Can I Travel to Nigeria With an Expired Passport From the UK?

Can you fly to Nigeria on an expired Nigerian passport?

In principle, yes. On 4 May 2024, replying on X to someone asking about travel from the UK, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) said a Nigerian with an expired passport should not be denied entry into Nigeria, so long as other travel requirements are met.

In the same reply, NIS warned that certain airlines insist passengers hold valid travel documents, including passports, and suggested calling the airline before booking. That is the real risk: the check that stops you happens at the check-in desk in the UK, not at immigration in Lagos or Abuja.

More recently, Vanguard reported on 8 September 2026 that NIS said Nigerians abroad do not need a valid passport to travel home and can renew once they are in Nigeria. We could not find the NIS statement itself, and the report does not mention airlines.

We have not found any published NIS rule or airline policy that guarantees you will be allowed to board. If you plan to fly on an expired passport, get your airline's answer in writing before you pay for the ticket.

Your three routes, depending on when you fly

Which route fits depends on how much time you have and whether you also hold a valid British passport. Use the table as a starting point. It is not a promise about any government processing time.

Route 1: renew before you travel

If your flight is far enough away, renewal is the clean answer because it also solves the journey back. You apply and pay the NIS passport fee online, then 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.

The High Commission asks for a copy of your NIN, which must match the details on your passport in the correct order, a £20 UK postal order, and a stamped Royal Mail Special Delivery C4 envelope. There is no physical collection once biometrics are taken: your passport is posted back to you in that envelope.

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

Nobody can promise how long the High Commission will take. If your date is tight, do not rely on the new passport arriving in time. Line up route 2 as a backup.

Route 2: an Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC)

An ETC is the High Commission's document for getting a Nigerian home without a valid passport. Its requirements page says the ETC is issued for an applicant's immediate one-way departure to Nigeria only, and is valid for 30 days from the date of issue. So get it within the 30 days before your flight, not earlier.

The fee is £120 by UK postal order addressed to the Nigeria High Commission. The High Commission states that no appointment is needed for an ETC and gives its ETC opening hours as 9:30am to 1pm. Its pages do not say how quickly the certificate is issued, so go as early as you can with everything ready.

Do not apply if your passport is still valid, or if it is held by a recognised authority in the UK. The High Commission says not to apply for a travel certificate in either case. If your old passport is already with the High Commission for renewal, ask them before relying on an ETC.

For a child under 18, the High Commission also asks for the full birth certificate showing the parents' details, a copy of a parent's passport data page (at least one must be Nigerian), a consent letter signed by both parents or court proof of sole custody, and the child's current passport if they are a dual national.

The immigration page has an online application link and a downloadable form. The High Commission's two pages list slightly different documents, so bring the fuller set:

• A letter to the High Commission explaining why you need the ETC
• Two recent passport photographs
• A copy of your expired passport
• Another form of identification, such as a letter from your employer or college, or a driving licence
• A copy of a guarantor's valid Nigerian passport and a recent utility bill from the guarantor
• Your airline ticket to Nigeria (one page lists it as optional, the other as required)
• £120 UK postal order addressed to the Nigeria High Commission

Route 3: dual nationals can use a British passport and a Nigeria e-visa

If you hold a valid British passport, you can travel on it instead. You then enter Nigeria on a foreign passport and need a visa arranged in advance. The High Commission's immigration page says visas cannot be issued at the port of entry, and visa on arrival was discontinued when the NIS e-visa system took effect on 1 May 2025.

Short-stay e-visas are applied for online through the NIS e-visa portal. NIS lists a short-visit category for returning holders of foreign passports who are Nigerians by birth, which requires evidence of Nigerian parentage or birth.

According to law firm Aluko & Oyebode's summary of the NIS guidelines issued on 2 May 2025, the passport you travel on needs at least six months' validity, and dual nationals must also complete the online landing and exit cards before flying.

This route works for a one-off urgent trip. If you or your child travel to Nigeria often, renewing the Nigerian passport removes the visa step from every future trip.

The return journey: an ETC does not bring you back

This is where most plans break. The ETC is one-way to Nigeria. It is not a document for leaving Nigeria again or for flying back to the UK.

Travelling out on your expired passport raises the same problem. In November 2022, when NIS said Nigerians could come home on expired passports, its spokesman told the News Agency of Nigeria that they must renew the passport before going back.

In Nigeria, NIS says applications are made online and the applicant visits a passport office for biometric enrolment. Build that time into your trip and do not book a tight return date.

Coming back to the UK is a separate matter that this guide does not cover. We do not give UK immigration advice, so if you are unsure, check GOV.UK or speak to a regulated immigration adviser before you book.

What if your passport was lost or stolen, not expired?

The routes are the same, with extra paperwork. Report the loss to the UK police first. For an ETC, the High Commission asks for a police report with the passport number if the passport was stolen or is missing.

For a replacement passport, the High Commission charges £150 by UK postal order, not the standard £20. Among other things, it asks for a letter explaining the loss, the lost-case form (the guarantor's Form P/21 must be sworn before a magistrate, justice of the peace, commissioner for oaths or notary public), a copy of the old data page or the passport number, a police report clearly stating the loss, a copy of a guarantor's valid Nigerian passport, two photographs with one endorsed on the back by the guarantor, proof of UK address, proof of employment if employed, and a C4 Special Delivery envelope.

If you fly within 30 days, an ETC (£120) can get you to Nigeria while the replacement is sorted. The return journey problem above still applies.