The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has rolled out tighter entry rules targeting Nigerian travelers, including the suspension of transit visa requests and added restrictions on tourist visas.
Travel and tourism professionals raised concerns on Tuesday after Nigerian travel agents received these updates, which were verified by Daily Trust.
In a significant change expected to drastically curb Nigerian visits to Dubai—a popular spot for both business and vacations—UAE authorities now block individuals aged 18 to 45 from securing tourist visas unless accompanied.
This follows nearly a year after the UAE ended a two-year visa suspension for Nigerians, which, although welcomed at first, came with strict conditions.
Several travel agents who spoke to Daily Trust revealed that the latest visa review has made the situation more challenging.
Dubai immigration, in a notice distributed to travel firms, declared that it would no longer process transit visa applications submitted by Nigerian nationals.
The updated policy reads, “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 Rules for Nigerian Citizens:
- Nigerian nationals can no longer apply for transit visas.
- Tourist visa eligibility is denied for solo travelers aged 18 to 45.
- Those aged 45 and older must submit:
- A six-month personal bank statement from a Nigerian bank.
- Each month must reflect a closing balance of at least $10,000 or its naira value.
- Other existing requirements such as hotel booking confirmations and passport data pages must still accompany applications.
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