If you started a Nigerian passport application online but stopped before completing it, you do not necessarily need to start another application. The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) passport portal has a dedicated “Resume/Edit your Application” option for pending applications.
This guide explains how to find your unfinished application, what information you need, what happens after you retrieve it, and what to do if your application cannot be found or your payment or appointment is not showing.
Quick Answer: How to Resume Nigerian Passport Application
To resume an unfinished Nigerian passport application, go to the official NIS Domestic Passport Application Portal and select “Resume/Edit your Application.”
The NIS says you can search for the application using your reference number together with either your application number, date of birth or email address. The reference number and application number are provided after the application form is submitted and are also shared with the email address used for the application.
Open the official Nigerian Passport Portal
If you cannot find your reference or application number, check the email account you used when you started the application before creating another application.
How to Resume a Nigerian Passport Application
1. Open the official Nigerian passport portal
Go directly to the Nigeria Immigration Service passport portal:
The portal provides separate options for fresh passport applications, renewal/re-issue, correction of data, resuming an existing application, checking application status and booking appointments.
Make sure you are using the official NIS website. Avoid entering your NIN, personal information or payment details on a website claiming to be a passport application service unless you have confirmed that it is an official government portal.
2. Select “Resume/Edit your Application”
On the passport portal, look for:
“Resume/Edit your Application”
The NIS specifically identifies this option as the place to continue a pending application.
This is the option you should use if you previously started an application and did not finish it.
Do not automatically select “Apply for Fresh Passport” or “Apply for Renewal/Re-issue” simply because you cannot remember where you stopped.
3. Enter your reference number
The resume page is titled “Resume/Edit Your Application” and contains an Application Search section.
According to the NIS, the application can be searched using your reference number and one additional identifier: your application number, date of birth or email address.
Your reference number and application number should have been provided after the application form was submitted and sent to the email address associated with the application.
4. Choose the available search information
The portal allows the application to be searched using the reference number together with one of the available identifying details.
Depending on what the portal presents, use the information you have available, such as:
- Application number
- Date of birth
- Email address
Enter the details exactly as they were used for the application.
If you are using your email address, make sure it is the same email account associated with the passport application.
5. Complete the security verification
The resume page also displays a four-digit verification code. Enter the code shown on the page before submitting your search.
If the code is difficult to read, use the refresh option provided on the page and enter the newly displayed code.
6. Retrieve the pending application
If the details match an existing application, the portal should retrieve the application so you can continue or edit the unfinished information.
The exact fields displayed after retrieval can depend on where you stopped in the application. For that reason, do not rely on instructions from an old blog that tell you to click a particular button if that button is not displayed on the current NIS portal.
Continue from the point where your application is available and complete any outstanding information or document requirements.
7. Review your information before submitting
Before completing the application, carefully check the information already entered.
The NIS’s published passport procedure includes verification of NIN information, selection of a processing centre and booklet size, uploading an ICAO-compliant photograph, reviewing personal information, providing contact and next-of-kin details, uploading supporting documents, and submitting the application.
If you notice an error, correct it where the portal permits you to do so before final submission.
Do not deliberately create another application simply to correct a problem with an existing application without first checking the available correction process or contacting NIS.
What You Need to Resume the Application
For the specific resume/edit function, the most important information is the information needed to retrieve your existing application.
You should have:
- Your reference number
- Your application number, if available
- The email address used for the application, where applicable
- Your date of birth, where applicable
- Access to the email account used during the application
- Any documents you had not yet uploaded or completed
The NIS states that the reference number and application number are provided after submission of the application form and shared by email.
If you are resuming a fresh passport application, the documents required for the completed application may include your NIN slip, birth certificate or declaration of age, Local Government or indigene certificate and an ICAO-compliant passport photograph. The current NIS Service Level Agreement also lists these requirements for standard fresh passport applications.
For renewal or re-issue, the NIS additionally requires the current passport information/passport data page as applicable.
The exact documents required depend on the type of passport application you started.
What Happens After You Resume the Application?
Resuming an application is only about getting back into the existing application.
You may still need to complete outstanding stages before the application is processed.
For a standard passport application, the NIS process includes online completion, payment and appointment booking, followed by appearing at the selected Immigration office for photograph and biometric data capture.
If you have already completed some of these stages, check the application carefully rather than repeating them unnecessarily.
If You Have Not Paid Yet
If you stopped before payment, first retrieve the existing application through “Resume/Edit your Application.”
Check the application and complete any outstanding information before proceeding with payment.
The current NIS Service Level Agreement lists the standard passport fees in Nigeria as:
- 32-page passport, 5-year validity — ₦100,000
- 64-page passport, 10-year validity — ₦200,000
The NIS states that these prices are exclusive of bank charges.
These are the current figures published in the NIS’s April 2026 Service Level Agreement. Because government fees can change, confirm the amount displayed on the official portal before making payment.
Check the official NIS passport portal before payment
If You Already Paid
Do not immediately make another payment just because the application does not appear to have moved.
First check the application using the NIS application status service and confirm whether the payment has been recorded.
The official NIS tracking page asks for both an Application Number and a Reference Number to view application status.
Check Nigerian passport application status
Also keep your payment evidence and application details.
The NIS online payment refund policy states that passport payments are generally final and non-refundable, subject to specific exceptions. It lists situations including double payment and, under stated conditions, payment where no appointment has been booked.
Therefore, avoid paying again simply because you are unsure whether the first payment went through.
If Your Application Number Is Not Working
If the application cannot be retrieved, check the details you entered carefully.
In particular:
- Confirm that the reference number is correct.
- Check your email for the original application message.
- Confirm that you are using the correct application number.
- If the portal gives you the option, try the date of birth or email search method.
- Make sure there are no typing errors.
