Nigerians living abroad can now renew their passports without visiting an embassy or consulate in person, under the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS)‘s Contactless Passport Application System.
The system lets eligible applicants complete the renewal process remotely — from submitting applications to completing biometric enrolment and tracking their passport’s progress — through the NIS’s official digital platform.
Applicants start the process online through the NIS passport portal and select the contactless option if they qualify.
Their biometric data, including facial images captured through a phone or webcam, is then submitted electronically for review as part of the application.
Not everyone qualifies. Applicants who do not meet the eligibility requirements are redirected to book a physical appointment at the nearest Nigerian mission instead.
The service currently applies to renewals rather than first-time applications, and minors are excluded from the contactless option.
The system was first piloted for Nigerians in Canada in November 2024 before its rollout expanded to the United Kingdom, Ireland and other countries through 2025, according to statements from the NIS Public Relations Office.
NIS Comptroller General Kemi Nandap has said the goal is to cut renewal times that once stretched beyond six months down to as little as five days to two weeks.
"The contactless passport application… is designed to allow Nigerians to renew their passports without visiting any passport centre for biometric enrolment,” Nandap said when the service expanded to Europe.
Why NIS Is Pushing Digital Renewal
The service forms part of a wider push by the Federal Ministry of Interior, under Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to modernise Nigeria’s passport administration and reduce the cost and time diaspora applicants previously spent travelling to missions for biometric capture.
The NIS has advised applicants to use only its official platforms — the passport portal and its dedicated mobile app — when applying for or tracking their passports, warning that third-party sites and agents cannot be relied on for accurate processing.
Applicants can track the progress of pending applications through the same NIS platform once submitted.
The service has said it continues to work on resolving technical issues, including delayed payment confirmation codes, as more countries come onto the system.
For Nigerians abroad who have struggled with long queues and costly travel to missions in the past, the contactless option offers a faster route to renewal — provided they meet the eligibility rules and can complete biometric capture from home.
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