The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has outlined how passport applicants can complete facial and fingerprint biometric enrolment using a mobile application, offering an alternative to attending physical biometric capture sessions for eligible applicants.
The process allows applicants to initiate their passport applications online, create an account on the mobile platform, complete facial recognition and fingerprint capture, and pay the required service fee using their mobile phones.
Applicants must first visit the NIS passport application portal, complete the online application and obtain their Application Number and Reference Number. These details are subsequently used to access the mobile enrolment process.
According to Brandspur Brand News, the procedure involves creating an account with personal information, including the applicant’s name, email address and phone number, before logging into the application with their registered credentials.
Applicants are then required to complete facial recognition checks. The instructions recommend adequate lighting, positioning the phone at eye level and removing glasses or headwear to ensure a clear facial image. The captured image is subsequently checked against the photographs associated with the passport application.
Fingerprint enrolment follows, with applicants required to capture prints from both hands and their thumbs. The process requires users to ensure their hands are clean and dry, position their fingers correctly and repeat individual scans where necessary.
The final stage involves payment of the applicable service fee. Applicants are required to acknowledge the refund policy before selecting a payment option, with card payments, bank transfers and other methods displayed on the application.
A notice on the payment screen warns that the service fee becomes non-refundable once payment has been completed.
The mobile process is part of the NIS Contactless Passport Application System, which allows eligible applicants to complete biometric enrolment remotely rather than attend a physical capture appointment.
However, the option is not automatically available to every passport applicant. Information published by Nigerian diplomatic missions indicates that applicants must first complete the online application and confirm their eligibility for contactless enrolment.
Those who do not qualify are required to follow the conventional appointment process for physical biometric capture.
The development could reduce the need for eligible applicants to travel to passport processing centres solely for biometric enrolment, although access to the service remains subject to the Immigration Service’s eligibility requirements.
