How to Get Your NIN Number: Enrollment, Biometrics, and Slip

To get your NIN number in Nigeria, fill out the NIMC pre-enrollment form online, then visit any NIMC enrollment center in person for document checks and biometric capture. Enrollment is free for citizens and legal residents, and the eleven-digit National Identification Number issued at the end stays with you for life. The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) runs the system under the NIMC Act of 2007.

Who Can Enroll

Every Nigerian citizen and legal resident qualifies, regardless of age. That covers newborns, children, adults, and refugees. What differs is the paperwork each group must bring.

Adults 16 and Older

If you are 16 or older and a Nigerian citizen, you can walk into any NIMC center with a valid supporting document and register. Acceptable documents include a Nigerian passport, birth certificate, statutory declaration of age, voter’s card, driver’s license, school ID card, NHIS ID card, or an attestation letter from a community or religious leader.¹

Bring originals, not photocopies. Enrollment officers verify documents in person, and the name on your document must match your full legal name exactly. Nicknames and aliases get applications rejected.

Children Under 16

A child under 16 must be accompanied by at least one parent or legal guardian who already has a NIN. The adult brings their own NIN slip along with the child’s birth certificate or statutory declaration of age. A guardian who is not a biological parent also needs evidence of guardianship.¹

NIMC has made the NIN mandatory for 2026 SSCE registration, so it’s worth enrolling a child well before exam season rather than joining the rush.

Legal Residents and Refugees

Non-Nigerians living in the country legally must present valid immigration documents such as a residence permit or visa. Refugees can use a Nigerian Commission for Refugees (NCFR) certificate, refugee ID card, or refugee factsheet.¹

Step 1: Complete the Online Pre-Enrollment

Before going to a center, fill out the NIMC Pre-Enrollment Form at penrol.nimc.gov.ng. This step is technically optional, but it saves real time at the center because the officer scans a barcode instead of typing your details from scratch.¹

The form asks for your full name, gender, date of birth, height, marital status, residential address, phone number, and your parents’ names and places of origin. Fill every field carefully. Errors carry through to your permanent record, and correcting most fields later costs ₦2,000 each.

When you submit, the portal generates a Pre-Enrollment Slip with a 2D barcode. Download and print it. That slip goes to the enrollment officer at the center. Pre-enrollment alone does not register you. You still need to appear in person for biometric capture.

Step 2: Biometric Capture at an Enrollment Center

NIMC operates centers in all 36 states, the FCT, and several countries abroad. Find the nearest one through the locator at nimc.gov.ng/enrolment-centres. NIMC-approved front-end partners also handle enrollment and sometimes have shorter queues.²

Centers work on a walk-in basis. No appointment. Standard hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The enrollment itself takes about 30 to 60 minutes once you’re at the counter, though queues can stretch that a lot at busy sites, so arrive early.¹

Once you’re seen, the process runs like this:

Staff check the NIN verification portal to confirm you have not enrolled before. Duplicate registrations are rejected.
The officer scans your pre-enrollment barcode to pull up your details, or fills out a paper form with you if you did not pre-enroll.
Your original supporting documents are inspected against the data on screen.
A technician photographs your face, scans all ten fingerprints, and captures your digital signature. The biometrics are cross-checked against the entire database.
You review the on-screen data for accuracy, and the officer finalizes your record only after you confirm.

If your biometrics come out unclear, or your documents do not match the information provided, the application is suspended on the spot. You would need to come back with clearer prints or corrected paperwork.¹

Step 3: Collect Your NIN Slip

After biometric capture, the center issues a Transaction Slip immediately as proof of enrollment, with a tracking ID. Some centers can print the NIN Slip itself the same day. Where they can’t, you’ll be asked to return within 1 to 14 working days depending on network speed and verification processing.¹

The NIN Slip is your official proof of registration. It carries your eleven-digit NIN, your photograph, and a QR code that third parties can scan to verify your identity. Keep the original safe. Replacements are available but not free.

If You Already Enrolled but Forgot Your NIN

Plenty of people registered years ago and simply lost the number. Before paying for a replacement, dial *346# from the phone number you gave during enrollment. The system displays your eleven-digit NIN on screen. A small charge from your mobile carrier applies each time.

Replacing a Lost or Damaged Slip

NIMC reissues NIN slips for ₦500. What you bring depends on the situation:³

If the slip was lost or stolen: a recent police report, a court affidavit for loss of documents, a photo ID, and evidence of payment.
If the slip was damaged: the damaged slip itself, plus evidence of payment.

Pay through remita.net. Click “Pay Billers” under “Bills & Purchases,” search for “National Identity Management Commission,” pick the re-issuance service, enter your name and phone number, and submit. Remita generates a Retrieval Reference (RRR) number. Print the invoice and pay by card, bank branch, USSD, internet banking, or mobile wallet. Bring the receipt to any enrollment center to collect the replacement.³

Fixing Mistakes on Your Record

Most field corrections cost ₦2,000 each. Date-of-birth corrections are separate and cost ₦28,574, because the verification involved is heavier.⁴

The same fees apply to adults and minors. Pay through Remita in the same way as for slip reissuance, then take your receipt and supporting documents to an enrollment center. A name change needs something like a marriage certificate; a date-of-birth change needs a corrected birth certificate. This is the reason to check every field carefully before the officer finalizes your record. Small errors at enrollment turn into real money later.

If You Live Outside Nigeria

Diaspora enrollment goes through licensed vendors operating in several countries. These are private companies partnered with NIMC, and they set their own service fees to cover the cost of running enrollment infrastructure abroad. NIMC does not publish a fixed diaspora fee.⁵

Find diaspora locations by selecting your country in the center locator at nimc.gov.ng/enrolment-centres. If you’d rather not pay a vendor, you can enroll for free at any NIMC center in Nigeria the next time you travel home. Bring your Nigerian passport.

What You’ll Use the NIN For

Once issued, the NIN is required for a long list of transactions. The Central Bank of Nigeria blocks bank accounts and mobile wallets that lack a linked NIN, and the Nigerian Communications Commission has barred outgoing calls on SIM cards not linked to a valid NIN. Without the number, you cannot open a new bank account, keep an existing one active, or use your phone line for outgoing calls.⁴

The NIMC Act also makes the NIN mandatory for voter registration, tax filing, health insurance, pensions, land registration, immigration services, and government social intervention programs.⁶

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National Identity Management Commission. NIN Issuance
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National Identity Management Commission. Find an Enrolment Centre
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NIMC – National Identity Management Commission. Re-Issuance of NIN Slips
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NIMC – National Identity Management Commission. Fees
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NIMC – National Identity Management Commission. Other NIMC Services
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National Identity Management Commission Act, 2007. NATIONAL IDENTITY MANAGEMENT COMMISSION ACT, 2007 – Section: Mandatory Use of the National Identification Number for Transactions