How to Get a Voter's Card in Nigeria: A Step-by-Step Guide

Posted On: 2026-10-16
Posted By: Lery

How to Get a Voter's Card in Nigeria: A Step-by-Step Guide

Your Permanent Voter's Card (PVC) is what lets you vote in Nigerian elections. Without it, you cannot be accredited at your polling unit, however long you have been registered. The PVC is also widely accepted as a form of identification by banks and other organisations.

Getting one involves two separate stages that many people confuse: registering as a voter with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and collecting the card INEC produces for you afterwards. This guide explains both stages, who can register, how to check whether your card is ready, and what to do if you have moved or lost your card.

Where things stand now (October 2026)

Before the step-by-step guide, here is the current position for the 2027 general elections:

Registration has closed for the 2027 elections. INEC ran its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in three phases between August 2025 and 26 July 2026, adding over 10.6 million new registrants. The national register now has more than 103 million voters.
The elections are close. The Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for 16 January 2027, and the Governorship and State Assembly elections for 6 February 2027.
PVC collection began on 9 October 2026 at INEC Local Government Area (LGA) offices nationwide. Cards for people who registered between 25 August and 10 December 2025 are available. INEC has said cards for people who registered between 5 January and 26 July 2026 are not yet ready, and that their collection will be announced through official channels.
Lost or damaged PVC? Act immediately. Under the Electoral Act 2026, a replacement PVC cannot be issued less than 90 days before polling day. For the 16 January 2027 election, that point falls around 18 October 2026, and for the 6 February 2027 elections around 8 November 2026. Contact your INEC LGA office now.

If you have not registered, you will not be able to vote in the 2027 general elections. INEC normally resumes registration after a general election, so use this guide to be ready when it reopens.

The short version

Pre-register online at cvr.inecnigeria.org when registration is open.
Book an appointment and attend your INEC centre for fingerprint and facial capture.
Receive your Temporary Voter's Card (TVC) or registration slip as proof of registration.
Check your PVC status online once INEC announces collection.
Collect your PVC in person at your INEC LGA office or designated centre. Collection is free.

Who can register to vote

You can register if you are:

A Nigerian citizen
18 years or older
Not already registered. Multiple registration is an offence, and INEC's biometric system detects and removes duplicates.

You register at, and vote in, a specific polling unit, normally close to where you live. Choose it carefully, because you can only vote at the polling unit where you are registered.

Stage 1: How to register as a voter

INEC's registration combines an online step with an in-person step. You cannot complete registration entirely online, because INEC must capture your fingerprints and face.

Step 1: Pre-register online

When registration is open, go to INEC's official CVR portal, cvr.inecnigeria.org, and click Get Started. Choose New Voter Pre-Registration if you have never registered.

Step 2: Create your account

Enter your name, phone number, email address and a password. Confirm the verification link sent to your email, sign in, and complete the declaration form.

Step 3: Fill in your details

Enter your biodata, residential address and polling unit details. You can upload a valid ID such as your NIN slip, international passport or driver's licence. INEC treats this as optional, but it speeds up verification.

Use your name exactly as it appears on your NIN and other documents. Consistent details make your PVC more useful as identification later. If you do not have a NIN, our guide to getting your NIN in Nigeria explains the process.

Step 4: Upload your photographs

Upload clear, well-lit photographs as the portal requests, against a plain background.

Step 5: Book your biometric appointment

Choose a date and centre for your fingerprint and facial capture. INEC registration centres have typically opened Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm, excluding public holidays. You can reschedule through the portal if needed.

Step 6: Complete capture at the INEC centre

Attend your appointment with your registration details and a means of identification. INEC officials will capture your fingerprints and photograph and confirm your details.

Step 7: Keep your proof of registration

After capture, you receive a Temporary Voter's Card (TVC) or registration slip with your Voter Identification Number (VIN). Keep it safe. You will need it to check your status and collect your PVC.

Prefer to register in person? You can also go directly to your INEC LGA office or a designated registration centre during the registration period and complete the whole process there.

Stage 2: How to check whether your PVC is ready

PVCs are produced in batches after each registration phase, and INEC announces when each batch is ready for collection. To check your status:

Go to cvr.inecnigeria.org and open the voter verification or status check page.
Search with your VIN, or with your name, date of birth and state.
Select the state where you registered, not the state where you live now.

If your record shows as verified and INEC has announced collection for your registration period, go and collect your card. If it is pending, check again later. If your record cannot be found, check the spelling of your name and your state, search with your VIN, or visit your INEC LGA office with your registration slip.

Stage 3: How to collect your PVC

Where to collect

Collect your PVC at the INEC office for the LGA where your polling unit is located. During special collection periods, INEC sometimes moves collection to ward-level centres for a few days, so watch your state INEC office's announcements.

