Nigerian Embassy in Qatar cuts passport turnaround to two weeks

The Nigerian Embassy in Doha, Qatar, has reduced the turnaround time for passport issuance and renewal to about two weeks after biometric capture.

The improvement followed a 10-day passport intervention exercise held in Doha between August 11 and 21, 2026, during which 751 Nigerians submitted applications.

Of the applicants, 441 applied for five-year passports, while 310 opted for 10-year documents.

The embassy began distributing the completed passports on September 18, less than a month after the intervention exercise ended.

Nigeria’s Ambassador to Qatar, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, described the development as a significant improvement in the mission’s consular services.

“This is a significant milestone for our Embassy and, most importantly, for Nigerians living in Qatar,” Yakubu said.

He said the shorter turnaround demonstrated the mission’s commitment to making consular services more responsive to the needs of Nigerians in the Gulf country.

“The fact that passports are now being completed and returned within about two weeks of capture demonstrates our commitment to improving service delivery and responding to the needs of our community,” he said.

Yakubu said passports remained essential to Nigerians abroad, particularly for international travel, employment, residency and other official requirements.

“We recognise the importance of passports to our citizens, particularly for international travel, employment, residency and other official requirements. We will continue to work to ensure that Nigerians receive the services they need in a timely and transparent manner,” he said.

The intervention exercise was organised to address passport issuance and renewal needs among Nigerians resident in Qatar amid demand for consular services.

With the distribution of the documents already underway, the embassy said the exercise had helped shorten the period applicants spent waiting for newly issued or renewed passports.