A move abroad has a hard deadline: your flight. These four documents are worth checking before that date, not after you land.
Three of them need you in the room. The passport, the police certificate and the driving licence each take one visit. The NIN slip reissue needs no office visit, so it can wait until last.
1. Your passport
Check the expiry date first. NIS renews passports whether they have expired or are still valid. There is no need to wait for yours to lapse.
Renewing abroad follows a separate diaspora fee schedule. Nigerian passport fees for Nigerians abroad sets it out, so we won't repeat it here.
If your timing allows, renewing in Nigeria before you travel keeps you on the Nigerian fee schedule. You'll still need one visit to a passport office for your photo and fingerprints. You can start a passport renewal here.
2. A police character certificate, if you need one
Not every move calls for this. Eligibility covers Nigerians, and foreigners who have lived in Nigeria for at least 30 days.
If your job, course or visa route asks for one, start early, and ask how recent it must be: sources give its validity as six months from the date of issue or three months. Fingerprints are taken in person, at the police command you pick on the online application. Getting a police character certificate from abroad covers what is reported for applicants already abroad, which you should confirm with a Nigerian mission.
3. Your NIN slip and your driving licence
A worn or lost NIN slip can be reissued before you go. Reissue costs ₦600. How to reprint a lost NIN slip covers the steps.
FRSC's renewal window opens from 30 days before the expiry date, and there is no way around the in-person biometric visit. A lost licence is a different route, covered in replacing a lost driver's licence.
What each costs at the agency
| Document | Agency fee |
|---|---|
| Passport, 5-year or 10-year booklet | ₦100,000 or ₦200,000 |
| Driving licence, 3-year or 5-year | ₦15,000 or ₦21,000 |
| NIN slip reissue | ₦600 |
The passport fees apply only to applications made in Nigeria. Licence fees are per class, and payment channels may add charges. The police certificate fee is not in the table because it is unconfirmed: a civic guide and a news site report ₦30,000 while other sources differ, so read the amount on the POSSAP invoice before you pay.
Check what needs authenticating before you go
Some certificates may need a notary and Ministry of Foreign Affairs authentication for use abroad, and the receiving country may add its own step. A school certificate is one example. That is a separate chain from renewing a document, and it is better started early.
Getting a Nigerian document ready for use abroad sets out the order.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the driving licence until the last week, when it needs you in person.
- Requesting the police certificate late, then finding the fingerprint appointment date sets your timeline.
- Renewing the passport but forgetting a certificate that may still need notarising and authenticating.
- Quoting a fee from a friend's experience instead of the agency's current amount.
Once you have landed, see what Nigerians abroad can do remotely. The diaspora and life events hub lists every chain in this series.