The NIS passport portal has a reputation for being temperamental. It times out. Sometimes it doesn’t load properly. Payments go through but confirmations don’t arrive. People fill the form halfway, lose their session, and don’t know whether their data was saved.
None of this means the system doesn’t work. It does, mostly. But going in without knowing what to expect is how people waste hours, pay twice, or show up at their appointment missing something they didn’t know they needed.
This guide walks you through the full online process, step by step, from creating your account to what to print before you leave the house on appointment day.
Quick Summary
- The entire Nigerian passport application starts online at immigration.gov.ng. You pay, fill your form, and book your appointment there before you ever visit an NIS office.
- You need your NIN ready before you can create an account or fill the form. Sort that first.
- As of September 2025, fees are ₦100,000 (32-page, 5-year) and ₦200,000 (64-page, 10-year) for applications within Nigeria.
- After completing the online steps, you still have to show up physically for biometrics. The online process does not replace the office visit.
- Print your application confirmation slip and payment receipt before your appointment. You will need both.
Before You Open the Portal: What to Have Ready
Don’t start the application until these are in front of you:
- Your NIN. The portal will ask for it during account creation. If your NIN has errors, like a wrong date of birth or misspelled name, fix that at NIMC first. Inconsistencies between your NIN and your application form are a common cause of rejections.
- A working email address you actually check. Your confirmation and appointment details go there.
- A debit card with sufficient balance and online transactions enabled. Check with your bank that your daily online limit can cover ₦100,000 or ₦200,000. Some cards are set to lower limits by default.
- Your birth certificate or old passport, depending on whether this is a fresh application or a renewal. You won’t upload these during the online process, but you need them nearby to cross-reference your details accurately.
Getting these together before you start saves you from abandoning a half-filled form.
Step 1: Create Your Account on the NIS Portal
Go to immigration.gov.ng. This is the only official NIS portal. Do not use any other website, and do not click ads claiming to be the NIS application site.
On the homepage, look for the passport application section and click to register a new account. You’ll be asked for:
- Your full name (as it appears on your NIN)
- Your NIN
- Your email address
- A password you’ll use to log back in
Once you submit, check your email for a verification link. Click it to activate your account. If the email doesn’t arrive within a few minutes, check your spam folder. If it’s still not there, try again or use a different email address.
One account is enough. Some people create multiple accounts when they think the first one didn’t work. This causes duplicate records and can slow down your application. If you’re not sure whether your account was created, try logging in with the email and password you used before creating another.
Step 2: Fill the Application Form
Once you’re logged in, start the passport application form. Take your time here. This is where most errors happen, and errors on this form are painful to fix later.
The form will ask for:
- Personal details (name, date of birth, gender, state of origin, local government area)
- Contact information (phone number, address)
- Next of kin details
- Passport type selection (32-page or 64-page, 5-year or 10-year)
- NIN confirmation
Check every field before you move to the next section. Pay particular attention to:
- Your name spelling, it must match your NIN exactly
- Your date of birth, even one digit wrong creates a mismatch
- Your state of origin and LGA, these affect which NIS office processes your application
The portal may save your progress if you get interrupted, but don’t rely on it. Try to complete the form in one sitting if you can.
Step 3: Select Your Passport Type and Pay
After filling your form, you’ll be asked to choose your passport type:
- 32-page booklet, 5-year validity: ₦100,000
- 64-page booklet, 10-year validity: ₦200,000
These are the current official fees as of September 2025 for applications within Nigeria. Pay only on the portal. No agent, no third-party platform, no bank counter outside of what the portal directs you to.
Once you select your passport type, you’ll be taken to the payment page. The portal accepts debit card payments and sometimes bank transfer options. Have your card details ready and make sure your bank’s transaction limit can accommodate the amount.
After successful payment, you should receive:
- An on-screen confirmation
- A payment receipt sent to your email
Print the receipt immediately or save it somewhere you won’t lose it. If your payment goes through but the portal doesn’t show a confirmation, check your bank statement first. If the debit shows, don’t pay again. Instead, note your transaction reference and contact NIS support, or visit an NIS office with your bank statement as proof of payment.
