Most passport delays for children don't come from the Immigration office. They come from the parent's side: a birth certificate that isn't from the right body, a consent letter nobody signed, or a photo that wasn't endorsed on the back. This guide covers a Nigerian passport for anyone under 18, using the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) passport page as the source for requirements.
One rule first. Fees, processing times and appointment availability change, and they aren't covered here. Check them only on the official portal, which NIS lists as passport.immigration.gov.ng. If you're unsure a site is genuine, read our post on confirming the official government site before you pay anyone.
Who counts as a minor, and which route applies
NIS treats anyone under 18 as a minor. From 18 upward, the adult requirements apply, and those are different. An adult applicant needs a guarantor's form signed before a Commissioner for Oaths. The NIS minor list does not include that item.
There are two ways a child is covered:
- Citizenship by birth. This is the usual case, where the child's parents are Nigerian citizens.
- Adopted child. This has extra paperwork, covered below.
NIS also publishes separate rules for naturalised and registered citizens. Those lists are written for the person holding the Presidential certificate. If your child's status depends on one of those certificates, confirm with an NIS office which documents apply to your child.
The document checklist for a minor
According to NIS, a minor's application needs these items:
- Completed passport application form with one passport-sized photograph of the child. The photo must be endorsed on the reverse side by the consenting parent or parents.
- Evidence of Nigerian citizenship of the parent or parents. NIS's general guidance says minors must show their parents' passports and permission.
- Birth certificate. For minors born within Nigeria, it must be issued by the National Population Commission (NPC).
- Letter of consent from either parent.
- Acknowledgement slip and evidence of payment.
For an adopted child, NIS adds a court order and a letter of approval from the State Ministry of Women and Child Development. NIS says this requirement is strictly for adopted children.
The birth certificate is the usual stumbling block
A hospital birth notification, a baptism card or a naming-ceremony paper is not an NPC birth certificate. If your child doesn't have one, sort that out first, because everything else waits on it. Birth registration is handled by the NPC, so ask at an NPC office or check the NPC's official site for the current process.
Also look at the names on it. If the child's name is spelled differently on the birth certificate than on the form you'll fill in, fix the mismatch first. Our guide on fixing name mismatches in your document folder shows how.
Step-by-step: applying from within Nigeria
NIS describes the standard process as online first, then in person. For a first passport:
- Prepare scans before you open the form. Scan the NPC birth certificate and the parent's documents. Save each in a clearly named file, such as "child-birth-certificate". Use a phone scanning app if you have no scanner, and make sure the whole page is visible.
- Start the application on the official portal. NIS says to complete the application online, upload the required documents, pay, and book an appointment. For a first-time adult applicant, the upload list includes the NPC birth certificate (or a high court age declaration) and a state of origin certificate. For a child, upload what the portal asks for, which may differ from the paper checklist above.
- Pay only through the portal. NIS describes the enhanced e-Passport as strictly online-payment based, designed to remove middlemen. If someone asks you to pay cash to "speed things up", treat it as a warning sign.
- Choose your passport office and appointment date carefully. You must submit your payment and appointment slips in person at the office you selected, on the scheduled date.
- Take the child with you. NIS says applicants must appear at the chosen office for photograph and biometric capture. Plan for the child to be present, along with the consenting parent.
- Bring the originals and the printed paperwork. That means the photo endorsed on the back, the consent letter, the parent's documents, and both the acknowledgement slip and payment evidence.
The consent letter and the endorsed photo
These two items trip people up because they look informal. They aren't.
- Consent letter: NIS asks for a letter from either parent. Keep it short: the child's full name as on the birth certificate, date of birth, a clear statement that you consent to the passport application, your own name, address (your own, not published anywhere) and signature, and the date. Keep a copy of your own passport data page with it.
- Endorsed photo: the endorsement goes on the back, by the consenting parent. Sign it after you've confirmed the photo is the one you'll submit, because a smudged signature on the wrong print wastes time. Write lightly so the ink doesn't mark the face.
Note that the NIS wording says "consenting parent(s)" and "either parent". If the two parents are separated or one is abroad, the official page doesn't spell out extra steps. Ask your chosen passport office before the appointment, rather than guessing.
Applying from abroad
NIS says Nigerians in the diaspora should submit applications at the nearest Nigerian embassy, high commission or consulate. For a child, this means the parent contacts that mission, checks its own list of requirements and appointment method, and brings the child for biometrics. A foreign birth certificate is not the same as an NPC certificate. NIS's minor rule on NPC certificates is for children born within Nigeria, so a child born abroad should ask the mission which birth document it accepts. If foreign documents need certifying, our post on certified copies and notarisation explains the general idea.
Worked example (hypothetical)
Say Mrs Adeyemi in Ibadan wants a passport for her 9-year-old son, who was born in Nigeria. Her husband works in another city. Here's how she'd prepare:
- She finds the child's NPC birth certificate. The surname spelling matches her own passport, so no corrections are needed.
- She scans the certificate and her own passport data page, and opens the NIS portal.
- She prints the acknowledgement slip and payment evidence after paying on the portal.
- She writes and signs a consent letter, and signs the back of one passport photo of her son.
- She puts everything in a folder, with photocopies, and brings her son to the appointment.
Because the form says "consent from either parent", her signature covers that item. If she wasn't sure that was enough in her family's situation, she'd call or visit the office beforehand.
Which booklet should you choose?
NIS lists three normal (green) booklet options for Nigerians: 32 pages with 5-year validity, 64 pages with 5-year validity, and 64 pages with 10-year validity. The Enhanced e-Passport is described as a 10-year, polycarbonate booklet. The page doesn't say which options are offered for children, or what they cost. Check the portal when you start. A longer-validity booklet saves repeat trips, but confirm the validity period shown for a minor's application before you pay.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Using a hospital card instead of an NPC certificate | Obtain the NPC birth certificate before you start the form |
| Photo not endorsed on the back | Have the consenting parent sign the reverse before the appointment |
| Name spelled differently across documents | Correct the records first, then apply |
| Paying a "agent" or an unofficial site | Pay only on the official portal; NIS says the process is designed to remove middlemen |
| Leaving the child at home | Bring the child for photograph and biometrics |
| Missing adoption papers | For an adopted child, add the court order and State Ministry of Women and Child Development letter |
Frequently asked questions
Does a child need a guarantor?
The NIS minor checklist doesn't list a guarantor's form. The adult list does. The online portal may ask for other items, so follow what it shows you.
Can either parent apply?
NIS asks for a consent letter from either parent, and the photo is endorsed by the consenting parent. For unusual family situations, ask the passport office first.
My child was born abroad. What do I submit?
Contact the nearest Nigerian mission. The NPC certificate rule applies to children born within Nigeria, so a mission will tell you which birth document it accepts.
Can I renew a child's passport later?
NIS has a renewal process that involves uploading documents, including the passport data page, and appearing with the booklet. We cover it in our renewals post on this site under the title "Renewing or Correcting a Nigerian Passport: What You Upload"; search for it by that title.
Your next step
Today, check whether your child has an NPC birth certificate and whether the names match your own passport. That single check tells you whether you can start the online form this week or need to fix a document first.
Sources
Details checked against the official sources above on 10 November 2026. Things change, so confirm on the official site before you act.
Fees, dates, requirements and procedures change. Always confirm with the official agency or institution before you act.