- Try the official portal again if there is a temporary technical problem.
The NIS specifically says that the reference number and application number are shared with the applicant’s email after the application form is submitted.
If you still cannot retrieve the application, contact NIS through its official channels rather than paying an agent to create another application.
If Your Application Is Stuck on Pending
A pending application should not automatically be treated as a failed application.
First, check the application status using the official NIS tracking service.
NIS Passport Application Tracking
If the status remains unchanged, keep your application number, reference number, payment evidence and appointment information available when contacting NIS.
Do not submit multiple applications for the same passport simply because the status has not changed. Multiple applications can create unnecessary complications, particularly where duplicate payments are involved. The NIS refund policy specifically addresses duplicate applications and payments.
If Payment Is Not Showing
If money was deducted from your account but the passport application does not show the expected payment status:
- Do not immediately make a second payment.
- Keep the bank/payment evidence.
- Check the application again through the official portal.
- Check your application status.
- If the payment problem remains, contact NIS through an official channel.
The NIS publishes its payment refund policy and explains that refund requests require information such as the applicant’s full name, application ID, payment reference and supporting evidence.
If You Cannot Find Your Appointment
For standard passport applications, appointment booking is part of the official process. Applicants are required to appear at the selected Immigration office for biometric data capture.
If you resumed your application but cannot find an appointment:
- Check whether the application has reached the stage where appointment booking is available.
- Check your application details and status.
- Confirm that the selected processing centre is correct.
- Use the official passport portal’s appointment facilities.
- If the problem continues, contact NIS or the relevant passport centre.
The NIS portal also provides a “Check Centre Availability” facility for viewing the earliest available appointment date for processing centres.
If You Cannot Access the Email Used for the Application
The email address matters because NIS says the reference number and application number are shared with the email used for the application.
If you have lost access to that email account, first try to recover the email account through the email provider.
If that is not possible and you cannot retrieve your application using the other information accepted by the NIS portal, contact NIS for assistance.
Do not give your passport application details to an unknown person simply because they claim they can recover the application for you.
Passport Centre and Biometric Enrolment
Resuming the online application does not remove the requirement to attend the appropriate Immigration office where biometric enrolment is required.
The NIS states that applicants must appear at their chosen Immigration office for photograph and biometric data capture.
For a fresh standard passport application, the current NIS SLA gives a service timeline of 42 days after successful enrolment. For standard re-issue, it gives 21 days after successful enrolment. These are NIS service timelines, not a guarantee that every individual application will be completed exactly within that period.
What If You Need to Correct Your Passport Information?
If you discover that the information on your application is wrong, do not assume that starting another application is the correct solution.
The NIS has separate procedures for correction of data and other changes. Its current published requirements include additional supporting documents depending on the type of correction or change.
For example, correction or changes involving names can require documents such as an application letter, affidavit, newspaper publication and relevant civil or passport documents, depending on the circumstances.
If payment has already been completed, be particularly careful. The NIS refund policy says refunds are not granted simply because an applicant discovers errors after payment.
What to Do If the Resume Page Cannot Find Your Application
If the official portal does not retrieve your application, use this order:
First: Check the email used for the application.
Second: Confirm your reference number and application number.
Third: Try the other search information offered by the portal, such as your date of birth or email.
Fourth: Check the application status through the official NIS tracking service.
Fifth: If the application still cannot be found, contact the Nigeria Immigration Service using its official contact channels or visit the relevant passport centre with your application and payment evidence.
The NIS lists official contact details including its SERVICOM email and telephone numbers on its website.
Nigeria Immigration Service official website
Official Nigerian Passport Portal
The official portal for applicants applying from within Nigeria is the Nigeria Immigration Service Domestic Passport Application Portal.
It provides facilities for:
- Fresh passport applications
- Renewal/re-issue
- Correction of data
- Resuming/editing an existing application
- Checking application status and printing receipts
- Booking appointments
- Checking passport centre availability
- Testing passport photograph compliance
Use the official Nigerian Passport Portal
Important Warning About Passport Agents and Fake Websites
Be careful with people or websites claiming they can “help you resume” a passport application for a separate service charge.
The NIS has an online system specifically designed for passport applications, including a dedicated Resume/Edit your Application function.
Before entering your NIN, date of birth, passport information or payment details, check that you are on the official NIS website.
Do not send your application number, payment details or personal documents to an unknown person simply because they promise to fix a portal problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I resume a Nigerian passport application I did not complete?
Yes. The official NIS passport portal has a “Resume/Edit your Application” option for pending applications.
What do I need to resume my passport application?
The NIS says you need your reference number and one of the available identifying details, such as your application number, date of birth or email address.
Where can I find my Nigerian passport application number?
NIS says the reference number and application number are provided after the application form is submitted and shared with the email address used for the application.
Do I need to start a new passport application if I stopped halfway?
Not necessarily. First use the official Resume/Edit your Application option to search for the pending application.
How do I check my passport application status?
Use the official NIS passport tracking page. It requires your application number and reference number.
Check your Nigerian passport application status
How much is a Nigerian passport in 2026?
The NIS’s April 2026 Service Level Agreement lists ₦100,000 for a 32-page passport with five-year validity and ₦200,000 for a 64-page passport with 10-year validity, excluding bank charges. Confirm the amount displayed on the official portal before payment.
If you started a Nigerian passport application and did not finish it, do not immediately start another application.
Go to the official NIS passport portal and select “Resume/Edit your Application.” Use your reference number together with your application number, date of birth or email address to retrieve the pending application.
If the application cannot be retrieved, check the original email, verify your application details and use the official NIS tracking and support channels before making another payment or submitting a duplicate application.
Government passport fees, portal procedures and requirements can change, so always check the official NIS portal for the latest information before completing the application or making payment.
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