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The short answer
Yes. The Nigeria High Commission in Ottawa returns new passports by Canada Post in a self-addressed, prepaid express envelope that you supply: Regional if you live in Ontario, National if you live elsewhere in Canada. What it does not remove is the trip for biometrics; under the standard route you still attend in Ottawa once, unless you qualify for the contactless pilot or an outreach exercise.
What the High Commission does
The High Commission's passport page lists a self-addressed Canada Post express envelope among the required documents for renewal, first issue, children and lost passports. The new passport is sent back to you in that envelope once it is ready, so you do not have to return to Ottawa to collect it. The page asks you to record the envelope's tracking number before you hand it over.
This matters most for Nigerians in Alberta, British Columbia, the Prairies or Atlantic Canada, for whom a second trip to Ottawa would mean flights and a night in a hotel.
Which envelope to buy
- Passport applications
- Canada Post express envelope, self-addressed. Regional if you live in Ontario, National if you live outside Ontario (High Commission passport page).
- Emergency travel certificates
- Canada Post Priority or Xpresspost envelope, self-addressed; National if you live outside Ontario and Quebec. The ETC page also says the signature stamp must be bought from Canada Post.
- Contactless renewals
- A self-addressed express envelope posted with your old passport and money order (as described by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada).
Note the small difference between the two pages: the passport page divides at Ontario, the ETC page at Ontario and Quebec. If you live in Quebec and are applying for a passport, ask Canada Post which envelope covers delivery from Ottawa to your address, and check with the High Commission if in doubt. Buy the envelope at a post office counter so it is prepaid for the right zone.
Filling it in
- Write your own name and full Canadian address as the recipient, including apartment number and postal code.
- Use the name that matches your application, so the passport reaches you and not a household member with a different name.
- Photograph the envelope and keep the tracking number.
- For a family, ask the High Commission whether one envelope may carry several passports; otherwise bring one per applicant.
Can you avoid going to Ottawa at all?
Postal return removes the collection trip, not the biometrics visit. Under the standard route every applicant, including each child, attends the chancery at 295 Metcalfe Street for fingerprints and photo. There are three ways people avoid or shorten that:
- Contactless pilot. The IRB, citing the High Commission, says adults aged 18 or over whose passport expires within six months can apply and capture biometrics in the NIS mobile app, then post the C$50 money order, a self-addressed express envelope and the old passport. Children and first-time applicants are not covered. See contactless renewal abroad.
- Outreach exercises. Missions sometimes run passport sessions outside the capital. Check passport outreach outside Ottawa.
- Planning one trip. Book everyone in the family on the same day; see do you have to travel to Ottawa.
Posting to the High Commission under the contactless route
For the contactless pilot the post runs both ways: you send your old passport to Ottawa and the new one comes back to you. Your old passport is valuable, so treat the outgoing package with care:
- use a tracked service for the package you send, and keep the receipt
- enclose the C$50 money order payable to "Nigeria High Commission, Ottawa", the self-addressed express envelope, the old passport and copies of your portal slips
- keep photocopies of every page you send, including the money order
- do not send cash
Check the High Commission's current instructions for the postal address and any covering form before sending; the contactless details we cite come from the IRB's November 2025 summary of the High Commission's page.
Checklist
| Route | Envelope you supply | Trip to Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Standard renewal or first issue | Express, Regional (Ontario) or National | Once, for biometrics |
| Child's passport | Express, Regional or National | Once; child attends with one parent inside |
| Contactless pilot (eligible adults) | Express, posted with old passport | None |
| Emergency travel certificate | Priority or Xpresspost; National outside Ontario and Quebec | Not required by the page |
Tracking and problems
Once the passport is posted, follow it with the Canada Post tracking number. If it shows delivered and you have not received it, contact Canada Post first, with the tracking number, and then the High Commission. If the passport is truly lost in the post, treat it as a lost passport, which carries a C$400 caution fee and a police report; the steps are in lost your Nigerian passport in Canada.
Timing
The High Commission's passport page does not state how long production and posting take. Its ETC page says ETCs take ten business days. For passports, ask at your appointment when to expect it, and do not book flights on the assumption that the passport will arrive by a set date.
What to bring so the envelope is used
The chancery's list for the appointment includes the express envelope alongside your printed slips, documents and the C$50 money order receipt. After biometrics you are told to leave the old passport in the envelope. Applicants without the right items can be turned away, so put the envelope in your folder the night before.
Questions people ask
Does the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa mail passports?
Yes. It returns them by Canada Post in a self-addressed express envelope you provide.
Which Canada Post envelope do I need for my Nigerian passport?
A self-addressed express envelope: Regional if you live in Ontario, National if you live outside Ontario.
Do I still have to go to Ottawa if they post the passport back?
Yes for biometrics under the standard route, unless you qualify for the contactless pilot or attend an outreach exercise.
What if my posted passport goes missing?
Contact Canada Post with the tracking number, then the High Commission. A truly lost passport follows the lost-passport process.
Sources
- Nigeria High Commission Ottawa: Passport services · accessed Oct 2026
- Nigeria High Commission Ottawa: Emergency Travel Certificate · accessed Oct 2026
- Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada: Response to Information Request NGA202437.E on Nigerian passports (10 Nov 2025), via ecoi.net · 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.