Nigeria permits dual citizenship, but not for everyone equally. A citizen by birth keeps Nigerian citizenship on acquiring another nationality, and a child born in the United States to a Nigerian parent is Nigerian by birth. Someone who became Nigerian by registration or naturalisation is in a different position and can be required to give up the other nationality.
Quick facts
There is no separate application to be made: citizenship by birth exists by descent. What a family needs is the documentary proof — the identification number and a Nigerian passport for the child.
How the rules work
| Situation | Position | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Child born in the U.S. to a Nigerian parent | Nigerian by birth | Enrol for the identification number, then apply for a passport |
| Nigerian by birth naturalising in the U.S. | Keeps Nigerian citizenship | Nothing to file, renew the passport as usual |
| Nigerian by registration or naturalisation | Dual status restricted | Take advice before acquiring another nationality |
| Renunciation | Formal declaration | Filed with the Nigerian authorities |
Because the status follows descent rather than a grant, the practical work is all documentary: proving the parent’s citizenship and linking the child to them.
How to establish proof
- Gather the Nigerian parent’s passport and identification number.
- Order the child’s U.S. birth certificate showing both parents.
- Have it certified by the Secretary of State of the issuing state.
- Enrol the child for a national identification number where the mission offers it.
- Apply for the child’s Nigerian passport through the immigration portal.
- Attend the biometrics appointment with both parents where required.
Required documents
- Child’s U.S. birth certificate, certified, showing both parents.
- Nigerian parent’s passport and identification number.
- Parents’ marriage certificate where applicable.
- Proof of U.S. address.
- Consent of both parents for a minor’s passport.
- Photographs to the published specification.
Where to apply
At the embassy or a consulate with passport capability. Visa application offices in other cities cannot handle these files.
Additional notes
The distinction matters
Everything turns on whether Nigerian citizenship was acquired by birth or by another route. Advice given to one group does not apply to the other.
Travel documents
Dual nationals should enter and leave Nigeria on the Nigerian passport and the United States on the U.S. one.
Identification number
Enrolment is the practical bottleneck for children, since the passport application cannot proceed without it.
Renunciation is formal
Giving up Nigerian citizenship requires a declaration to the Nigerian authorities. It does not happen automatically by living abroad.