NIS Rolls Out Contactless Passport Renewal For Nigerians In Diaspora

July 07, () — The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has rolled out its Contactless Passport Application System for Nigerians living abroad, allowing eligible citizens to renew their passports remotely without visiting Nigerian embassies or high commissions for biometric enrolment.

The Service announced the development in an updated step-by-step application guide released on Tuesday, urging Nigerians in the diaspora to take advantage of the digital platform designed to simplify passport renewal and reduce the need for physical visits to diplomatic missions.

According to the NIS, applicants seeking passport renewal or re-issuance are required to visit the official NIS Passport Application Portal, click “Continue” on the welcome page, and select the “Apply for Renewal/Re-issue” option. Applicants must then create an account, verify their identity using their National Identification Number (NIN) and date of birth, complete the application form, and select the Nigerian embassy or high commission where the passport will be processed.

Applicants are also expected to upload all required supporting documents, pay the passport booklet fee, and obtain an Application ID and Reference Number before proceeding to the contactless biometric enrolment stage.

To complete the remote biometric process, applicants must select the “Contactless” option under the “Application Status/Book Appointment” section of the portal, acknowledge the instructions by opting in, and download the NIS Mobile App.

Using the mobile application, eligible applicants can sign in or create a profile, access the Passport Application Services menu, select Passport Biometrics Enrolment, enter their Application ID and Reference Number, and confirm their eligibility for the contactless service.

The process requires applicants to capture their facial image and fingerprints using their mobile devices, complete a liveness verification exercise, pay the contactless enrolment fee, and submit their biometric details electronically for processing.

However, the Immigration Service clarified that the contactless option is not available to every applicant. Individuals who are declared ineligible during the verification process will be required to return to the application portal and schedule a physical biometric appointment at their chosen Nigerian embassy or high commission.

“If the response is INELIGIBLE, then it means the applicant should return to the landing page of the portal to book a physical appointment at the Embassy/High Commission,” the Service stated.

The NIS further explained that applicants who successfully complete the remote biometric enrolment must still forward their supporting documents to the selected processing mission. These include printed copies of the passport application form, passport payment receipt, biometric payment receipt, the applicant’s current passport, and a self-addressed return envelope.

According to the Service, the documents should be sent to the embassy or high commission selected during the application process to facilitate passport production and return. It added that applicants can begin tracking the status of their passport applications two weeks after submission through the NIS online passport tracking platform or the NIS Mobile App.

The Contactless Passport Application System is part of the agency’s broader digital transformation agenda aimed at improving service delivery, reducing processing bottlenecks at Nigerian diplomatic missions, and making passport renewal more convenient for millions of Nigerians residing outside the country.