Nigeria residence permit: CERPAC and e-CERPAC

NIS describes the CERPAC as the residence permit issued to foreigners residing or employed in Nigeria, which also serves as proof of legal residence and identity. Its legal basis is sections 37 to 39 of the Immigration Act 2015, on residency, employment and revocation of residence permits, and sections 11 to 14 of the Immigration Regulations 2017.

It is for foreigners who will reside in Nigeria for at least one year and arrive on a temporary or permanent residence visa. NIS lists business owners, employees of Nigerian companies, foreign students, dependants of foreign residents and retirees aged 65 and above. Short visit visa holders cannot obtain it inside Nigeria.

The NIS CERPAC page sets USD 2,000 for employed foreigners, USD 600 for students and no fee for foreigners married to Nigerian citizens. The Ministry of Interior fee schedule lists the e-CERPAC at USD 2,000. These charges are separate from the entry visa fee in the NIS nationality table and from the employer’s Business Permit and quota fees.

The standard CERPAC process has five steps: an online application on the NIS portal, upload of the documents (passport with Nigerian visa, proof of employment, business registration or student status, and other supporting documents), online payment, biometric capture of fingerprints and photograph at a designated NIS office, and verification by NIS.

For holders of an STR visa, NIS expects the residence permit application to be filed within the time it specifies, often 90 days after arrival, with medical tests and biometrics. A single-entry STR visa that has not yet been converted cannot be used to re-enter Nigeria.

For R2A expatriate employees on a quota and R3A free zone employees, NIS now processes the e-CERPAC before the expatriate travels. The employer adds the expatriate to a quota position on the portal using the Single Sign On credentials from the Ministry of Interior, uploads the documents and pays; the expatriate attends an interview and biometric capture at the Nigerian embassy and receives the e-CERPAC certificate by email. NIS says this removes the need for post-arrival regularisation.

Employment and diplomatic residence permits are renewable every one to two years while the quota and contract remain valid, and dependants renew together with the principal. Renew before expiry: NIS has treated CERPAC holders more than 30 days past expiry as in need of regularisation, and its 2025 amnesty explicitly excluded the R1 to R8 classes, whose holders were told to renew or extend on time to avoid enforcement.