residence. Neither allows you to work. Fee not published.

Dual nationals of an ECOWAS country. The 2017 Regulations (section 11) exempt nationals of ECOWAS countries from visas, work permits and residence permits; they only have to register with the NIS. A Lebanese citizen who also holds, for example, Ivorian or Senegalese nationality and enters on that passport should fall under this regime: check with the NIS.

There are also categories for investors (N3A to N3E), highly skilled immigrants (N4A), government officials and staff of international NGOs (R4A, R5A) and clerics (R6A).

Renewing and tracking your application online

  • When: at least 30 days before expiry, the e-CERPAC portal advises, to avoid penalties.
  • How: online on the portal, or at an authorised centre, with updated documents including employment verification. Renewal requires the employer’s contract and expatriate quota to still be valid.
  • Tracking: with the application ID issued on the e-CERPAC portal. The “Track Application” link on the NIS website is for passports, not residence permits.
  • Refusal: the NIS gives the reasons; you can reapply once the file has been corrected.
  • Caution: payments are non-refundable. The NIS FAQ warns against unofficial websites promising faster approval for a fee. Check the portal address before paying.

Expired permit: what the rules provide

What the Regulations say. Under the Immigration Regulations 2017 (section 47), it is an offence to fail to apply for renewal of a residence permit within thirty days of its expiry, or to fail to regularise one’s stay within three months. Penalty on conviction: three years’ imprisonment or a fine of NGN 500,000, or both.

The amnesty is over. From 1 May to 30 September 2025, the NIS ran an amnesty for foreign nationals with irregular status, including holders of a CERPAC that had expired more than 30 days earlier. According to the pages consulted, it was not extended beyond that date.

Since 1 October 2025, the NIS has announced nationwide checks, including against expired CERPACs. According to the Nigerian press (Vanguard, Nairametrics, ICIR), quoting the NIS statement, the penalties are as follows:

  • less than 3 months’ overstay: removal, USD 15 a day, or a 2-year entry ban;
  • 3 months to 1 year: removal, USD 15 a day, or a 5-year entry ban;
  • 1 year or more: removal and a 10-year or permanent entry ban.

We were unable to read this statement on the NIS website. Employers and organisations sponsoring the foreign national may also face sanctions.

Where the official sources disagree

  • Validity of the permit: one year (e-CERPAC portal); “usually one year and above” (NIS CERPAC page); up to two years, renewable (2017 Regulations, NIS FAQ).
  • Student fee: USD 600 (NIS CERPAC page) or USD 400 a year, also for missionaries (e-CERPAC portal).
  • Fingerprinting: at an NIS office (CERPAC page), at the embassy (service charter), or online, without travelling (e-CERPAC portal).
  • Spouse of a Nigerian: 4-year permit (service charter) or no time limit (FAQ).
  • Wait time: 2 to 4 weeks (portal) or 10 days after fingerprinting (service charter).

Your employer or the NIS told you something different, or an amount has changed? Report it.

Sources

Checked on 23.10.2026.