24 Hours After Lifting Travel Ban on Nigerian Passport Holders, UAE Hikes Visa Fees to N640,000

• 24 hours after lifting a travel ban on Nigerian passport holders, the UAE government hiked visa fees
• The government disclosed that applicants wishing to visit Dubai and other parts of the UAE must pay a non-refundable fee of N640,000
• The UAE government also issued a new guideline, requiring visa applicants to obtain a Document Verification Number (DBN).

Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.

Nigerians are crying foul over the hike in visa fees by the United Arab Emirates government.

The development comes barely 24 hours after the country lifted the two-year visa ban imposed on Nigerians.

UAE hikes visa fees from N155,000

The country demands that applicants for its visa pay N640 as non-refundable application fees for visas by Nigerians.

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According to reports before the visa ban on Nigerian passport holders, the visa fee was about $100, about N155,500.

According to reports, the country also imposed a new requirement on Nigerians wishing to visit: applicants must obtain a Document Verification Number (DVN) before applying for a visa.

The new fee does not guarantee a visa to the country, as the DVN is valid for 14 days or immediately after the visa application has been processed.

New guidelines for travelers as Nigerians react

The guidelines align with the new visa issuance guidelines established by the UAE government.

The development has elicited various responses from Nigerians on social media.

Spotlight Abby said on social X:

"N640k as a non-refundable fee for some document verification to apply for a UAE visa is a slap on Nigerians.

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"It is a huge shame.

"Like, I cannot fathom that a govt official sat in a room and discussed that as a solution.

"This proves my hypothesis that the Nigerian political class's desperation to lift the Dubai ban is borne out of the need to protect its multibillion-dollar investments in UAE real estate.

"Your politicians know this. The UAE Govt knows this.

"That's why this visa ban (as shameful as it sounds) is not for you."

Another one reacted:

"The UAE visa ban has been lifted quite alright, but they've yet to tell us why we must pay a non-refundable 688k naira fee for a Document Verification Number and then pay a visa fee of over 200k.

"I hope the relevant authorities will intervene in this exploitation."

The Third person said:

"Asking me to pay a 640k non-refundable fee to get a UAE visa is demonic, and everyone who agreed to it should leave office. 

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"The people who misbehaved in the country and brought collective punishment on all of us will not be deterred. Once again, the innocent suffer."

UAE lifts visa ban on Nigerian passport holders

Legit.ng earlier reported that The Nigerian government has secured an agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), allowing Nigerian passport holders to get visas to travel to the country starting July 15, 2024.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this on his X handle on Monday, July 15, 2024.

UAE gives conditions to Nigerians

According to the minister, travel will resume after successful and extensive negotiations between the Arab country and Nigeria, which resulted in updated controls and conditions for obtaining the country’s visa.

FG speaks on UAE visa ban lift

Legit.ng previously reported that the Nigerian Presidency has responded to recent reports claiming that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has lifted the ban on visa services for Nigerians.

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Reports emerged on Tuesday, March 5, that an agreement had been reached with the UAE on March 4, and the visa restrictions on Nigerian travelers had been lifted.

But Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, said no changes yet in a statement released on the "X" page on Tuesday, March 5.

Source: Legit.ng