Losing your passport abroad is stressful, so start straight away. Two things come first. A document list follows.
A working order, starting on day one
- Report the loss to the police where it happened, and keep a copy of the report.
- Contact your nearest Nigerian embassy, high commission or consulate.
- Gather the documents NIS lists and swear the affidavit of loss.
- Apply for the replacement on the NIS passport portal.
| Step | Who | What you leave with |
|---|---|---|
| Report the loss | Local police | A copy of the report |
| Call your mission | Embassy, high commission or consulate | Its current process and forms |
| Swear the affidavit | Ask the mission whether an affidavit sworn there is accepted | A sworn affidavit of loss |
| Apply | The NIS passport portal | An application and a payment receipt |
NIS's replacement list names a police extract for the loss. Ask your mission whether a local police report is accepted, or whether it wants a Nigerian police extract. Do not guess.
What NIS lists to replace a lost passport
NIS lists a police extract for the loss, a High Court affidavit of loss, an NPC birth certificate or court declaration of age and a local government certificate of indigeneship. You apply through the renewal and re-issue option on the passport portal and pay the replacement fees. Dual nationals upload the data page of their foreign passport. Add a marriage certificate where your name differs.
No separate published surcharge for a lost passport was found. Nigerian passport fees for Nigerians abroad covers the fee schedule.
Our posts on steps to replace a lost or stolen passport and documents for a lost Nigerian passport cover each item, so we will not repeat them.
The affidavit of loss, when you are abroad
NIS's list names a sworn affidavit for loss of passport from the High Court.
A Nigerian embassy or high commission official of the rank of secretary or above can take affidavits and do notarial acts. Whether an affidavit sworn there meets NIS's High Court wording is a question for the mission or NIS. Ask before you rely on it. Swearing an affidavit abroad covers the routes.
If you must travel before the new passport is ready
Your mission is the place to ask about emergency travel. NIS announced the Single Travel Emergency Passport (STEP) as a forthcoming single-entry document for this case, to be issued at designated embassies and consulates, but we found no launch date. Do not treat it as available. Nigeria's emergency travel document, explained sets out what is known.
Ask the mission what it issues today and what it needs from you. If you are in Nigeria when this happens, a vetted partner firm can prepare the replacement application: start a passport request. You still need one visit for your photo and fingerprints.
Common mistakes
- Waiting to report the loss.
- Assuming STEP is live because NIS announced it.
- Using the old passport if it turns up. NIS warns that using a passport already declared lost can attract up to 10 years' imprisonment, a ₦2,000,000 fine, or both.
- Swearing an affidavit without asking whether NIS will accept it.
For the other document chains, start from the diaspora and life events hub.