An apostille is a shortcut many countries accept for foreign documents. Nigeria cannot offer one. A police character certificate for use abroad takes a different route instead.
Why an apostille is not an option
Not a party, so Nigeria does not issue apostilles. Nigeria is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. This comes from the HCCH's own status table, last updated 30 June 2026. That table lists every country that can issue an apostille. Nigeria is not on it.
A form or checklist may still ask you for an apostille on a Nigerian document. That specific step simply is not available here. Document authentication is the option in its place.
The route Nigeria actually offers
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs document authentication. It sits at foreignaffairs.gov.ng/services/document-authentication. The office itself is at Tafawa Balewa House, Central Business District, Abuja.
The Ministry's list names a few examples: birth certificates, marriage certificates, child adoption papers, end-user certificates. It covers immigration, study, work and legal cases. Your police character certificate, used for a visa or a move abroad, fits that same broad group.
What the Ministry's page does not tell you
The page publishes no fee. It publishes no processing time either. This site will not guess at either figure. Budget your own time, and ask the Ministry directly what to expect once you apply.
What happens after Nigeria's step
Authentication by the Ministry is Nigeria's part of the job. What the receiving country does next is a separate matter.
Some ask for a further step at their own embassy. Others may not. That choice belongs to them, not to Nigeria.
This article will not state another government's rule. Rules like that vary by destination, and they can change on their own timeline. Check the receiving country's own published list before you assume Nigeria's step is the last one you need.
Your own passport office, employer or visa desk may also tell you exactly which extra step, if any, they expect. Ask them directly rather than relying on a general guide for a country-specific answer.
Getting your certificate ready first
Authentication assumes you already hold a finished certificate. If you have not applied yet, start with applying on POSSAP. Then read how long it stays valid before you book your authentication appointment.
Common mistakes with authentication
- Asking Nigeria for an apostille. It is not available; ask for document authentication instead.
- Assuming the Ministry's step is the final one. Confirm what the receiving country still wants after that.
- Leaving it until just before travel. With no published timeline, earlier is safer than later.
Our full guide to cost and process covers the certificate itself, and you can start a police character certificate request before you begin the authentication step.