The United States has advised its citizens living in Nigeria not to use its online passport renewal system from outside the country, warning that doing so could immediately invalidate their current passport and leave them without a valid travel document.
The warning follows reports of U.S. citizens abroad who accidentally submitted online renewal applications while outside the country, only to discover that their existing passports had been cancelled before new ones were issued.
Furthermore, guidelines issued by U.S. diplomatic missions state that individuals who are physically outside the United States, including those residing in Nigeria, are not eligible to use the online passport renewal platform. Once an applicant submits a renewal request through the system, the government immediately cancels the existing passport, even if it remains valid, rendering it unusable for international travel.
In a recent advisory, the embassy advised foreign nationals to use consular or embassy services instead, “Applying to renew a U.S. passport online while outside the United States will result in the automatic cancellation of your current passport.”
Renewal By Email
Furthermore, according to the embassy, eligible U.S. citizens in Nigeria may also renew their passports by mail through the United States Embassy in Abuja, which in some cases eliminates the need for in-person visits.
In addition, U.S. citizens were encouraged to register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), which provides travel advisories, security updates, and emergency alerts from U.S. diplomatic missions.
Consequently, the embassy advised Americans in Nigeria who are uncertain about their passport status or renewal options to contact the nearest U.S. diplomatic mission before taking any action that could jeopardize the validity of their travel documents.
This comes less than two months after the US Embassy has urged its citizens in the United Kingdom to stay alert following the notice of a “severe” terrorism threat in the country.
