The Federal Ministry of Interior has clarified that Nigerians in the United Kingdom applying for international passports under the ongoing special intervention exercise are not required to pay any charges beyond the approved official fees.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, expressed concern over the inconveniences being experienced by some Nigerians in the UK during the application and processing of their international passports.
The intervention exercise was introduced to provide additional options for Nigerians in the United Kingdom to process their passport applications.
In a statement issued by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, the ministry said the exercise does not attract any additional charges beyond the official passport fees.
It explained that the approved fees are 150 dollars for a five-year validity passport and 230 dollars for a 10-year validity passport, exclusive of applicable bank charges.
The ministry stressed that neither it nor the Nigeria Immigration Service has introduced any additional charges outside the approved fees.
It, however, said consultations were ongoing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the challenges being experienced by applicants and ensure that the inconveniences do not persist.
The ministry reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to providing effective services and support to Nigerians both at home and abroad.
Applicants in the United Kingdom were also advised to take advantage of the contactless biometric passport application system as part of efforts to make the process more seamless.