The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has shut down its online passport application and payment platform for a 42-hour maintenance window, beginning 12:00 noon Friday, December 12 and ending 6:00 a.m. Sunday, December 14, 2025.

During the upgrade, applicants may encounter:

• Complete or intermittent unavailability of the portal
• Slow loading or failed transactions
• Inability to make new bookings, payments, or biometric appointments

In a public notice signed by Service PRO ACI AS Akinlabi, the NIS described the exercise as “essential to sustaining a reliable, secure, and efficient digital passport ecosystem.” This marks the second major overhaul in 2025, following the February rollout of the enhanced e-passport system.

24/7 support channels remain active:

• Email: [email protected]
• X/Twitter: @nigimmigration
• Instagram/Facebook: @nigimmigration
• Phone (all day): 09121900655 │ 09121556359 │ 09121477092

The service apologised for the inconvenience and assured applicants of full restoration by 6:00 a.m. Sunday.

With over 2 million passport applications processed annually and demand surging ahead of the festive season, the timing has sparked mixed reactions. While some users praised the long-term benefits, others urged NIS to schedule future upgrades during off-peak periods.