No Extra Charges for Special Passport Intervention in UK, Interior Minister Clarifies
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has clarified that Nigerians in the United Kingdom applying for international passports under the ongoing special passport intervention exercise are not required to pay any additional charges beyond the approved fees.
The clarification followed complaints from some Nigerians in the UK over inconveniences associated with the application and processing of passports during the intervention exercise.
According to a statement signed by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, the intervention was introduced to provide more options for Nigerians in the UK to process their passport applications.
The statement said applicants are required to pay only the official fees of $150 for a five-year validity passport and $230 for a 10-year validity passport, excluding applicable bank charges.
It stressed that neither the Ministry of Interior nor the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) had introduced any additional charges outside the approved fees.
“Neither the Ministry of Interior nor the Nigeria Immigration Service has introduced any other charges outside the aforementioned,” the statement said.
The minister also disclosed that consultations were ongoing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the challenges being experienced by applicants and prevent further inconveniences.
Tunji-Ojo reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing support and efficient services to Nigerians both at home and abroad.
He further advised passport applicants to take advantage of the contactless biometric passport application system, describing it as a seamless option for processing applications.
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