Buhari Launches a New Red Nigerian Passport with a 10 years Validity

The Nigerian passport is a very important document for every citizen of Nigeria who wishes to travel outside Nigeria. Nigerian passport is of two different types which are, the paper passport and the e-passport (electronic passport) and the use of either of them is dependent on the intended use. These passports can be applied for by making submission of every requirement on its website or visiting the Nigeria Immigration Service location. While Nigerians who live in other countries can obtain theirs from the nearest Nigerian embassy in their location.

PROCEDURES FOR NIGERIAN PASSPORT APPLICATION

1. Login to the Nigerian Immigration Portal Home Page.

2. Select your passport type ( Standard or Official e-passport) and click the Start Application button

3. Fill the form, then click on ” I ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS FORM” and afterwards you click on the “PRINT” button to print the filled form.

4. The next step is to click on ” Submit Application ” to view the applicant’s details page

5. Then click on “proceed to Online Payment”

6. Click on “Select Payment Currency” where you have to choose to either “Pay in Naira” or “Pay in Dollars” then click on the continue button. The process thereafter if you selected to pay in Naira is to select the ” Bank Pay Type(payment method)” in either a ” CREDIT OR DEBIT ” Card.

7. If you want to pay at a bank, select ” BANK” and click on the continue button.

8. Choose the bank of your choice and then click on ” continue”. afterwards, you can, print the Payment slip with The Transaction ID, Application ID and Reference Number.

9. Proceed to any of the participating banks for payment with your payment acknowledgement slip after which you would be issued a payment platform provider receipt which would contain a “validation number” that would be needed for confirmation of payment on the portal.

Note: If you intend to pay through Credit/Debit card,

1. Select “Credit/Debit card” and click continue

2. Then fill in the information required and then click on the ” Login” button which would lead you to the payment portal and then you click the ” PAY” button.

3. Fill in the details required and click on the “Continue” button and you would move on to the “Value Card payment page” and provide your card information needed and click on the “OK” button.

4. Once you are done with the payment a ” Validation Number” would be generated. Then you store it and use it to confirm the payment you have made.

5. You can also print a receipt by clicking the “Print the Receipt” button.

How to Use the Validation Number

After payment, having obtained the “Validation Number”, proceed to the NIS portal for confirmation of payment:

1. Log in to the “Query your Application Payment Status” and enter your Passport Application ID and Reference No.

2. When a “Validation Number” field appears, please enter the number from your ‘approved payment platform provider’ receipt. Remember: Validation Number has been generated after payment through Bank also.

3. Then click the “Search Record” button after which you will be sent to the “Applicant’s Details” page where a date for your interview would be generated.

4. Print a Receipt or an Acknowledgement Slip by using the buttons on this page. (You will need them for your interview).

5. You will be presented with your NIS e-receipt or Acknowledgement Slip in a new window. Click on the “Print” button to get your copy.

Passport Payment Outside Nigeria

Selecting a processing country other than Nigeria will automatically make your payment be in US Dollars and would redirect you to an approved payment platform to complete your application and make your payment in US Dollars. On confirmation of payment, proceed for Interview with relevant documents. Please, note that your interview schedule, final e-receipt and acknowledgement slip are only accessible using your Validation Number.

How To Print Receipt/ Generate Your Passport Guarantor’s Form

To print your NIS e-Receipt

1. On the portal home page, click on the ‘Query your application payment status’ link
2. At the next page, select ‘Passport’ as an option under the ‘Application Type’ dropdown
3. Enter the following details:
   • Application ID
   • Reference Number
   • Validation Number (if applicable)
4. Submit the details
5. Your full application details shall be returned
6. Scroll down the page and click on ‘Print receipt’
7. You will be presented with your NIS e-receipt in a new window
8. Click on ‘Print this receipt’ to send a copy to the printer

To generate your Passport Guarantor’s Form

1. Click on passport guarantor’s form at the home page of the Nigeria Immigration Service
2. Enter reference and id number generated on the acknowledgement slip
3. Click Print to print out the first page and next to print out the second page (You will still be required to click the Print button)

Documents Required for Your Interview:

Standard Passport

1. Local Government letter of identification.
2. Birth certificate / age declaration.
3. 2 recent colour passport photographs
4. Guarantor’s form sworn to before a commissioner of Oaths / Magistrate / High Court Judge
5. Parents’ letter of consent for minors under 16 years
6. Marriage certificate where applicable
7. Police report in case of lost passport
8. Submit application with supporting documents to passport office / Embassy / High commission

The Following Tables list Passport Application Fees by Age and Booklet type.

Now The Gist

Buhari Changes Nigeria Passport from Green to Red with a Ten Years Validity Period

The Nigerian government has this week launched a new and enhanced Nigerian Passport which has been changed from its original green colour over the years to a red diplomatic international passport with a ten-years validity term.

Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari and vice president Yemi Osinbajo were issued the 10-year Diplomatic passport by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) during the emergency Federal Executive Council meeting (FEC) that was held on Tuesday, January 15 2019. The FEC meeting was held a day earlier, to enable the President to participate in the All Progressives Congress (APC) rallies in Edo and Delta states on Wednesday.

President Buhari was immediately issued his own 10–year validity passport, by the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mohammad Babandede, after which president Buhari performed the ceremony at a meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The changing and reforming process was said to have started in July 2018 when President Buhari announced his approval for an increase from 5 years to 10 years validity for every passport. The Comptroller General of NIS, Mohammed Babandede in October 2018 announced that the commencement for the issuance of Nigerian Passport with 10 years validity would begin in December 2018, but it did not until January 2019.

Nigeria’s interior minister, Abdulrahman Dambazau, who was assisted by the comptroller general of NIS, Mohammed Babandede presented the passport to Buhari and Osinbajo after their bio-metrics were captured and processed.

The comptroller general of the NIS Mohammed Babandede said asides the ten-year validity, the new passport has other 25 special features, differentiating it from the existing passports. which he listed some of the features to be; containing polycarbonate technology that eliminates damages, enhanced security features, it been ‘weather friendly’ and also saves Nigerians the time needed to frequently visit Nigerian embassies in search of new passports.

Babandede also explained the different pages and price ranges that obtaining the new passport would cost. Which are; 32 pages will cost N 25,000 and $130 abroad; the 64 pages with five years expiration time will cost N 35,000 and $150 abroad while the 64 pages with 10 years validity will cost N 70,000 in Nigeria and $230 abroad.

This action to some seemed quite good while it has got so many others talking. Some say it is a political campaign strategy, while some are against the color change and wonder if there is any red color in Nigeria flag saying that the passport also represents Nigeria and should have the country’s color, some say that the passport is not the most important problem of Nigeria and that the president has misplaced priorities, while some said that if He wanted a change of colour he should have used the white colour which is the other colour in the Nigeria flag . One funniest comment online is ” The land is no more green but Red” which is why the president has decided to use the red colour instead of green that means flourishing.