A child's Nigerian passport application asks for its own set of documents, separate from an adult renewal. The reassuring part: NIS only ever asks for one parent's consent.
Here's the checklist, and what changes when a parent is abroad or unavailable.
The core document list
For a child's passport, NIS asks for an NPC birth certificate (for children born in Nigeria), a consent letter from either parent and proof of a parent's Nigerian citizenship.
The birth certificate has to be an NPC one for a child born inside Nigeria. Proof of a parent's Nigerian citizenship sits alongside it, usually the parent's own passport or NIN details.
Gather these before you start the online form, not during it. A half-finished application with missing documents is harder to pick back up than one you start once everything is ready.
Why one parent's consent is enough
NIS's requirement list says a letter of consent from either parent. It doesn't ask for both parents to sign, which matters if one parent works abroad, is separated from the other, or simply can't attend in person.
The consenting parent also endorses the back of the child's photo, which still needs to meet the usual photo requirements. That endorsement is what gets checked closely, more than the letter's exact wording.
When a parent is absent or abroad
Because only one parent's letter is required, a parent travelling or based overseas doesn't block the application on its own. The parent in Nigeria can proceed with their own consent letter.
Where there's a live custody dispute, treat this as a legal question first. A family lawyer can advise before you rely on NIS's minimum requirement.
This single-parent rule is also useful to know before you travel. A parent based abroad can write and send the consent letter ahead of time, rather than assuming the application has to wait until both parents are in the same country.
Adopted children need extra paperwork
Adoption adds two more documents. NIS asks for a court order for the adoption, plus a letter of approval from the State Ministry of Women and Child Development, alongside everything else on the list.
Without these two, the standard document list alone isn't enough for an adopted child.
The appointment still needs your child there
A child's passport still goes through an appointment at your chosen passport office for photo and biometric capture. There's no separate, child-only process, and no way to complete this step by post.
Parents attend with the child, and with every document above, not only the ones that seemed most relevant on the day. A restless toddler makes this harder, so plan for a longer visit than you would for your own renewal.
Common mistakes
- Waiting on a second parent's consent that NIS never actually asked for.
- Missing the adoption paperwork because the birth certificate alone looked sufficient.
- Sending a child's photo without the consenting parent's endorsement on the back.
A child's first passport is a family application you submit yourselves, consent letter, any court order and all. When it's due for renewal later, Docufy's renewal service can take on that paperwork. Our passport hub links every other step in the process.