Nigeria Immigration Service says Nigerians abroad can come back home with expired passports

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has assured Nigerians in the diaspora that they do not need a valid passport to travel home, noting that expired passports can still be used for the journey and renewed once the holder returns to the country.

According to a report by Vanguard News, the clarification comes as many Nigerians abroad begin planning their end-of-year trips home. The NIS said travellers coming in for the December season can conveniently process their passport renewal while in Nigeria, rather than waiting to do so abroad.

On the situation in the United Kingdom, the agency said the ongoing passport intervention has not disrupted regular services at the Nigerian High Commission, as applicants whose appointments fall due continue to be attended to as scheduled.

Service spokesman, DCI Akinsola Akinlabi, also confirmed that the contactless passport application platform remains fully operational, giving Nigerians who prefer not to visit a passport office in person the option of processing their renewal remotely through the app.

The NIS’s clarification is expected to ease concerns among Nigerians abroad who may have delayed travel plans over expired travel documents, as the agency reassures the public that renewal processes remain accessible both in Nigeria and through diaspora missions such as the UK High Commission.