Nigeria Immigration Deploys Passport Intervention Team to UK to Clear Application Backlog

Immigration Boss and Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo with International Passport

Nigeria Immigration Deploys Passport Intervention Team to UK to Clear Application Backlog

The Nigeria Immigration Service has sent a dedicated team to the United Kingdom to process pending, new, and renewal passport applications for Nigerians in the diaspora, with operations beginning August 10, 2026.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has deployed a dedicated Passport Intervention Team to the United Kingdom to ease and streamline passport applications for Nigerians living in the diaspora. The initiative, directed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, is part of ongoing efforts to address the challenges Nigerians abroad face in obtaining or renewing their travel documents. The intervention team, comprising personnel from the NIS headquarters in Abuja, arrived in the United Kingdom on Monday, August 10, 2026. The team will work in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission to facilitate the processing and issuance of pending, new, and renewal passport applications. This deployment follows recent complaints from Nigerians in the UK about delays in passport processing and poor communication at the High Commission, concerns the NIS had earlier addressed by highlighting the availability of its digital platforms.

As part of the exercise, the intervention team will visit designated cities across the United Kingdom to conduct passport enrolment and processing. This approach is designed to bring services closer to eligible applicants in different parts of the country, reducing the burden of travelling long distances to a central location. The intervention is open to three categories of applicants: applicants with pending passport applications who are waiting for processing; new applicants applying for a Nigerian passport for the first time; and holders of passports with less than one year remaining before expiry who wish to apply for renewal. During enrolment, applicants are required to present their completed application forms and proof of payment.

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The NIS has urged Nigerians in the UK not to proceed to any location until the detailed schedule, including designated cities, dates, venues, and enrolment times, has been officially communicated. “Applicants are therefore advised not to proceed to any location until the relevant schedule has been officially communicated and to monitor the official communication channels of the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom for further details,” the NIS stated. The NIS also advised applicants to rely only on information released through authorised government platforms.

The NIS has clarified that all its digital passport application channels, including the Contactless Passport Application System, will remain fully operational throughout the intervention. The Contactless Passport Application System, which was launched in the UK in February 2025, allows eligible Nigerians to renew their passports without visiting a centre for biometric enrolment through the NIS Mobile application. The home delivery service for passports will also continue to be available to applicants. This digital system has been particularly valuable following the introduction of the NIS Mobile app, which addressed the challenge of securing appointments for biometric enrolment at the High Commission. The app has undergone several upgrades based on user feedback, and the NIS has confirmed that previous technical glitches have been resolved.

For enquiries or complaints regarding the UK intervention, applicants can contact the NIS through the following channels: email at passport.london@immigration.gov.ng or the WhatsApp-only line at +234 916 087 8000. The NIS reaffirmed its commitment to providing efficient, transparent and responsive passport services to Nigerians both at home and abroad.