Step 4: Book Your Biometric Appointment
After payment, the portal will let you book an appointment at an NIS office. You’ll see available dates and times for offices in your state.
A few things to know here:
- Appointment slots in Lagos and Abuja fill up fast. If you’re in either city, book as soon as the option appears after payment.
- Pick a date that gives you enough time to gather all your physical documents.
- You can only have one active appointment at a time. Don’t book multiple slots.
Once your appointment is confirmed, you’ll receive the details by email and they’ll also be visible in your portal account. Print the appointment confirmation slip. This is what you bring to the NIS office.
Step 5: What to Print Before Your Appointment
This is the step people most frequently skip, then regret.
Before you leave for your NIS appointment, print:
- Application confirmation slip (with your application number and QR code)
- Payment receipt
- Appointment confirmation slip
Bring these as physical printouts. Yes, some NIS officers will accept a phone screen, but not all of them will. A printout takes two minutes and removes any risk of being turned away because your phone battery died or the officer doesn’t want to lean over your screen.
What Happens at the NIS Office
The online process gets you to this point. The office visit is where biometrics are captured.
On appointment day, show up on time with:
- Your printed slips (confirmation, payment, appointment)
- All required original documents (NIN slip, birth certificate or old passport, valid ID, passport photographs)
- Photocopies of everything
At the office, you’ll go through:
- Document verification by an officer
- Live photograph capture
- Fingerprint scanning
- Final form confirmation
The whole biometric session is usually 15 to 30 minutes if things are moving. Wait times at the office itself vary, especially in high-traffic states.
After biometrics, your application enters processing. You’ll be given information on how to track your application online.
Emeka’s Application
Emeka, 27, lives in Enugu and is planning to apply for a UK visit visa. He started his passport application on a Tuesday evening.
He had his NIN slip ready and his debit card set to a ₦300,000 daily limit. He created his NIS portal account, got his verification email within 10 minutes, and filled his form in about 25 minutes, double-checking his name and date of birth against his NIN slip.
He paid ₦200,000 for the 64-page, 10-year passport, got his receipt, and booked an appointment for the following Thursday at the Enugu NIS office. He printed all three slips that night.
At the office, he was processed within 45 minutes of arrival. His passport was ready for collection six weeks later.
That’s how it’s supposed to go when you prepare properly.
FAQs
What if the NIS portal is down when I try to apply? It happens. Try again at a different time, preferably early morning on a weekday when traffic is lower. Don’t use a VPN, as this sometimes causes the portal to behave unexpectedly. If it’s consistently down, check the NIS official social media pages for any announced maintenance.
I paid but never received a confirmation email. What do I do? Check your spam folder first. If it’s not there, log back into your portal account and check whether your payment status shows as confirmed. If your bank statement shows the debit but the portal doesn’t reflect it, take a screenshot of your bank statement and contact NIS support or visit an NIS office with that evidence. Do not pay again until you’ve confirmed the first payment didn’t go through.
Can someone else book my appointment or fill my form on my behalf? Technically the form asks for your personal details, so someone can sit with you and help you fill it. But the application must be in your name, using your NIN and your email. What you want to avoid is giving your login details or payment card to an agent who then uses them without your supervision.
Can I reschedule my appointment if something comes up? The portal has a rescheduling option for appointments. Log in to your account and check the appointment management section. Don’t just not show up without rescheduling, as this can affect your application status.
How do I track my passport after the biometric appointment? Log back into your NIS portal account. Your application status is updated there. You can also use the application number from your confirmation slip to check status. When your passport is ready, you’ll get a notification to come collect it at the NIS office where you did your biometrics.
Ready to Start Your Application?
Go to immigration.gov.ng, have your NIN and debit card ready, and follow the steps above. The online part takes less than an hour if you’re prepared. The office visit is straightforward if you bring the right documents.
If you’re still gathering your documents or you’re not sure what you need to bring to your NIS appointment, our Nigerian passport documents checklist covers every item you need, including what’s required for children and descent-based applications.
