The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has doubled the cost of international passports for Nigerians applying within the country, sparking widespread criticism and concern about accessibility. The new fees take effect from September 1, 2025.
According to the revised rates, a 32-page passport with five-year validity will now cost ₦100,000, while a 64-page passport with ten-year validity will cost ₦200,000. Both represent a 100 percent increase from the previous charges of ₦50,000 and ₦100,000 respectively.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe NIS said the upward review was necessary to “uphold the quality and integrity of the Nigerian passport” and improve service delivery. However, the Service clarified that the adjustment applies only to applications processed in Nigeria. Fees for Nigerians in the diaspora remain unchanged at $150 for the 32-page and $230 for the 64-page passports.
The announcement has triggered outrage among citizens who say the new fees are unrealistic in a struggling economy. “For many workers, ₦100,000 is more than a month’s salary. How can the government make this a requirement for something as basic as a passport?” asked Mr ohlu jacob a Lagos-based accountant and consultant
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Fred Chukwuelobe, fnipr, a Lagos-based media consultant and public affairs analyst, was more scathing:
“Cost of international passport hits an all-time high. Nigerians will still troop to passport offices to get the much-needed travel document. Immigration officials will increase their illegal charges too. By the time you get one as fast as many demand it, you’d have paid ₦150,000 and ₦250,000 respectively. That wouldn’t stop the scarcity of the booklets. The government wants to reduce Japa syndrome.”
Dr. Marcel Mbamalu, Jefferson Fellow, Public affairs Analyst and publisher of Prime Business Africa, described the hike as emblematic of the increasing burdens ordinary Nigerians face: “It’s getting more and more expensive to be a Nigerian. International passport is one of the key identifications required by nationals to become members of the global community, a status that has become indispensable for socio-economic survival.”
With the new rates, Nigeria now has one of the highest passport fees in Africa. In Ghana, a passport costs the equivalent of $7-15, in Kenya $35 – 58, and in South Africa about $33 far below Nigeria’s ₦100,000-₦200,000 range.
The new fees will apply nationwide to all applications and renewals beginning September 1. As the deadline approaches, many Nigerians are rushing to process passports at the old rates, even as calls grow for the government to reconsider what critics describe as a “punitive” policy.
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