How to really get a Nigerian Passport at the Atlanta consulate

Where to Begin…..I must say it’s a miracle that I am in the position I am in right now.I mean flying back to My city.

I believe it is absolutely necessary I write some sort of mini manual on the process of obtaining a passport in Atlanta. The type I wish was available before I ventured out with my siblings to Atlanta.

1. First of all after picking the possible dates that you are considering to make the trip to Atlanta. Please go to the office hours link on the website and make sure they will be open on that day. This step is very important if you want to avoid flight cancellations fees and spending extra money on hotels. I did not know they closed on Columbus day so my siblings and I were stuck for another day. After paying hefty fees for flight cancellations, hotels and food we were pretty much broke, I’m pretty sure you would rather avoid this.

2. Now for your own sanity please prepare your documents in your state/city before heading over to Atlanta. If you don’t have a car and you attempt to find your own bank, it might be quite stressful. For example if you need a document notarized, you should probably get that done in your hometown.

3. Continuing with the issue of the banks……apparently there are NO WELLSFARGO BANKS IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA!!!!! I cannot begin to tell you how frustrating this was for us!!! I was told that in two weeks wachovias would become wellsfargo….how is this info useful to me at this point!!!!!

4. The reason I was even at the bank in the first place was to get a large money order for the payment of our e-passports. BECAUSE the NIS chose the day before to disable the pay in dollar option!!!! For 24 hours…ugghhhhh. After 24 hours the payment option was enabled, but guess what? The only option available was American Express!!!! Who uses AmEx nowadays!!!! I called so many people, no one had Amex!!! There was a note on the website saying the visa and mastercard payment options would be available in 24 hours. At this point I was already freaking out because that was suppose to be our last day in ATL, because at this point we were broke and had to go home!!! We had no other option because it is stated quite clearly by the consulate, to pay for your e-passport online. The only money order to be collected is the $20 processing fee. The application fee must be paid online. So as you can see we were in a pickle!

5. Well lets just say it was at this point miracles began to happen. Because of all the things we had to do and the many inconveniences that occurred, and of course the very slow public transportation (I’ll get to that in a minute). We got there late, to be precise, we got there an hour after the walk-in hours for e passport processing had ended. At this point all I felt like doing was crying, it had been such a frustrating day already. Luckily, we found some individual there we told them our story and how we had a flight in less than 3 hours. I guess they pitied us and helped us out. THANK YOU so much!!!! They were really helpful and understanding, I was honestly surprised. After we were done with the interview , we headed back to the Bus stop and waited for the bus, at this point we had only about 2 hours left. We waited waited and waited…No Bus. We were beyond freaking out, we began to pray prayers we had never prayed…men some serious sturvs…lol. Nywaz, incidentally there was a lady and her friend who had seen us at the consulate and had overheard us explaining our situation to the officers….Well she drove up to the Bus station and offered to take us to the airport. Can You believe That!!!!!
There was no way we could have refused that and there was no way we would have made it on time using both the bus and the train. Thank You very much Ladies…I wish I remember their names
So at this point we are at the airport. One little problem though, my sis and I did not have a ticket, due to the fact we had to change our flight time. And because we had paid the rescheduling fees for our brother the day before we were unable to pay for ours. We explained this to the attendant and after sending us to ten other stations. She decided to see what ‘she could do for us’(this was all the day before) and she also told us when we came in the next day we should look out for her. So when my sis and I got there we didn’t know if we actually had tickets and what we were booked for. We arrived at ticketing and tried to find the lady!!! Oh Lord…She was not there. OMG OMG OMG. We stood around for a few minutes, before I randomly decided to put my debit card in the automated ticketing machine. WOW miracle happened, my name and sis name came up, we printed the ticket immediately, no time wasting (before the machine changed its mind or something, yes we had become partially paranoid after all the misfortunes that had befallen us throughout the day). We were so excited. Yesssssss, we were finally going home….Abasi sosongo ooooooo!!!!

I am now happily but tiredly typing on my way back home…YAY

Other Useful information.

1. if you don’t plan on renting a car it may be sensible to book a hotel near the airport. Usually most hotels close to the airport have shuttles that can pick you up. Just make sure to reserve in advance and save the hotel number so that you can call for a pick up when you arrive.

2. Also if you will be using public transportation to get to that consulate make sure you understand that the trip to the consulate may take about 2hours and the trip back will be about the same, so plan wisely!!

3. If you do stay at a hotel with an airport shuttle, you can ask to be taken to the airport, specifically the train station, where you would need to buy a pass. It is advisable to buy the visitor day pass.

a. You will need to take the redline train headed towards North springs . You will need to get off at Dunwoody.

b. After this you will need to get on the 87 bus (follow the signs). This bus will take you to the consulate (you just need to cross the street). Beware the consulate may seem a bit hidden.

c. Your stop would be pitts street (just make sure tho ask the driver)Make sure you tell the driver where you are headed and sit where you the street signs are visible to you.

d. To get back you just wait at the same bus stop and bus loops back t its origin, the Dunwoody train station, where you need to get on the train to get back to your airport

4. We were not asked for guarantors forms, passport photographs or birth certificates, because it was not our first Nigerian passport. But to be safe get all the documents requested here especially if it is your first passport.

5. . As mentioned before make sure you get a money order of 20 dollars for processing fee addressed to the consulate.

6. Also go with the right self addresses envelope with a tracking number, from UPS only.

7. Please Pay for everything and get your receipts and documents in order before travelling to Atlanta.

8. For other useful information, be sure to visit the NIS website for e passport application guideline: https://portal.immigration.gov.ng/index.htm
GOOD LUCK. THANKS FOR READING!!!!!