Nigerian Passport for Minors (Under 18)

This page is for school-age children, pre-teens, and teenagers up to 17. The biometric process is closer to an adult's, the documents needed are slightly different, and the application can be initiated by the child where the parent is unavailable but a guardian holds legal standing.

For babies in the first months of life, see Nigerian passport for a newborn. The newborn route covers the practical challenges of photographing an infant and the cases where fingerprint capture is skipped.

The Nigeria Immigration Service expects the application to be filed by a parent or legal guardian. In practice:

• Both biological parents is the default and the cleanest case. Both sign the consent letter; both attend the biometric appointment where possible.
• One parent, with the other's consent in writing works when one parent travels frequently or lives in a different city. Attach a notarised written consent from the absent parent and a copy of their NIN slip.
• One parent with sole legal custody attaches the court order granting custody. Most missions accept the order plus the NPC birth certificate showing both parents.
• One parent deceased attaches an NPC death certificate. The surviving parent applies alone.
• A legal guardian (relative, court-appointed) attaches the court order or letters of guardianship, plus their own NIN, passport, and a written explanation of why the parents cannot file.
• Single mother, no legal recognition of father is accepted by most missions where the NPC birth certificate lists only the mother. Confirm with your specific mission first.

Sole-parent applications without supporting paperwork are usually held for clarification.

For most minors above the toddler stage, the biometric capture is the same as an adult's. The officer captures:

• A photograph at the appointment.
• Fingerprints of all ten fingers on the digital scanner.
• A signature — for younger children this is a placeholder mark; teenagers sign their own name.

Fingerprint capture is sometimes skipped for children under about six at the officer's discretion, where the prints are not yet stable enough for the system. For children seven and above, expect full fingerprint capture. The child must be physically present; a parent or guardian's prints cannot substitute. Most centres allow a parent to stand with the child for reassurance during capture.

The 10-year passport is restricted to adults aged 18 and over. Minors get 5-year booklets, in either of the standard sizes.

• 32-page, 5-year — the default for most children. Suits occasional travel and visa stamps that do not require a full page.
• 64-page, 5-year — available where the family expects heavy travel within the five-year cycle. Same validity, more pages.

The 5-year cycle works in the family's favour. By the time the booklet expires, the child looks markedly different from the original photograph, and a re-issue is needed regardless of validity. At 18 the child can apply for a 10-year booklet as a re-issue or replacement.

1. 1
   Confirm child's NPC birth certificate and NINBoth must be current and consistent. Fix any name or date mismatch with NIMC and NPC before applying.
2. 2
   Start the application on immigration.gov.ngUse the parent's email and contact details. Choose 'Fresh' for first-time minors, or 'Re-issue' if the child already had a passport.
3. 3
   Upload scans and pay on the portalUpload the minor's photo, NPC certificate, NIN slip, both parents' passports and NINs, and the parental consent letter.
4. 4
   Book the biometric appointmentPick a centre and date that works for the child's school schedule. Diaspora applicants book directly with their high commission or embassy.
5. 5
   Attend the appointment with the childBring originals of every document, the child themselves, and at least one parent. Officers capture photograph, fingerprints (where applicable), and signature.
6. 6
   Track and collectRe-issue cases follow the 21-day NIS Service Level Agreement; first applications can take up to 42 days. Collect with the acknowledgement slip.

Since the NIS fee review of 1 September 2025, the published rates do not distinguish minor from adult fees on the standard 32-page 5-year booklet.

• Inside Nigeria — ₦100,000 for the 32-page 5-year.
• Diaspora applicants pay the NIS USD anchor of $150 (32-page 5-year), with mission-specific administrative fees on top. The Consulate General of Nigeria, Atlanta lists $142 for the booklet at its US schedule. Missions sometimes publish slightly different rates from the NIS USD anchor; check the specific mission's page before paying.
• 64-page 5-year is offered at most consulates for $162. Inside Nigeria, the 64-page 5-year is not separately priced in the September 2025 press release — confirm on the portal if you want the larger booklet.

Pay only on immigration.gov.ng or by the mission's specified instrument. Anyone billing a "child passport rush fee" outside the portal is a scammer.

A few mission-specific quirks worth knowing:

• NHC London (UK) asks for the long-form birth certificate showing parental details, copies of both parents' passport data pages, and a £20 UK postal order plus a self-addressed Royal Mail C4 special-delivery envelope.
• Embassy of Nigeria, Sweden charges a non-refundable 500 SEK administrative fee for minor reissue and requires a registered, trackable self-addressed return envelope.
• US consulates (NY, Atlanta, Washington DC) require USPS Money Orders for the application fee and a pre-paid USPS Express Mail return envelope. Minors must attend in person with at least one parent.
• Embassy of Nigeria, Germany and Consulate General, Johannesburg publish their own templates for the parental consent letter.

For diaspora-born children, the foreign country's official birth registration document substitutes for the NPC birth certificate, but parental citizenship evidence is still required.