Nigerian govt launches e-passport for Nigerians in the UK & US, with 10 years validity

The improved e-Passport, which has a ten-year validity, has been made available for Nigerians living in the United Kingdom and the United States of America, according to the Nigerian Immigration Service.

According to NIS, there are three different types of passports: 32-page, 5-year validity; 64-page, 5-year validity; and 64-page, 10-year validity.

The procedures are as follows:

·        Check out passport.immigration.gov.ng

·        Online form submission and payment

·        After a successful transaction, schedule an appointment.

·        Confirm your appointment.

·        Visit the mission and consulate you have chosen with all the necessary paperwork.

·        NIN is required to apply for an ePassport.

According to NIS, the processing time for new ePassport applications is 5 weeks, while for renewals, it is 3 weeks.

To address the Service's crisis with passport booklets, e-passports were introduced last year. Sola Fasure, the minister of interior's media adviser, revealed this in a statement in November.

Acting Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service DCG Isa Jere stated that his officers are prepared to begin issuing the new passports at the official rate listed on the NIS website, indicating that the Service is prepared to satisfy the demand for passports in the United Kingdom.

The Nigerian passport is the strongest declaration of Nigerian citizenship, according to Aregbesola, who stated this at the Nigerian High Commission in London, United Kingdom. As a result, it is the Federal Republic of Nigeria's government's duty to provide the passport without delay and within a reasonable amount of time.

Aregbesola claimed that the new passport, which has more advanced security features than the regular Passport that was first presented in 2007, is an improvement over that document. This makes the new passport one of the most secure passports in the world.

The enhanced e-Passport is a significant advancement over the Biometric Passport technology that Nigeria implemented in 2007 as a strategic move to combat frauds related to acquiring travel documents under the previous Machine Readable Passport system, such as forging and impersonation. 

The Nigeria Immigration Service has diligently and closely collaborated with Messrs Iris Smart Technologies Limited over the years to design and deliver passport reforms that are compliant with global best practices, including current International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Regulations.

About the NIS

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is a federal agency in charge of overseeing migration and border security in Nigeria. It was started by a 1963 Act of Parliament. The Immigration Act 2015, which provides the service with the legal tool to combat migrant smuggling (SOM) in Nigeria, was passed in 2015 in replacing of the Immigration Act 1963.

The Immigration Act of 2015's Section 2 gives the Service the authority to restrict who enters and leaves Nigeria. It also has the authority in granting travel authorizations, such as Nigerian passports, to legitimate Nigerians both inside and outside of Nigeria, as well as the granting of foreigners residency permits.