If your passport has expired or if you are left with about six valid months on your passport, my take s that you need to apply for a renewal. Also, for cases of stolen/misplaced and damaged passports, what you need is a renewal. It simply means you are getting a new passport.
Note that the new passport will NOT carry the same number you had on the previous one. The process for renewal basically follows the same process for application. You can go online or physically present yourself at the relevant NIS office.
Some people might ask, “what if I have a valid visa on the previous passport?”; do not worry. As long as the biographical information on your visa (full name, date of birth, place of birth and nationality) is the same as the biographical data on your new passport, you do not have a problem. Take along with you the passport you want to renew to the passport office and submit same with other documents. The old passport would be “Cancelled Without Prejudice” and you will be issued a new one. In the event that you want to make use of the visa, all you need do is bind the two passports and take it to the airport during accreditation for check-in, it will be admitted. On the other hand, if you had a name change, nationality change or your date of birth or place of birth has been corrected on your passport, you might need to apply for a new visa. If you do choose to reapply, and qualify for your new visa, then your old visa will be cancelled without prejudice at the time of the interview or visa processing.
Although there are officials and agents that will tell you they can handle it in Lagos, the truth is that, your international passport renewal can ONLY be done at the Abuja office for now. Those that collect your documents and charge people exorbitant fees in Lagos still need to go to Abuja in order to capture your data.
What the immigration officers at the Lagos office simply do is to take your documents to Abuja themselves and probably fast track the process. So you might want to go to Abuja yourself, sadly. Especially in my experience, having seen a good number of people billed over and over again with one story or the other coming from the officer, or after they are done paying, they now get stories from the NIS officer as to why it couldn’t be done, but all in all, your money has gone down the drain.
The process of renewal is almost the same with those who are applying for the first time. It generally takes between 3 – 4 days to process and maximum of a week. though i have listed the official fees to pay, recognize that you might pay more because of the bottle necks deliberately created by the immigration officers.
The official fees released by Nigeria’s ministry of interior for the issuance of e-passports are as follows:
· 64-page frequent travelers passport would be obtained at N20,000
· e-Passports for 18 to 60 year-olds would go for N15,000
· For people below 18 years as well as 60 years and above would be procured at N8,750.
· For change of data/lost passport which would cost N20,000.
· Change of names due to marriage, divorce, and death of spouse would be effected at N8,750
· Change of data on request would attract N30,000
how can I renew my passport and how much should it cost me to renew it. I obtained it on the 10th of may 2010 and its expiring next week. and there has been no visa on it yet.
How can I renew my passport and change d name as well????how much will it cost me and can it b done in lagos?
Great Article. Thanks for the info. Does anyone know where I can find a blank passport renewal form?
Good day sir,ma.I wanted to change my passport name and age what the documents am going to provide.
You are actually wrong about all renewals done in Abuja,i recently renewed my international passport last month at the Alausa Passport office. It’s key to share only correct information that won’t be misleading
really? I am in a similar situation and am being told to go to Abuja
@immaculate pls how much did you pay for the passport renewal? Thanks
wondering why she isn’t replying. for someone who doesn’t usually get comments on her blog, you are getting now and you don’t reply.