O. R. SalahudeenThe frequency at which Nigeria passport holders are asking questions on Nigeria passport about the cost, renewal, requirements and the life span of the current Nigeria passport gives me the impetus to provide answers here. Relax, this is how to renew a Nigeria passport, your questions answered.
HOW TO RENEW NIGERIA PASSPORT, YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
The first important thing to have in mind as a holder of a Nigeria passport is that you cannot renew the Nigeria passport until it remains only six months to expire. Furthermore, it’s imperative to start the process of reissue immediately you realised that your passport is six months to expire. Early process will enable you to avoid issue of third party which usually make many applicants to pay exorbitantly.
RENEWAL IS REISSUE
In the Nigeria passport content, realistically, renewal is reissue because you’re obtaining a fresh booklet and not an endorsement in your current passport, as it used to be in the past. You will pay for a new booklet just like anyone who is applying for a fresh passport.
Please note that when applying for renewal of your passport you will go through image acquisition and other formalities like a freshman, the difference is negligible. Therefore prepare your mind.
The only real reasons you can be qualified to renew your passport before the stipulated six months to its expiration are the following:
1. If you’re a frequent traveller and able to utilise all the visa pages of your passport. Regardless of the date, you acquired the passport, you’re qualified to renew or reissue the passport.
2. If the passport is damaged genuinely, maybe by fire or water disaster or any accident that causes damage to the chip and rendered it unreadable. You have to apply for a new passport. You do not need to wait until it is about to expire.
3. If the passport is stolen and you can present the proof of evidence, you will qualify for the renewal of your passport.
4. If the passport is lost with genuine proof you may qualify for renewal.
5. For a female who is newly married or divorced and need to change her maiden name, you’re qualified for the renewal of your passport.
6. Finally if after acquiring your passport you noticed a data error, you can inform the passport office and request for a new passport.
CAN YOU RENEW YOUR PASSPORT ANYWHERE?
Regardless of the passport office where you obtained the passport originally if there is a need for you to renew your passport, you can approach any passport in the country to renew it.
All passport offices in the country are genuine and authentic.
We must emphasise this because of erroneous belief by some people that a passport they acquired in a particular passport office is more acceptable by some foreign embassies than the one acquired in some other Nigeria passport offices That’s a fallacy and unreasonable. Nigeria electronic passport usually goes through the same process wherever it is been produced anywhere in the world.
Be it Lagos, Ibadan, Ilorin, Gombe, Damaturu, Port Harcourt, Benin, New York, London or Jeddah the process is the same.
TYPES OF A NIGERIA STANDARD PASSPORT.
Currently, there are two types of Nigeria ordinary passports. That is a passport that ordinary Nigerian citizens can obtain.
1. The 64 Pages Nigeria standard passport.
2. The 32 Pages Nigeria Standard passport.
The 64 Pages passport is valid for 10 years and you will apply for reissue of another passport after 10 years life span.
The 32 Pages is valid for five years and need to apply for the reissue of another passport after five years.
However, there are cheaper 64 Pages that anyone who is interested can obtain but it is only valid for five years, the only option you have is to apply for a reissue of your passport and pay money for another booklet. That’s what is obtainable currently.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO OBTAIN A NIGERIA PASSPORT?
The normal stipulated time to get a Nigeria passport is 72 working hours, as soon as you complete the biometric data capturing. That is, all things being equal, it is possible to process and get it in 72 hours or less, practically. It is one of the fastest in the world. If you’re in doubt cross-check the facts and inform us.
Everything been equalled, some passport offices wonderfully produced the Nigeria electronic passport less than a day. Please note that if you were able to obtain the Nigeria passport within a day that is exceptional, it may not be a normal practice.
However, the time it takes to obtain a Nigerian passport depends on various factors.
1. The volume of traffic in a passport office you selected play an important role in how long you can get your passport.
If you chose a very busy passport office such as Ikoyi of Festac be expecting a crowd and if you start complaining, later on, you will be tag unserious element.
2. Availability of booklets and other production materials
3. Availability of power supply.
4. How efficient or effective are the officers handling the passport processing especially their officer-in-charge?
The bottom line on this topic is that you have to choose wisely the passport office you intend to process your passport.
THE COST OF RENEW A NIGERIA PASSPORT.
The cost of Nigeria passport renewal is the same as the cost of obtaining a fresh passport, due to the fact that you’re obtaining a fresh booklet.
The official cost is as follows:
The 64 Pages which is valid for 10 years is #70,000 within the country.
The 64 Pages which is valid for 10 years is USD230 in some accredited Nigeria foreign missions.
The second category is the one that has five years validity
The 32 Pages will attract a cost of NGN25,000 within the country and USD130 in Nigeria foreign missions.
2. The 64 Pages will cost NGN35,000 within the country and USD150 in Nigeria foreign missions.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE RENEWAL OF THE NIGERIA PASSPORT
1. Presentation of your current passport, without showing your current passport you do not qualify for renewal of passport.
2. Photocopy of the data page of your current passport, indicating that it’s has expired or about to expire.
3. Evidence of online payment printout.
4. Duly completed passport application form signed by you.
5. Two recently acquired passport sized photographs of any background.
6. Your physical presence is a mandatory requirement. The e-passport cannot be issue by proxy.
When all the above-mentioned requirements are completed you can present them at your choice passport office, for biometric image capturing and fingerprint scans.
H0W CAN I PROCESS MY PASSPORT ONLINE?
You can easily start the process of your passport issuance online.
This is how to go about it.
1. Start by visiting the portal of the Nigerian Immigration Service –
immigration.gov.ng
2. Select the passport type – 32 or 64 Pages
3. Select your processing country.
4. Fill inline the passport application form.
5. Upload scanned copies of all the required documents
6. Select the preferred system of payment (no bank draft please)
7. After you complete the payment you will click ‘Submit ‘
8. Afterwards, you will be issued with an application ID and Reference number.
9 The next step is to print out the Guarantor’s form and ensure it is endorsed.
Finally, you must sign the completed form and submit it personally at the passport office you intend to process the passport for verification.
After the mandatory verifications, you will go personally for biometric image acquisition and fingerprint scans.
Enquire when your passport will be ready.
CONCLUSION ON HOW TO RENEW NIGERIA PASSPORT, YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
AVOID DOUBLE ACQUISITION
Please note if you commence the processing of the renewal of your passport in a particular passport office, no matter the ugly situation that may develop afterwards, stick with them because any attempt to abandon the process and go to another passport office within or outside the country will definitely result to double acquisition.
This is common among Nigerians resident abroad, some of them will start the processing of the renewal of their passport in their country of residence, however, due to the slow pace of doing things in most of the Nigerian missions abroad when the applicant decides to visit Nigeria, he will quickly start the same process in Nigeria, which at the middle of the process usually results to double acquisition. A complete waste of time and resources.
That’s all for now on How to renew Nigeria passport, your questions answered. For more information, you can contact this website.
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