Losing a passport doesn't just mean reapplying. NIS adds two documents to the file that a standard renewal never asks for: a police extract and a court affidavit.
Here's exactly what each one is, plus the rest of the checklist.
The full list NIS asks for
For a lost or stolen passport, gather 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.
That's more than a standard renewal's paperwork. The police extract and the affidavit both prove the loss actually happened, and happened the way you say.
Treat this as a file you build once, in full, rather than documents you gather one at a time as NIS asks for them. Missing even one item is a common reason a replacement application sits unresolved.
Getting the police extract
A police extract for loss of passport comes from a police station, usually the one where you reported the loss. Give a clear, consistent account of when and how the passport went missing.
It isn't free. It's a fee-based police service, on top of whatever your new booklet costs.
Keep the receipt for this payment along with the extract itself, in case you're asked for proof of payment too.
Swearing the affidavit of loss
A sworn affidavit for loss of passport from the High Court is a sworn statement, not a form you fill in at home. A commissioner for oaths or a court official witnesses it.
Our guide to swearing an affidavit of loss walks through where this happens and what it needs to say. The steps are the same whether you lost a passport or anything else.
The birth certificate or age declaration
NIS also wants an NPC birth certificate, or a declaration of age if you don't have one. The rule turns on your date of birth, and our 1992 rule guide explains which one fits your case.
Where a declaration of age applies, a declaration of age from a Federal or State High Court or a Customary Court of Appeal is what NIS will accept in place of the NPC certificate.
The local government certificate, and dual nationals
A local government, or indigene, certificate rounds off the list. If yours went missing with your passport, your local government office issues a fresh one.
Dual nationals upload their foreign passport's data page too. If your name has changed since your last passport, add your marriage certificate as well.
None of these documents substitute for each other. A local government certificate doesn't stand in for the affidavit, and the affidavit doesn't remove the need for a birth record. NIS expects the complete set.
Common mistakes
- Going to the police station without a clear, consistent account of the loss.
- Assuming any affidavit will do, rather than one that specifically states the loss.
- Forgetting the local government certificate because only the passport, not the certificate, was lost.
Once this file is complete, the rest of the process runs like any other passport application: pay, book your appointment, and attend for biometrics. A vetted partner firm can also handle the paperwork for your passport application.