The Federal Government has denied reports that Nigerians applying for international passports in the United Kingdom are being asked to pay additional charges under the ongoing special passport intervention exercise.
The clarification was issued on Monday, September 7, 2026, following complaints from Nigerians about delays and poor service at some of the intervention centres, including the centre in Manchester.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, expressed concern over the difficulties faced by applicants and said the government was taking steps to resolve the problems affecting the exercise.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, the minister explained that the special intervention was created to give Nigerians living in the UK more opportunities to complete their passport applications.
According to the ministry, applicants are expected to pay only the approved passport fees. A five-year international passport costs $150, while the 10-year passport costs $230. The amounts do not include bank charges that may apply to transactions.
The ministry also made it clear that neither the Ministry of Interior nor the Nigeria Immigration Service had approved any additional charges apart from the official passport fees and applicable bank charges.
Tunji-Ojo said the government was also in talks with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deal with the complaints and ensure that the difficulties being experienced by Nigerians at the centres are addressed.
The minister further encouraged Nigerians in the UK to consider the contactless biometric passport application option, which he said provides another way for applicants to complete the process without facing some of the challenges at physical intervention centres.
The Federal Government said it remained committed to improving passport services and making the process easier for Nigerians living both within the country and abroad.
The clarification followed a complaint shared on social media by Oluomo of Derby, who raised concerns about the situation at the Manchester Passport Intervention Centre.
In his post on X on Monday, he complained that people who arrived at the centre early in the morning were still waiting for attention several hours later. He also called on the authorities to improve the organisation and communication around the intervention exercise.
He said the delays were creating difficulties for applicants who had made arrangements, travelled considerable distances and taken time away from their jobs to access the passport service.
The Federal Government’s response is expected to ease concerns among Nigerians in the UK who feared that new charges had been introduced as part of the special passport intervention exercise.