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The short answer
The Nigeria High Commission in London says that "for all Consular Services there is a payment of £20.00 Administrative charge", paid by a postal order made payable to Nigeria High Commission London, and that all consular payments are non-refundable. For some services the £20 is the whole cost; others add a processing or document fee on top, so the total can be £35 or £45. On 11 September 2026 the mission confirmed the standard charge remains £20 and said a reported £70 fee was incorrect.
The rule in the mission's own words
The consular page of the High Commission, as at October 2026, sets out three points that apply to every consular service:
- A £20 administrative charge is payable for all consular services.
- It is paid by postal order, bought from the Post Office and made payable to Nigeria High Commission London. The page says cash and cheque payments are not acceptable.
- All payments for consular services are non-refundable.
The charge is not a fee for a particular document. It is the cost of the consular section handling your request. Where a service involves extra work, such as sending a request to Nigeria or issuing a letter, the page lists a second charge.
What the total looks like for each service
| Consular service | Charges listed | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Student registration | £20 administrative charge (no separate fee listed) | £20 |
| Letter of non-impediment to marry | £20 service charge plus £15 processing | £35 |
| Pensioner attestation letter | £20 administrative plus £25 processing | £45 |
| Police criminal check from Nigeria | £15 plus £30 processing | £45 |
| Authentication of a Nigerian birth, marriage or death certificate | £20 per item plus £20 processing | £40 for one item; £60 for two (example, if processing is charged once) |
The police check is listed with its own £15 and £30, not with the £20 line, so ask whether the general £20 is added on top before you buy postal orders. For document authentication, the page does not say whether the £20 processing charge is per item or per application; the two-item total above is an example only. The document must already have been authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja before the High Commission will act on it.
What it does not cover
- Visas. The immigration page says visa applicants no longer pay the processing fee to the High Commission; visa submissions go to OIS at 56 to 57 Fleet Street.
- The passport booklet itself. Passport fees are paid online through the NIS portal. The High Commission separately lists a £20 postal order or e-payment with a passport application, and £150 where a passport is lost, misplaced or damaged.
- Emergency travel certificates. These are an immigration service with their own £120 postal order.
- Return postage. A prepaid Royal Mail C4 special delivery envelope is your cost on top.
- Anything in Nigeria. Ministry of Foreign Affairs authentication, police processing in Nigeria and courier costs there are separate.
Worked example
Example: a couple in Leeds need a letter of non-impediment for one partner and a police criminal check from Nigeria for the other. From the page, the letter is £20 plus £15 and the police check is £15 plus £30. If the consular section confirms that no extra £20 is added to the police check, the visit needs postal orders totalling £80 (£35 plus £45). If it is added, the total is £100. Asking the question by email before buying the postal orders costs nothing; guessing wrong costs the difference, because nothing is refunded.
The £70 story and refunds
In September 2026 reports circulated of a £70 administrative fee. The High Commission's notice of 11 September 2026 said this was incorrect and that the approved standard charge remains £20, and asked the public to disregard information not communicated through its authorised channels. A separate notice says that passport intervention applicants who paid £70 will receive £50 back, with £20 kept as the standard fee. That is the only refund the pages describe; in every other case the non-refundable rule applies, so a wrongly sized postal order is lost.
Paying it without mistakes
- Work out the full total from the service's own line on the consular page.
- Buy postal orders for the exact amounts at a Post Office counter. If a service has two charges, ask the consular section (consular@nigeriahc.org.uk, 020 7556 8110) whether it wants one postal order or two.
- Write the payee as Nigeria High Commission London.
- Keep the counterfoils with your copies.
- Hand the pack in during the 9:00am to 1:00pm submission window, or post it where the service allows.
Where Pryme fits
The postal order has to come from a UK Post Office, so there is no shortcut there. The naira side of the same errand, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs fee in Abuja or an agent's courier charge, can be paid from a Pryme account that holds pounds and naira with local details for each; Swap shows the rate and the fee before you approve. Related: what to bring to the High Commission, document authentication and the certificate of no impediment.
Questions people ask
Is the £20 at the Nigerian High Commission refundable?
No. The consular page says all payments made for consular services are non-refundable. The only refund described is £50 to passport intervention applicants who paid a £70 fee.
Can I pay the consular charge by card?
The consular page names postal orders and says cash and cheques are not acceptable. E-payment is mentioned for passport fees, not for consular services.
Who do I make the postal order payable to?
Nigeria High Commission London, according to the consular page.
Is the Nigerian High Commission fee £70 now?
No. The notice of 11 September 2026 says the approved standard charge remains £20 and the £70 figure was incorrect.
Sources
- Nigeria High Commission London: Consular services (notice of 11 Sep 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Nigeria High Commission London: Immigration (passports, ETC, visas) · accessed Oct 2026
- Nigeria High Commission London: About and notices (Sep to Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.