A New Visa Regime for Nigerians Intending To Travel To the United Arab Emirates

The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release on the 1^st of September 2022 notifying all intending Nigerian travellers of a new visa regime in place. This was issued against the backdrop of  Nigerians who were stranded at the Dubai International Airport and denied entry into the country despite having validly issued visas. The Nigerian mission in Dubai however stated these individuals were denied entry as a result of certain inconsistencies in the visa obtained by them and their compliance with the prerequisite conditions attached to those visas.

One major element of the new visa policy for Nigerians travelling to the UAE is that Tourist visas will not be issued to persons under 40 years, except for those applying for family visas. This means that Nigerian travellers that are coming to the UAE and are below the age of 40 must come along with a family member or have family members already in the UAE.