Lost Nigerian Passport — What to Do

A lost passport is recoverable, but the next day matters. Work through this sequence rather than improvising. Each step is something the Nigeria Immigration Service or a mission abroad will ask for later, so doing them now saves a return trip.

1. File a police report. Go to the police division covering where you lost the booklet (or last had it). Ask for a written police extract, not just a station entry. The NIS replacement page is explicit: it wants the extract, not a verbal report.
2. Swear an affidavit of loss. Visit a High Court registry. Bring your NIN slip and a passport-size photograph. The court issues a sworn affidavit of loss the same day in most registries. Federal/State High Courts and Customary Courts of Appeal are accepted; private notaries are not.
3. List what was in the booklet. Note every valid visa the lost passport held — UK, Schengen, US, China, anywhere. You will not get them back automatically, but you will need the list to apply for replacements.
4. Do not pay anyone offering to "find" it. This is the most common scam aimed at a stressed traveller. There is no private recovery channel into NIS.
5. Start the replacement on immigration.gov.ng. Use the "Apply for Renewal/Re-issue Passport" route, then select "Replacement of Lost Passport".

For the police step specifically, see police report for lost passport. For a walkthrough of swearing an affidavit, see how to swear an affidavit in Nigeria.

Two paths exist, and choosing the wrong one wastes time and money.

• Replacement of lost passport. This is the full new e-passport application, with all biometrics, the standard fee, and the 21-day NIS Service Level Agreement after enrolment. Choose this when you have time before any travel.
• Emergency Travel Certificate or Nigerian Temporary Passport (NTP). This is the urgent route for Nigerians stranded abroad without a valid passport. The NTP is a 4-page e-passport valid for a one-way journey to Nigeria, 30 days from issue, invalidated at the Nigerian port of entry. Some missions still issue the older paper ETC while the NTP rolls out; either gets you home. Neither replaces your standard passport — you apply for a new e-passport once you arrive in Nigeria or once your replacement is processed at your mission.

If you are inside Nigeria and have no urgent international trip, the replacement is the only route. If you are abroad with a flight in days, contact your nearest Nigerian mission about NTP or ETC the same day you discover the loss.

NIS expects every item on this list. Missing one will queue the file for clarification.

1. 1
   Gather the documents abovePolice extract, court affidavit, NIN slip, NPC birth certificate, LG letter, photos, and any name-change paperwork.
2. 2
   Start the application on immigration.gov.ngChoose 'Apply for Renewal/Re-issue Passport', then select 'Replacement of Lost Passport'. Use the same details as the lost booklet so NIS can trace the file.
3. 3
   Upload scans and pay on the portalUse the Remita or card option. Print the payment receipt before closing the tab.
4. 4
   Book biometric enrolmentPick a centre and date. Diaspora applicants book directly with their high commission or embassy.
5. 5
   Attend the appointmentBring every original document. Officers verify hard copies, capture biometrics, and issue an acknowledgement slip.
6. 6
   Track and collectRe-issue cases follow the 21-day NIS Service Level Agreement after enrolment. Collect with the acknowledgement slip and a government-issued ID.

The new booklet itself is priced like a standard passport. Diaspora missions add penalty fees specifically for lost-passport cases.

• Inside Nigeria — booklet fee only: ₦100,000 for the 32-page 5-year, ₦200,000 for the 64-page 10-year. There is no separate published penalty surcharge for replacements in Nigeria; the standard fee applies, with the police report and court affidavit serving as the formal record of the loss.
• Diaspora penalty fees are charged on top of the standard application fee. The Consulate General of Nigeria, New York adds a $350 penalty payable by USPS money order. The Consulate General of Nigeria, Atlanta adds $370. Other missions publish their own figures; check before paying.
• Emergency Travel Certificate / Nigeria Temporary Passport — issued by diaspora missions for urgent one-way travel back to Nigeria. The Consulate General of Nigeria, New York charges $150 by USPS money order for an ETC.

Pay only through the portal or by money order to the named mission. Anyone collecting cash, bank transfers, or mobile-money payments for "fast-track" replacement is a scammer.

The Federal Government launched the ICAO-compliant Nigeria Temporary Passport (NTP) to replace the older paper Emergency Travel Certificate. The NTP is a 4-page e-passport, valid for one-way travel to Nigeria for 30 days, and is invalidated by immigration officers on arrival. Some missions still issue the older ETC during the rollout; both serve the same purpose.

What this route does not do:

• It does not replace your standard 32-page or 64-page passport. You must still apply for a full re-issue once you are back in Nigeria or once your mission completes the replacement.
• It does not entitle you to travel onward from Nigeria. The booklet is one-way only.
• It does not transfer the visas from your lost passport — those must be replaced with the issuing embassies.

If you are inside Nigeria, the NTP and ETC routes do not apply to you. Either travel on the replacement when it is ready, or, if a third country has issued you an emergency travel document, follow that country's rules.

A passport that is declared lost and then found is no longer valid for travel. The NIS replacement page is explicit: continued use of a passport declared lost may be considered fraudulent use of a government document, with penalties under sections 10(1)(e) and 10(1)(h) of the Immigration Act 2015 — up to 10 years imprisonment or a ₦2,000,000 fine, or both.

Hand the found booklet to the nearest passport office or your high commission. Do not photograph the data page for visa applications or border officials; the document is dead the moment the loss is filed.