Turn this guide into your personal checklist.
Track documents and steps on this device. No account is needed and your progress stays in this browser.
Online, physical or both?
Start online
Open the official NIS portal and choose the ECOWAS Travel Certificate service, then select fresh, renewal or re-issue according to the certificate you need. Then complete the ETC application with the applicant's identity information and choose the Immigration office where the physical submission will be completed.
A physical step is required
The in-person or assisted stage stated in this guide is: Complete the ETC application with the applicant's identity information and choose the Immigration office where the physical submission will be completed.
Find official offices/centres →If this specific process gets stuck
Use the Nigeria Immigration Service's official passport office/contact route and keep the application reference and payment evidence ready.
View agency guidance →Only authorised routes. We never present an unofficial agent, cybercafé or third-party payment page as an alternative unless the responsible agency authorises it.
Documents, details and prerequisites you need
This is the complete pre-start checklist from the verified guide. Each item below explains what it is for, where it enters the process and whether the official source actually specifies an original, copy or upload.
NIN slip
- Why you need it
- Used to match the applicant to the National Identity Database or to verify NIN-linked biodata where this service requires identity matching.
- Where it is used
- Keep this ready before starting. The verified guide lists it as a prerequisite even though the official source does not tie it to one numbered step.
- Original, copy or upload?
- The official sources used for this guide do not specify original vs copy here. Follow the exact portal or office prompt instead of assuming.
Birth certificate or High Court declaration of age
- Why you need it
- Used as civil evidence of birth or date of birth where the responsible agency lists it for this process.
- Where it is used
- Most directly connected to step 1: Open the official NIS portal and choose the ECOWAS Travel Certificate service, then select fresh, renewal or re-issue according to the certificate you need.
- Original, copy or upload?
- The official sources used for this guide do not specify original vs copy here. Follow the exact portal or office prompt instead of assuming.
Local Government or indigene certificate
- Why you need it
- Used as documentary evidence for the qualification, status or civil fact relevant to this service.
- Where it is used
- Most directly connected to step 4: Print or save the completed ETC application and take it with the NIN, age evidence, local-government or indigene evidence, passport photographs and any category-specific introduction letter to the selected Immigration office.
- Original, copy or upload?
- A printed item is explicitly referenced in step 4. Keep the printout legible and complete.
Completed ECOWAS Travel Certificate application form and passport photographs
- Why you need it
- Used to identify the applicant's current passport record or to support the passport transaction described in this guide.
- Where it is used
- Most directly connected to step 4: Print or save the completed ETC application and take it with the NIN, age evidence, local-government or indigene evidence, passport photographs and any category-specific introduction letter to the selected Immigration office.
- Original, copy or upload?
- A printed item is explicitly referenced in step 4. Keep the printout legible and complete.
Additional introduction or citizenship evidence where NIS requires it for the applicant category
- Why you need it
- This item is explicitly listed in the verified pre-start requirements for this service. Have it ready before beginning so the application is not interrupted.
- Where it is used
- Most directly connected to step 4: Print or save the completed ETC application and take it with the NIN, age evidence, local-government or indigene evidence, passport photographs and any category-specific introduction letter to the selected Immigration office.
- Original, copy or upload?
- A printed item is explicitly referenced in step 4. Keep the printout legible and complete.
Step-by-step instructions
Follow the process in order. Each step also shows what to have ready, what to check before continuing and what evidence to keep. Where the agency does not publish an extra requirement, this guide does not invent one.
Open the official NIS portal and choose the ECOWAS Travel Certificate service, then select fresh, renewal or re-issue according to the certificate you need.
- Completed ECOWAS Travel Certificate application form and passport photographs
- Birth certificate or High Court declaration of age
- Local Government or indigene certificate
Check that every file belongs to the correct applicant/record, is readable and matches the portal prompt before upload.
Keep any reference, confirmation, screenshot or acknowledgement generated by the official route.
Complete the ETC application with the applicant's identity information and choose the Immigration office where the physical submission will be completed.
- Completed ECOWAS Travel Certificate application form and passport photographs
- Additional introduction or citizenship evidence where NIS requires it for the applicant category
Confirm the correct office/centre, date or appointment instruction before travelling, and take the originals where the guide or agency explicitly requires them.
Keep the appointment, acknowledgement or reference you may need at the physical stage.
Review the application, make the official payment and keep the Reference and Application ID generated by the NIS payment flow.
No additional document is specifically tied to this step in the verified guide. Use the full checklist above and follow the official prompt.
Confirm the service, applicant/entity details and amount on the official payment screen before paying. Do not continue from an unsolicited payment link.
