Most of this whole series, the fees, the documents, the one office visit, is about the standard passport. It isn't the only booklet NIS issues. It helps to know where the others fit.
Here's how the three types differ.
The standard passport, green cover
This is the booklet almost every Nigerian applies for. Everything in our renewal guide series is written around it. It comes in the 32 pages with 5-year validity or 64 pages with 10-year validity choices, priced as covered in our 2026 fee breakdown.
Anyone eligible for a Nigerian passport can apply for this one, through the standard portal process. No special role or job title is needed, which is why this series focuses on it almost entirely.
The blue-cover passport, for eligible public officers
The second type is blue. It's reserved for eligible public officers, not the general public. NIS prices it at ₦40,000, with a target of seven days after enrolment, faster than the standard target.
Eligibility here comes from your role. You can't simply ask for one. If you don't hold a qualifying public office, this isn't the booklet for you.
The diplomatic passport, free for its holders
The third type is the diplomatic passport. NIS issues it free, or gratis, to the specific officials who qualify for it. Unlike the other two, it carries no published fee at all.
As with the blue-cover passport, eligibility comes from a specific role. It isn't open through the standard application route. Neither booklet is something you can request by simply paying more or asking nicely at an office.
All three share the same underlying technology
NIS says all three types are fingerprint-enhanced e-passports. They're built on the same reform covered in our explainer on the enhanced e-passport. The colour and the eligibility rules differ. The chip inside does not.
Why this matters if you're not eligible for the other two
You may have heard about the faster seven-day target on the blue-cover passport. It's tempting to wonder if you could apply for that route instead. You can't. Eligibility decides which booklet you get, not preference or a wish for speed.
For almost every reader of this series, the standard, green passport is the one that matters. Its own target time is covered in how long renewal takes. Unless your employer or role tells you otherwise, this is the booklet to plan around.
Common mistakes about passport types
- Assuming the blue-cover passport is available to anyone willing to pay its fee.
- Confusing a faster target time for one passport type with a general rule for all of them.
- Not realising the diplomatic passport carries no application fee at all for its eligible holders.
If you're applying for the standard passport, our document checklist and portal walkthrough cover what you actually need.