The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has introduced more stringent entry restrictions for Nigerians, including a ban on transit visa applications and new limitations on tourist visas.
The latest directives communicated to Nigerian travel agents on Tuesday as confirmed by Daily Trust sparked concern within the travel and tourism sector.
In a major policy shift expected to significantly reduce travel from Nigeria to Dubai–one of the UAE’s top destinations for business and leisure–the authorities now restrict Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 45 from obtaining tourist visas unless they are accompanied.
This development comes nearly a year after the UAE lifted a two-year visa ban on Nigerians, a move that was initially welcomed but accompanied by tight entry conditions.
Travel agents who spoke with Daily Trust confirmed that the situation is worsening with the latest visa process review.
According to the notification from Dubai immigration shared with travel agencies, transit visa applications will no longer be processed for Nigerian nationals.
The directive further stated, “For Nigeria nationals, please bear in mind that an applicant aged 18 to 45 years travelling alone is not eligible for TOURIST VISA CATEGORY.”
“An applicant who is 45yrs or above must provide a Single Nigerian personal bank statement for a period of last six months, with each month’s end balance reflecting a minimum ending balance of USD 10,000 or its naira equivalent.
“Kindly note that the above points must be taken into consideration before sending your applications with other existing documents such as hotel reservation, data page, etc.”
New UAE Visa Conditions for Nigerians
- Transit visa applications are no longer allowed for Nigerian nationals.
- Nigerians aged 18 to 45 years are ineligible for tourist visas if traveling alone.
- Applicants aged 45 years and above must provide:
- A personal bank statement from a Nigerian bank for the last six months.
- Each month’s statement must show an ending balance of at least $10,000 or its naira equivalent.
- All existing requirements such as hotel reservations and passport data pages must still be submitted with applications.
