Contactless biometric passport system will commence this April for Nigerians in US, other countries- Official

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced that the roll-out of the contactless biometric passport system will commence in the United States (U.S) on April 11 with Jamaica to follow on April 14.

This marks the second phase of the contactless biometric passport application system, as it extends its service to Nigerians residing in the United States, Mexico, Jamaica, and Brazil.

Akinsola Akinlabi, NIS Public Relations Officer released the statement on Monday noting that the system will be rolled out in the United States (U.S) on April 11 with Jamaica to follow on April 14.

The contactless system, available via the ‘NIS Mobile’ application on the Google Play Store, allows Nigerians abroad to apply for passport renewals without physically visiting a passport office for biometric data capture.

Mexico and Brazil are expected to adopt the platform around the same time.

The move follows the earlier deployment of the same system in Europe, the United Kingdom, and Ireland in February 2025, after an initial launch in Canada in November 2024.

A version for Apple devices is expected to be released soon, along with a more advanced version of the app for both Android and iOS platforms.

With this latest expansion, the contactless passport service is now available in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Jamaica, Brazil, Europe, and parts of Asia.

Akinlabi reaffirmed the Service’s dedication to delivering innovative and efficient solutions for Nigerians around the world, aiming to enhance accessibility and convenience in passport processing.

However, the contactless passport service is yet to be introduced in Nigeria and Australia. The NIS has stated that rollout dates for both countries will be announced in due course.