Keep the official receipt, payment reference or transaction ID.
Print or save the completed ETC application and take it with the NIN, age evidence, local-government or indigene evidence, passport photographs and any category-specific introduction letter to the selected Immigration office.
- Additional introduction or citizenship evidence where NIS requires it for the applicant category
- Local Government or indigene certificate
- Completed ECOWAS Travel Certificate application form and passport photographs
Check that every file belongs to the correct applicant/record, is readable and matches the portal prompt before upload.
Keep the appointment, acknowledgement or reference you may need at the physical stage.
Submit the documents at the chosen NIS office and keep the acknowledgement for collection or follow-up; the certificate is for travel within the ECOWAS sub-region and can be held alongside a Nigerian passport.
- Completed ECOWAS Travel Certificate application form and passport photographs
- Birth certificate or High Court declaration of age
- Local Government or indigene certificate
Check that every file belongs to the correct applicant/record, is readable and matches the portal prompt before upload.
Keep the application/reference number, acknowledgement or confirmation generated after submission.
What exactly happens next?
Keep the application reference, payment receipt, appointment details and any acknowledgement generated by the NIS process.
Submit the documents at the chosen NIS office and keep the acknowledgement for collection or follow-up; the certificate is for travel within the ECOWAS sub-region and can be held alongside a Nigerian passport.
NIS lists 24 hours for the ECOWAS Travel Certificate service once a complete application is submitted through the official route.
Use the Nigeria Immigration Service's official passport office/contact route and keep the application reference and payment evidence ready.
Important notes
- NIS states that the certificate is valid for travel within the ECOWAS sub-region.
- The NIS information page states a two-year validity renewable for a further two years.
- Use the official NIS payment route; listed prices exclude bank charges.
Common questions
These answers are generated from the verified requirements, route, fee, timeline and official-source notes for this specific service.
What should I prepare before I start?
Prepare before you begin by gathering every item below. The detailed checklist above explains why each one is needed, where it is used, and whether the official source specifies an original, copy or upload.
- NIN slip — Document
- Birth certificate or High Court declaration of age — Document
- Local Government or indigene certificate — Document
- Completed ECOWAS Travel Certificate application form and passport photographs — Document
- Additional introduction or citizenship evidence where NIS requires it for the applicant category — Eligibility / prerequisite
Can I do this online, or do I need to visit an office?
Online + physical visit. Open the official NIS portal and choose the ECOWAS Travel Certificate service, then select fresh, renewal or re-issue according to the certificate you need. Then complete the ETC application with the applicant's identity information and choose the Immigration office where the physical submission will be completed.
The in-person or assisted stage stated in this guide is: Complete the ETC application with the applicant's identity information and choose the Immigration office where the physical submission will be completed.
How much does this service cost?
Fresh ₦2,600 · Renewal ₦1,300 — NIS's published service-level schedule lists fresh at ₦2,600 and renewal at ₦1,300, excluding bank charges.
Pay only through the responsible agency or the official payment channel linked in this guide.
How long should it take?
NIS lists 24 hours for the ECOWAS Travel Certificate service once a complete application is submitted through the official route.
Processing can still take longer where identity checks, document corrections, payment confirmation or manual review are required.
What happens after I submit or complete the main step?
Keep the evidence for ECOWAS Travel Certificate: Keep the application reference, payment receipt, appointment details and any acknowledgement generated by the NIS process.
Complete the final published step: Submit the documents at the chosen NIS office and keep the acknowledgement for collection or follow-up; the certificate is for travel within the ECOWAS sub-region and can be held alongside a Nigerian passport.
What should I do if the portal, payment or application gets stuck?
Use the Nigeria Immigration Service's official passport office/contact route and keep the application reference and payment evidence ready.
Keep any application number, receipt, acknowledgement, transaction reference or screenshot that can help the agency trace the request.
What should I be careful about?
- NIS states that the certificate is valid for travel within the ECOWAS sub-region.
- The NIS information page states a two-year validity renewable for a further two years.
How do I verify that these instructions are current?
This guide was last checked on 2026-09-28. The official government or agency sources used to verify it are listed directly below this section.
Where an agency changes a fee, deadline or procedure, the official source takes priority over this independent guide.
Is MyNigeriaGuide the government website for this service?
No. MyNigeriaGuide is an independent information service. Applications, payments, approvals and final decisions remain with the responsible government agency.
Official sources
These are the government or agency pages used to verify this guide. Open them directly whenever you want to confirm the source.
Checking correction-report availability…