The Nigerian international passport is used as a means of identification and also grants Nigerians the right to travel freely. Are you interested in knowing how you can verify the authenticity of your Nigerian international passport? If yes, keep on reading this article as we discuss how you can verify that your Nigerian international passport is genuine.
How to verify a Nigerian international passport would be discussed below:
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How to Verify Your Nigerian International Passport Through Physical Examination of its Features
The first and most obvious feature to determine the authenticity of your Nigerian international passport is the colour of the cover of the type of passport you have. If your Nigerian international passport is the standard type, it should have a green cover. If it’s a diplomatic Nigerian passport that you have, the cover should be red. For the Nigerian official passport, the colour of the cover is blue, while the seaman’s book has a maroon colour cover. The colour on the Nigerian pilgrims’ passports varies each year, so confirm what colour is currently being used.
Aside from the colour of your Nigerian passport, the following details must be included in an original Nigerian passport: your full name, date of birth, nationality, gender, personal number, issuing date, the issuing authority, expiry date, your signature as the cardholder, and a document number.
On the cover of every original Nigerian international passport, you’d observe that the hot foil stamping technique is used for embossing details. On the front of the Nigerian international passport, the hot foil stamping technique is used to engrave the ECOWAS emblem, as well as the words “Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)”, “The Federal Republic of Nigeria” and “Passport” at the bottom.
On the outer back cover of your Nigerian international passport, there should be a print of the Nigerian coat of arms. There is also a chip embedded in the back cover of your Nigerian international passport. This chip is used for authentication at points of entry into a foreign country as it contains your details and biometrics.
You can also measure your Nigerian international passport to ascertain its authenticity. The 32 pages Nigerian international passport measures approximately 88mm in width and 125mm in height. Some additional features of the Nigerian international passport that can be used to determine its authenticity include a hologram and UV feature, among others.
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How to Verify Your International Passport by Visiting a Nigerian Immigration Service Office Near You
You can also visit any branch of the Nigerian Immigration Service to verify the authenticity of your Nigerian international passport. Below is a list of the NIS offices in Nigeria:
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Abia State
Address: NIS Office, No. 72, School Road Umuahia, Abia State
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Adamawa State
Address: NIS Office, Federal Secretariat Complex, Adamawa State
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Akwa Ibom State
Address: NIS Office, Federal Secretariat Complex, along Abak Road, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State
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Anambra State
Address: NIS Office, Near Community Secondary School, Umuoramma Village, Awka, Anambra State
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Bauchi State
Address: NIS Office, Federal Secretariat Complex, Bauchi, Bauchi State
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Bayelsa State
Address: NIS Office, along Road Safety Road, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State
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Benue State
Address: NIS Office, Old SSG. Office, G.R.A. Makurdi, Benue State
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Borno State
Address: NIS Office, Federal Secretariat Complex, Maiduguri, Borno State
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Cross River State
Address: NIS Office, 2 Otu ansa street, Calabar, Cross River State
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Delta state
Address: NIS Office, Km 4, Onitsha/Benin Rd Asaba, opposite Okwe Housing Estate, Asaba, Delta State
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Ebonyi State
Address: NIS Office, No. 2 Afor Ezuna Road, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State
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Edo State
Address: NIS Office, Ikpoba Hill, Benin City, Edo State
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Ekiti State
Address: NIS Office, Federal Poly Road, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State
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Enugu State
Address: NIS Office, Federal Secretariat Complex, Enugu, Enugu State
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Gombe
Address: Immigration Barracks, along Bauchi Road, Gombe
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Imo
Address: Federal Secretariat Complex, Owerri
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Jigawa
Address: Old State Secretariat, Dutse
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Kaduna
Address: NIS Office, Independence Way Kaduna
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Kano
Address: No. 1 Barracks Rd, Bompai. P.M.B 3051, Kano
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Katsina
Address: NIS Office, Hassan Usman Road, Katsina
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Kebbi
Address: NIS Office, Near Government House, Argungu Road, Birnin-Kebbi
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Kogi
Address: NIS Office, Off Mount Pati Road, Lokoja
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Kwara
Address: Federal Secretariat Complex, Fate Road, Ilorin
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Lagos
Address: Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos
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Nasarawa
Address: NIS Office, along Jos Road, Lafia
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Niger
NIS Office, Fed Secretariat Complex, Minna
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Ogun
Address: NIS Office, Old Party Secretariat, Kobape Road, Abeokuta
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Ondo
Address: NIS Office, Igbatoro Road, along Police Headquarters, Akure
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Osun
Address: NIS Office, Ede Road, Osogbo
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Oyo
Address: NIS Office, along Agodi-Ibadan, Oyo State
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Plateau
Address: Federal Secretariat Complex, Tudun Wada, Jos
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Rivers
Address: Federal Secretariat Complex, Port Harcourt
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Sokoto
Address: Federal Secretariat Complex, Sokoto
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Taraba
Address: Kpati Napo, Jalingo
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Yobe
Address: Federal Secretariat Complex, Damaturu
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Zamfara
Address: Near Government House, Gusau
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Federal Capital Territory
Address: Pilgrim’s Camp, Gwagwalada
Take your Nigerian international passport to any of these NIS branches we listed above. An official of the Nigerian Immigration Service would physically examine your passport and upon completion of the scrutiny, let you know if it’s authentic or not.
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How to Verify Your Nigerian International Passport Through the NIS Website
You can also verify if your international passport is genuine through the Nigerian Immigration Service web portal. On the NIS website, you can use
your passport number, date of birth, and email address to access your passport details. When you provide these details, you’ll see your complete information, including the type of passport, your passport photograph, date and place of birth, nationality, passport number, and contact details.
You would save yourself the fear of falling victim to fake passports if you apply for your international passport yourself. Regardless of where you are on earth, in Nigeria or abroad, the Nigerian Immigration Service portal makes it easy to apply for a Nigerian international passport online. You can also track the status of your application using the NIS web portal too. Go to https://passport.immigration.gov.ng/application to begin your fresh Nigerian passport application or passport renewal process.