Nigerian Passport Intervention Exercise in the UK (2026)

What is a passport intervention exercise?

A passport intervention exercise is a temporary, extra round of passport enrolment. The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) sends officers, in 2026 from its headquarters in Abuja, to work alongside the Nigeria High Commission for a fixed period, capturing biometrics at temporary venues so that waiting applications move.

Announcing the 2026 UK team, NIS said it would process pending, new and renewal passport applications and visit cities across the UK so applicants outside London could take part. Premium Times described the exercise as an effort to clear the backlog of passport applications among Nigerians in the UK.

It is not a different passport and not a shortcut around the rules. You still apply and pay on the NIS portal, you still need the right documents, and your passport is still posted back to you.

For the 2026 UK exercise, NIS said it was open to people with pending applications, first-time applicants, and holders of passports with less than one year left before expiry who want to renew.

Do intervention exercises happen every year?

They are occasional, and no fixed schedule has been published. The High Commission ran a Passport Intervention Exercise in December 2025 with NIS officers in Birmingham and Manchester (3 to 5 December) and Cardiff and Glasgow (6 to 8 December).

Swansea and Aberdeen were first set for 9 to 11 December 2025, then moved to 15 and 16 December after NIS announced maintenance on its passport platform. The December notices asked for a £40 postal order to the High Commission, and the original notice said anyone who had applied and held any appointment date could attend the nearest location.

The September 2026 exercise followed nine months later, with a different mix of cities and venues and a different fee. Treat each round as new and read the High Commission's notice for that round.

September 2026 UK exercise: cities, venues and dates (checked 15 September 2026)

NIS announced the UK deployment on 9 August 2026 and published venues and dates on 31 August. The High Commission's notice, as it stood on 15 September 2026, lists the following.

Is there a passport intervention in Birmingham?

Not in September 2026. The High Commission's notice lists London, Manchester, Cardiff and Aberdeen only, and the booking form offers only those centres. Birmingham was a venue in the December 2025 exercise, which may be why people still search for it.

Do not travel to any venue without a confirmed appointment. Before the 2026 dates were set, NIS told applicants not to go to any location until the schedule had been officially communicated.

Extensions and the London venue change (September 2026)

The exercise did not run as first announced. NIS originally scheduled London and Manchester for 7 to 19 September, with London at Layali Lounge, Trent Park. Nairametrics reported that late on 7 September the High Commission emailed applicants moving the London centre to 56-57 Fleet Street, citing unforeseen technical challenges.

On 11 September, NIS said that, under the directive of the Minister of Interior, it had approved an extension of the exercise in London and Manchester from 19 September to 3 October 2026, as reported by Nairametrics and Vanguard. The High Commission's notice shows London running to 3 October but still shows Manchester ending on 21 September, while its booking form offers a separate Manchester extension option. Go by the date on your own appointment slip.

NIS reported on 14 September that 2,296 applicants were enrolled in the first six operational days, 587 in London and 1,709 in Manchester, and that passport production and dispatch had started. It said applicants with confirmed intervention appointments are assured of service.

The £70 admin fee, the cut to £20 and the £50 refund (September 2026)

Applicants were first asked for a £70 administrative payment to the High Commission, on top of the NIS passport fee. On 8 September, Premium Times reported complaints from applicants who said they were turned away for not having paid it.

In a statement reported on 7 September, the Interior Ministry said the process carried no extra cost beyond the official passport fees of $150 (five-year) and $230 (ten-year), exclusive of bank charges, and that neither the ministry nor NIS had introduced any other charge. Vanguard reported that the Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, denied knowledge of an approved fee of that kind.

Vanguard also reported that the High Commission cut the fee to £20 on 9 September, citing TheCable's report that the £70 charge had been imposed without approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The High Commission then published two notices. One tells intervention applicants who paid the £70 admin fee that £50 will be refunded, £20 being the standard admin fee. The other, dated 11 September 2026, says any claim that a £70 fee received presidential approval is incorrect and that the approved standard administrative charge remains £20.

Neither notice says how or when refunds will be paid. If you paid £70, keep your proof of payment and follow up only through the High Commission's official channels.

NIS said on 11 September that no additional charges are required to take part. That statement quoted passport fees of $162 and $242, which differ from the ministry's $150 and $230 exclusive of bank charges. Check the amount the NIS portal shows before you pay.

How booking worked and what to bring (September 2026)

You could not simply turn up. NIS told applicants to apply and pay on the NIS passport portal first, and said anyone arriving with cash would not be attended to. Appointments were booked on the High Commission's online form, which asks for your passport application number and payment reference number.

The form says each appointment is valid only for the person named on it, so families are advised to book every member, including children. It also warns against booking two locations or two dates.

The High Commission's notice says to bring:

• Passport application form
• Payment receipt for the passport application
• Printout of your intervention appointment slip
• Your old passport booklet (mandatory for reissues, renewals and change of data)
• £20 postal order payable to the Nigeria High Commission, or e-payment
• £150 postal order instead, if the passport was lost, misplaced or damaged
• A prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery C4 self-addressed envelope for the passport's return

Missed the intervention? Use the standard High Commission route

The intervention adds capacity; it does not replace the normal service. Vanguard reported on 8 September that NIS said regular appointments at the High Commission continue as scheduled and the contactless application platform remains fully operational.

For the standard route, apply and pay on the NIS portal, book an e-passport appointment, and attend the Nigeria High Commission (the Nigerian embassy in London) at 9 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5BX. Application submissions run from 9:00am to 1:00pm.

Bring a copy of your Nigerian NIN (NIMC number), which must match your passport details in the correct order, a £20 UK postal order, and a stamped Royal Mail Special Delivery C4 envelope, because there is no collection after biometrics. A lost, stolen or damaged passport costs £150 instead of £20.

Adults renewing may be eligible for the NIS contactless route, which carries an extra $100 NIS processing fee. The High Commission says it is not available to under-18s or first-time applicants.

If you would rather not manage the portal, booking and document checks yourself, we coordinate renewals around one appointment. Our turnaround guarantee is our own commitment, not a government timescale.