The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has launched a new digital portal for the application and processing of the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC).
This development was announced today, in a statement by NIS Public Relations Officer ACI Akinlabi. According to him, the CERPAC is a mandatory document for foreign nationals living or working in Nigeria.
“Responsibility for expatriates to complete all pending submissions within the stipulated timeframe to avoid any inconvenience. All enquiries and correspondence on this matter should be directed to the Service through the office of the Public Relations Officer,” the statement read.
How the New CERPAC Platform Works
According to the NIS, the new digital portal is designed to offer a user-friendly, secure, and streamlined application experience for both individuals and organisations.
Step-by-Step Application Process
- Account Creation: Users must first create a secure account on [https://cerpac.immigration.gov.ng](https://cerpac.immigration.gov.ng).
- Document Upload: Applicants are required to upload scanned copies of supporting documents, including passport bio-data pages, employment letters, and other residency justifications.
- Form Completion: Fill out the online CERPAC form, selecting the appropriate application type (e.g., new permit, renewal, change of employer, etc.).
- Payment: Fees are paid electronically through an integrated payment gateway on the portal. Payment receipts are automatically generated.
- Biometrics & Scheduling: After payment, applicants receive instructions on where and when to report for biometric capture, where applicable.
- Status Tracking: Applicants can log in at any time to track the progress of their application and receive automated notifications on approvals or queries.
What You Should Know
The new platform is now fully operational. According to the NIS, from August 1, 2025, all CERPAC applications must be submitted.
Applicants who have purchased physical forms but have not yet submitted them have until July 31, 2025, to complete the process or risk forfeiting both their application status and payments.
The NIS warned that any pending or incomplete physical applications will be declared void after the deadline.
“Consequently, any CERPAC form not submitted after the deadline will be rendered void and invalid,” it said.
Why It Matters
According to NIS, CERPAC is typically valid for one year, renewable annually, and is mandatory for foreign nationals seeking to live or work in Nigeria. It is also a requirement for business registration, tax compliance, and residency documentation.
Experts say the platform will ease compliance burdens on companies by allowing them to manage multiple applications and ensure continuous legal status for their expatriate employees.
Industry executives also cites this as a critical step toward improving operational efficiency, especially for sectors like oil and gas, telecoms, banking, and infrastructure, where foreign expertise is often required.
Other Reforms
As part of wider reforms, the NIS had announced that, effective September 1, 2025, foreigners who overstay their visas will incur a daily fine of $15 for each day spent in the country.
This is part of ongoing reforms under the current administration, following the rollout of a digital e-Visa system and automated landing and exit cards effective May 1, 2025.
The Nigeria Immigration Service also introduced a three-month amnesty window running from May 1 to August 1, 2025.
During this grace period, foreign nationals residing in Nigeria with expired visas are allowed to return to their home countries voluntarily without facing fines or legal penalties.
Talking Points
At Techparley, we view CERPAC as a much-needed shift in Nigeria’s immigration system. By centralising and automating expatriate permit applications, the new portal solves long-standing problems around processing delays, documentation fraud, and lack of transparency.
For employers, this means greater control, fewer compliance risks, and quicker turnaround times. For expatriates, it reduces red tape and enhances predictability in visa and permit processing.
However, the true success of this system will depend on how stable, accessible, and user-friendly the portal remains over time, especially for multinational companies handling high volumes of applications.
Going forward, we encourage the Nigeria Immigration Service to publish clear SLA timelines, provide robust customer support, and maintain multilingual help resources to serve a diverse international user base.
If implemented effectively, the digital CERPAC platform could become a model for digital migration across other critical public service sectors in Nigeria.
