PHOTOS: Prices have gone up o! How to renew your Nigerian passport in the UAE

Hello my Nigerian TOYsters in the UAE!

Trust y'all doing great! 

Has your Nigerian passport expired? 

Do you plan renewing it here in the UAE? 

If YES, here's my experience, to make your own journey smoother! 

For starters, the prices have gone up! 

When I renewed my passport 5 years ago, which I also blogged, the 5-year validity/32-page passport cost me aed511 (about $140), read that HERE. 

Now the same 5-year validity passport renewal costs Aed730 ($218), while the 10-year validity/64-page passport costs Aed1,040 ($285).

Back then, we did not have the option of the 10-year validity but now, it is available, thankfully! 

It's always good to have a choice. 

MY JOURNEY: 

My passport had not expired and would not expire until the end of March 2026, but I decided to start the renewal process end of December 2025, to avoid stories that touch, because the last time, the embassy said they did not have the passport booklets! 

So, on Monday the 29th of December 2025, I headed to the passport assistance centre, OIS, Cluster I, Silver Tower, 22nd floor, 22A with my old passport, a photocopy of my old passport, a passport photo with white background, my debit card and some cash. 

They can be reached via phone on: 042765448 by the way. 

I got there like 11am and was informed by the OIS agent (who is Filipino by the way), that I would need my valid NIN and my birth certificate, in addition to the requirements listed above. He also asked me to choose my embassy appointment date which was from January 6, 2026 and added that the embassy only worked from Monday to Thursday! 

Basically there are 2 ways of filling the application form and making payment: 

Going online at www.immigration.gov.ng and going to an office called OIS in JLT, Dubai. 

Filling the form online is cheaper as there is no service charge, but it is easier to make mistakes, hence, I prefer going to OIS to have everything done for me. 

I had to call a family member to send my birth sworn affidavit to me via WhatsApp as my original birth certificate got burnt many years ago. 

As soon as I received the affidavit, I forwarded it to the agent's E-mail after which he verified my NIN on the system and confirmed it was still valid. 

As we were about to start the processing, I was informed that the government website was down and inaccessible. I waited from that 11am to their closing time, 5pm! 

Still, the website was down. 

I had to leave the requirements, money and my contact details with the agent who said as soon as the system became accessible the next day, he would do the needful and revert. 

On Tuesday the 30th of December, I sent a mail at 10am asking if the system was up. No reply. 

At noon, I got a reply and was sent the Appointment Slip, OIS Receipt of Payment, Application Form and Passport Payment Receipt. I printed out these requirements and waited patiently for my appointment date. 

On the 31st of December, I got an Email from NIS (Nigeria Immigration Services) confirming that my application had been approved. 

On Tuesday the 6th of January, 2026, I headed to Ibn Battuta station where you can take the bus to Abu Dhabi with Aed25 on your Nol Card, with shared taxi/aed40 per person or with a chartered car/cab/aed300 one way trip. 

At 9am, I got to the Nigerian Embassy in Abu Dhabi. 

Their contact details: 

Villa No 642/3, off Arab Gulf Road, 3rd street, near Singapore Embassy, Abu Dhabi. 

Tel: 02 4431503 Ext 123 or 114 

Email: nigerabudhabi@yahoo.co.uk 

I saw like 20 other people waiting to do their biometrics but my own appointment was for 12 noon so I was not really bothered. 

I was called to the counter 20 minutes later by a Sri Lankan man to submit 2 passport photos, a copy of my old passport, my old passport, appointment slip, OIS receipt of payment, application form and passport payment receipt. 

At this counter, I also made a payment of aed200 and was asked to be seated. 

At a few minutes to 11am, a man and a lady, both in charge of the biometrics alighted from a jeep and casually strolled into their biometrics office with no remorse, no apology whatsoever! 

I was so upset but kept my cool! 

Meanwhile some people's appointment time was 9am! 

Imagine!!! 

Anyways, at 11.30am, I went in for my biometrics and was done in 10 minutes. I was also told that the new passport would be ready within 2 to 4 weeks and would be called once it is ready.

On Monday the 26th of January, I got a call from the embassy saying my passport was ready and that the dispatch guy would call me. The dispatch guy called me and told me to get my old passport ready with aed100 and that he would come the next day. 

I was not given the option of going to pick up the passport myself at the embassy or using EMPOST courier service like I did 5 years ago. I believe by default, the embassy handles the delivery now. 

The next day which was Tuesday the 27th of January, the dispatch guy came and delivered my passport in my Dubai home after paying Aed100 and presenting my old passport. 

My experience this time around was not as nice as that of 2021! 

Anyhow, I am just so glad I have my new passport with me. 

The new passport is now waterproof, has its photo in black and white and has your NIN and your old passport number on the data page. 

Oh.....

And the passport number now starts with B! 

The old one started with A!! 

So if you are a Nigerian resident in the UAE and you want to renew your passport here, get ready: Aed730/Aed1040, renewal fee. 

Transport fee, if you are using public transport. 

Aed200 to be paid at the embassy. 

Aed100, delivery fee if you are living in Dubai or Sharjah, higher if you live in other Emirates! 

The passport process after biometrics took about 3 weeks (Jan 6 - Jan 27). 

Hope this information helps! 

If you have any enquiry, you can send me a mail: 2yeenb@gmail.com. 

Good luck! 

All my love,

ToyeenB. x

Old passport

New passport

Exclusive: Is your Nigerian passport expired? Here's how to renew it here in the UAE.