What to bring

Your Temporary Voter's Card or registration slip, or your VIN
A valid ID, such as your NIN slip, international passport or driver's licence

Rules to know

Collect in person. You cannot send someone to collect your PVC for you.
Collection is free. Never pay anyone for your PVC. Anyone demanding money, or offering to buy your PVC or VIN, is breaking the law.
Check your card before you leave: name, photograph, polling unit and VIN.

Worked example: Kemi collects her first PVC

Kemi is 19 and lives in Ikorodu, Lagos. She pre-registered online in September 2025, completed her capture at the INEC office in her LGA and received her Temporary Voter's Card.

October 2026. She hears that INEC has started collection for people who registered between August and December 2025. She checks her status on cvr.inecnigeria.org with her VIN, selecting Lagos as her state, and sees that her record is verified.

Collection. She goes to the INEC office for Ikorodu LGA with her TVC and NIN slip. Her PVC is found, she checks the details, signs for it and leaves within an hour, without paying anything.

Election day. She notes her polling unit from her PVC and plans to be there early on 16 January 2027.

The lesson: keep your registration slip and VIN, check your status online before travelling, and collect your card as soon as INEC announces your batch.

Transferring your registration

If you have moved to a new area, state or polling unit, you can transfer your registration instead of registering again. Registering twice is an offence.

Transfers are done through the CVR portal or at an INEC office while registration is open. You choose your new polling unit, INEC processes the transfer, and you collect a new PVC for your new location.

Transfers stop when registration closes before an election. If you moved after registration closed for 2027, you will need to vote at the polling unit where you are currently registered.

Replacing a lost or damaged PVC

If your PVC is lost, stolen, damaged or defaced, apply for a replacement through the CVR portal or at your INEC LGA office.

The Electoral Act 2026 introduced a downloadable or printable replacement for some lost, damaged or defaced cards, after the voter notifies INEC. INEC has said not every PVC qualifies, and the option may not be available to people who never collected their original card. Legal analysts have also noted that the Act still requires a PVC for accreditation at the polling unit, so confirm with INEC whether a printed copy will be accepted for your election.

Timing matters. A replacement cannot be issued less than 90 days before polling day, so do not wait until the election is near.

Updating your details

If your name has changed, for example after marriage, or your details contain an error, you can request an update through the CVR portal or at an INEC office while registration is open. Bring supporting documents such as a marriage certificate or a sworn affidavit.

Voting on election day

Go to the polling unit printed on your PVC.
Bring your PVC. Your card and fingerprints or face are verified on INEC's Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
Arrive early and follow the instructions of the polling officials.

Common mistakes to avoid

Thinking registration and collection are the same. Registering does not mean you have your card. Collect it.
Registering twice instead of transferring. It is an offence, and duplicate records are removed.
Losing your registration slip and VIN. You need them to check your status and collect your card.
Waiting until the last week. Registration windows close well before elections, and replacements stop 90 days before polling day.
Paying for a PVC. Registration and collection are free.
Selling your PVC or VIN. It is illegal and can be used to manipulate elections.

Your PVC as identification

Apart from voting, the PVC is widely accepted as a means of identification, for example when opening bank accounts or completing some registrations. For most official processes today, though, your NIN is the primary identity credential, and an international passport or driver's licence is often preferred for travel and employment checks. Our guides to the international passport and the driver's licence explain how to get those.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a voter's card in Nigeria? Pre-register online at cvr.inecnigeria.org while INEC's registration is open, complete your fingerprint and facial capture at an INEC centre, then collect your PVC in person at your INEC LGA office when INEC announces that it is ready.

Can I still register to vote for the 2027 elections? No. INEC's Continuous Voter Registration for the 2027 general elections ended on 26 July 2026. INEC normally resumes registration after the general elections.

When are the 2027 general elections? The Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for 16 January 2027, and the Governorship and State Assembly elections for 6 February 2027.

Is my PVC ready? Cards for people who registered between 25 August and 10 December 2025 are available for collection from 9 October 2026. INEC has said cards for people who registered between 5 January and 26 July 2026 are not yet ready. Check your status on cvr.inecnigeria.org.

Where do I collect my PVC? At the INEC office for the Local Government Area where your polling unit is located, or at ward-level centres during special collection periods announced by INEC.

Can someone collect my PVC for me? No. You must collect your PVC in person.

How much does a PVC cost? Nothing. Registration and PVC collection are free.

Can I vote without my PVC? The Electoral Act 2026 requires a PVC for accreditation at the polling unit. If your card is lost or damaged, apply for a replacement immediately, because replacements stop 90 days before polling day.

I moved to a new state. Where do I vote? You vote at the polling unit where you are registered. Transfers are possible only while registration is open, so if you did not transfer before registration closed, you must vote at your original polling unit.

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How to Get a Voter's Card in Nigeria: A Step-by-Step Guide