If you ever nurture the idea of traveling abroad like most people in Nigeria, then you will need to apply for an International Passport. It is basically the first thing to do, therefore, this article should be taken very seriously.
For some, it is just an avenue to seek better days or a greener pasture. Others just want to experience the euphoria that comes from living or visiting a country other than ours.
United States of America (USA) has always been the most adorned country in the world, think about all the fun you can get. The towers that you only see in a movie, all could change if you know about the basic steps to get your international passport.
The US has a great number of immigrants coming on a regular basis to settle and also explore how best they can multiply their revenues. Africans especially Nigerians know they will be earning more in a month, which may take more months to get in Nigeria toiling the same line of job. This explains the decisions why most Nigerians will want out.
We have seen quite number of Artisans and Professionals moving to other countries like US, UK and great was the experience for most of them. Anyone can move out at anytime and come back to the country when they feel. It is just about knowing what you really want to do.
To travel across borders, nothing is ever easy as it is all down to processes established by the home and foreign government. Here are the common steps but not without the general details, first, you will need to get an international passport and apply for VISA. Once approved, you can now proceed to book your ticket.
You might be thinking this looks very easy which is not, there are the tasks you have to beat in order to visit or live abroad. Ask anyone that took the same route, you will get it but always worth it for most people.
Now that the steps have now been briefly splitted out for you, let us get you on the first step which is getting your international passport in Nigeria. Remember, the international passport is not free, therefore you will need to pay to get it which can be done online or in any Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Office. However, I will prefer online if I were you to make the already heavy tasks look easier to bear.
THE COST OF INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT IN NIGERIA
Since it has already been established that nothing is totally free especially when it comes to procuring or renewing the most sought after government valid ID card. Your voters card and National ID card are free but not international passports, therefore you will want to know how much you will pay to obtain one.
Here are the payment details of international passports in Nigeria:
- 32 pages passports for people between the age bracket of 0-17 cost N8,750, age 18 – 59 cost N15,000 and age 60+ cost N8,750.
- 64 pages passports for people between the age bracket of 0-17 cost N20,000, age 18 – 59 cost N20,000 and age 60+ cost N20,000.
REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY FOR INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT IN NIGERIA
Adult (18 years and above)
- Completed application form with two passports clamped on it. The two passport photographs must be referenced by a guarantor.
- Completed Guarantors’ form which must be attested by Commissioner for Oaths.
- Photocopy of Data page of Guarantor’s Nigerian ePassport and one passport sized photograph of the Guarantor.
- National ID Card or Letter of identification from State of origin/LG.
- If an employee of govt, you will produce letter of introduction stating Service Number, Length of Service and Designation/Rank.
- If married, you will need to provide your marriage certificate.
- Birth Certificate or Age Declaration attached with one passport photograph and signed by a Commissioner for Oaths.
- Acknowledgement slip and evidence of payment.
Minor (Children Under 18 Years Of Age)
- Completed passport photograph form accompanied with a passport photograph signed at the reverse by the parent(s).
- Evidence showing that at least mum or dad is a Nigerian.
- Birth certificate and letter of consent from any of the parents.
- Evidence of payment and Acknowledgement slip.
- If the minor or child was adopted, you must obtain a court order and letter from The State Ministry of Women and Child Development.
How to Apply For International Passport In Nigeria
- To apply for an international passport in Nigeria, visit the official website of the Nigeria Immigration Service.
- On the home page, click on “Apply For Passport Online” or follow > https://portal.immigration.gov.ng/passport/epassport.
- Select a passport type “Standard e-Passport” or “Official e-Passport”.
- Select Processing Country, that is the country where you wish to use for the interview for your passport application.
- Click on “Start Application”.
- Complete the “Standard ePassport Application”
- Tap on the ‘Submit Application’ button.
- Click on “Proceed to Online Payment”, do note that NIS accepts both master and visa card for payment.
- After payment, you will need to print the receipt which will contain a validation number.
- The validation number can be used to confirm your payment.
- Not over, check out the next steps to print out your interview details.
STEPS TO CONFIRM YOUR PAYMENT FOR NIGERIA PASSPORT (NEXT STEPS)
- To confirm if the payment was successful, you will need to go to NIS Portal > Query your Application Payment Status.
- Enter your Passport Application ID and Reference No and continue.
- When the field appears for a validation number, you will need to paste or carefully enter the validation number into the blank.
- Tap “Search Record” and a new page will appear instantly, it is called Applicant’s Details. On this page, you can check your interview date for your passport application processing.
- Print out the Acknowledgement Slip which you will need on the interview date.
INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT OBTAINED THROUGH OFFLINE APPLICATION
This may be the fastest way to get your international passport due to all hands on deck. However, one can easily be scammed if one uses untrusted sources.
Even with a good and trusted agent, you will still need to go in person for your interview. To get the best agents, you should visit the Nigeria Immigration Service Office (NIS), this may be more costly than the online application process. Using agents means you will need to pay for their service and in just a few days, you can get your valid international passport. Such is the power of agents!
