The Nigerian Embassy in Doha, Qatar, says it has reduced the turnaround time for passport issuance and renewal to about two weeks after biometric capture, following a special intervention exercise that processed applications for 751 Nigerians resident in the Gulf country.
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The intervention, organised between August 11 and 21, 2026, was aimed at addressing passport applications and backlogs while improving consular services for Nigerians in Qatar.
According to the mission, 441 of the applicants requested five-year passports, while 310 applied for 10-year passports. Distribution of the completed travel documents commenced on September 18.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Qatar, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, described the development as an important milestone in the embassy’s effort to improve service delivery and reduce the waiting period experienced by Nigerians seeking fresh passports or renewals.
Yakubu said the fact that passports were being completed and returned within about two weeks of biometric capture demonstrated the mission’s commitment to responding more efficiently to the needs of the Nigerian community in Qatar.
The ambassador noted that valid passports are particularly important to Nigerians living abroad because they are required for international travel, employment, residency documentation and other official processes.
He assured Nigerians in Qatar that the embassy would continue to work towards timely and transparent delivery of consular services.
The intervention was introduced against the backdrop of growing demand for passport services among Nigerians living in Qatar, where applications for fresh passports and renewals form a significant part of the embassy’s consular responsibilities.
The embassy said the dedicated 10-day exercise allowed officials to concentrate on the applications within a specified period, helping to speed up biometric enrolment, production and eventual distribution of the passports.
The 751 applications handled during the exercise included both five-year and 10-year passport categories, with the higher number 441 opting for five-year passports and 310 requesting 10-year passports.
The distribution exercise, which began on September 18, marked the final stage of the intervention, allowing successful applicants to collect their documents after completion of production.
The mission said the faster turnaround would particularly benefit Nigerians whose immigration status, employment, travel arrangements or other official obligations depend on possession of valid Nigerian passports.
The Qatar exercise forms part of a wider passport intervention programme being undertaken by the Nigeria Immigration Service in collaboration with Nigerian diplomatic missions abroad.
On Monday, the NIS said 8,552 Nigerians had been enrolled in intervention exercises conducted across the United States, Canada, Qatar and the United Kingdom, as part of efforts to bring passport services closer to Nigerians in the diaspora and clear outstanding applications.
The Service said such interventions are designed to address pending applications, renewals and new passport requests in countries with sizeable Nigerian communities.
An ongoing intervention in the United Kingdom has also enrolled more than 5,000 applicants, while similar exercises have been conducted in parts of the United States and Canada.
Yakubu formally assumed duty as Nigeria’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Qatar after presenting his Letters of Credence to the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, on July 2, 2026.
Since assuming office, the mission has also been involved in diplomatic and consular engagements aimed at strengthening Nigeria-Qatar relations and improving services available to Nigerians resident in the country.
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