After going through the stress of getting a Nigerian international passport, losing it is disheartening.
I have firsthand experience of this – because I have lost mine in the past. I remember it like it was yesterday.
It was during a hectic period when I was juggling work and family commitments.
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I was returning from a trip and while in traffic, in Lagos, my Uber was attacked by men with guns; they collected my bag containing my passport and also took everything from my Uber driver.
I had no option but to retrieve my passport – because I needed it.
If you lose your passport in Nigeria and still want to travel in the future, you must retrieve it
The good thing is that; it isn’t that complicated – even though you can’t always trust how we do things here in Nigeria.
Upon losing your passport, here’s what you need to do:
How to retrieve lost international passport in Nigeria
Retrieving a lost passport in Nigeria is the same as applying for a new one – except for a few details like; it involves a report – a police report specifically.
To retrieve your lost Nigerian passport:
Step 1: Report the loss to the police
In Nigeria, the first formal step you need to take is to report the loss to the police.
I know most of us here in Nigeria don’t trust the police but this is a necessity – you have to do it, because you need a police report to retrieve your passport – not because they’ll get it back for you.
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This was something I did. I went to the nearest police station in my area in Lagos the next day, and I explained the situation to the officer on duty.
I couldn’t go on the same day because it happened around 8p at night – it was already too late to visit a police station.
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Before going, bring a valid ID with you to the police station because they’ll need to verify your identity.
The officer was helpful, and after providing all the necessary details—my name, the passport number (luckily, I had a copy), and how and where I lost it—they issued a police report.
This document is important as I already said – it’s your official proof that your passport is missing.
Step 2: Affidavit of loss
This was not part of the requirements before but lately, folks have been asked to get it.
Visit a court to obtain an affidavit that formally declares your passport lost.
This is a simple process that will only take about 30 minutes.
The affidavit of loss should be from either a Magistrate or High Court, signed by you, with your passport photo attached.
Step 3: Filled out a loss report form
You can do this when you get to the NIS office or if you’re like me (I prefer to fill out the form online before going to the NIS office), you can do it online.
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You can download the form from the Nigerian Immigration Service website or wait til you get to their office, then you pick it up there and fill it out.
The choice is yours to make!
The form requires basic information, like your passport number, date of issue, and details of how it was lost.
Step 4: Visit the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS)
The next step is to visit the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
When I lost my passport, I went to the nearest NIS office, which in my case was the Alausa office in Ikeja, Lagos.
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If you’re in Abuja or other places, you don’t need to come to Lagos for this, report to the NIS office near you.
There are areas in Enugu and other states.
You don’t have to come to Lagos.
Before going to the NIS office, get all the following documents
Documents required to replace lost passport include
- Formal written request: You’ll be asked to submit a formal application for a replacement passport -address the request to the Consulate General in Abuja.
- Police report: The police report you got from the police – make sure it contains your lost passport number.
- Passport copy or number: Come with a copy of the lost passport or its number.
- Affidavit: The affidavit of loss you got from the court.
- Acknowledgement and payment proof: You need to pay for the replacement. The amount depends on the category of passport you’re getting.
Here’s what you’ll do when you get to the NIS office:
- Submit the loss report form: If you filled out the form before coming, submit it, if you didn’t, collect it from them, fill it out and submit it.
- Submit the police report: Hand over the police report you got earlier. This is non-negotiable—they won’t process your case without it.
- Submit other forms and details: Submit the affidavit, your lost passport copy or Number, the formal written request that you address to the Consulate General in Abuja, and the acknowledgement and payment proof.
- Submit any form of identification: Even though this is not among the documents required by NIS, go with it, when I replaced mine, I was asked to submit an ID just for proof of identity – I submitted my National ID card.
- Passport-sized photographs: You know you can’t go for something like this without passport-size photographs, right? Go with at least three. I was asked to bring two but keep extra – you know how we love passport photographs in Nigeria – Someone can ask you to bring a passport photograph just because you want to buy shawarma.
You don’t have to worry about the long list of steps, on getting to the NIS office, there will be someone ready to direct you on what to do and offices to enter – just ask anybody you see.
Ensure you come with all the forms and documents listed above.
If there is any missing form, you’ll come back again when you get it.
I know you don’t have time to waste – we’re all in a hurry in Nigeria.
Step 5: Pay for the replacement
Before you start submitting your document at the NIS office, you’ll be asked to pay for the replacement.
You can make your payment at the NIS office when you get there, they’ll issue you a receipt.
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However, if you want to do it before going there, you can also make the payment online especially if you filled out your form online.
To avoid making it hard for yourself, make the payment when you get to the NIS office – you don’t want to hear “We did not receive your payment when you get there”.
After submitting everything, go home and wait for your passport to be processed.
When it’s ready for collection, you’ll receive a notification that your new passport is ready for collection.
Return to the NIS office with your receipt and collect your new passport.
Can you retrieve your lost passport online?
Yes, you can do all of this online, fill out the passport loss report form, attach your other documents, make payment and submit, then wait for your passport.
But, let me point this out.
You and I know how Nigerian and doing stuff online works.
Today the Minister is saying you can do everything online, tomorrow, he/she is saying another thing.
Like, denying everything previously said.
Even if you show him/her a video, he/she will still deny it.
I’m not trying to be unpatriotic or degrade the Nigerian system – but experience has taught me never to put all my fate on our unstable system.
To prevent annoying stories go to the NIS office and do everything there.
FAQs
How much does it cost to retrieve a lost passport in Nigeria?
It costs between ₦50,000 and ₦100,000 to retrieve a lost passport in Nigeria, depending on the number of pages and processing speed.
A 32-page passport with a 5-year validity is priced at ₦50,000, while a 64-page passport with a 10-year validity costs ₦100,000.
These prices have been increasing lately, we hope it doesn’t get higher than this.
Can I get my Nigeria passport online?
You can start the application process for a Nigerian passport online, but you must visit a passport office to finish the process.
We also hope that everything can be perfectly done online soon.
There have been talks in the media about “being able to do everything online” but the reality is not the same.
How long does it take to get an international passport in Nigeria?
It takes 2 to 6 weeks to get an international passport in Nigeria, depending on whether you opt for standard or express service.
If you lose your passport today and wish to retrieve it, the process is the same as applying for a new one, the only difference is in the forms you’ll submit.
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Like a police report, lost passport report form and other minor details.
While you can start the process of replacing your lost passport online, I’ll encourage you to visit the nearest passport office in person to complete the process – to avoid issues.
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