By TheDailyNewsHub
Nigerians living abroad who need to renew their passports may now be able to complete the process without physically visiting a Nigerian embassy or high commission, under the Nigeria Immigration Service’s Contactless Passport Application System.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) said the system enables eligible Nigerians in the diaspora to apply online, complete biometric enrolment remotely and track their passport applications without travelling to a diplomatic mission for biometric capture.
According to the Service, applicants begin by accessing the official NIS passport portal and selecting the option to apply from outside Nigeria. They then select Renewal/Re-issue, create an account and verify their identity using their National Identification Number (NIN) and date of birth.
Applicants are required to complete the application, select the Nigerian embassy or high commission where the passport will be processed, upload the required documents and pay the applicable passport fee.
After receiving an Application ID and Reference Number, eligible applicants can select the Contactless option under the application status or appointment section and opt into the remote biometric process.
The biometric stage is completed through the NIS Mobile App. Applicants enter their application details, confirm their eligibility and follow the instructions to capture their facial image and fingerprints. The process also includes a liveness verification before the biometric information is submitted for review.
However, the contactless option is not available to every applicant.
The NIS said applicants who are found ineligible will be redirected to book a physical appointment at their selected Nigerian embassy or high commission.
The Service’s 2026 Service Level Agreement also lists Contactless Biometric as a service available specifically to Nigerians in the diaspora and states that applicants must provide documents including their NIN slip, birth certificate or declaration of age, local government or indigene certificate, an ICAO-compliant passport photograph and current passport.
The NIS has also provided a passport-tracking platform through which applicants can check the status of their applications using their application and reference numbers.
The development is part of the Immigration Service’s broader effort to digitise passport services and make them more accessible to Nigerians outside the country.
The NIS previously reported that its Contactless Biometric Passport Application System had processed and issued more than 15,000 passports to Nigerians abroad, demonstrating that the system was already operational before the latest public information campaign.
For Nigerians in the diaspora, the system could reduce the need for long-distance journeys to diplomatic missions, particularly for those living far from Nigerian embassies and consulates.
The Immigration Service, however, has urged applicants to use only official channels and warned against relying on unofficial agents or websites when applying for passports.
Nigerians applying from outside the country can access the official passport application service through the Nigeria Immigration Service’s international passport portal and track applications through the official NIS tracking platform.
The NIS also provides dedicated support contacts for questions relating to the contactless passport service, including nissupport@immigration.gov.ng and official contact-centre numbers listed on its website.
The introduction and expansion of contactless processing marks a significant shift from the traditional passport renewal process, under which applicants in the diaspora generally had to appear at a Nigerian diplomatic mission for biometric capture.