Nigerians to Pay N60,000 to N90,000, Not N460,000 For Visa Application Fee, UAE Clarifies
- The United Arab Emirate has denied increasing visa application fee for Nigerian passport holders
- Reports emerged that the country hiked its visa application fee to N460,000 after it lifted visa ban on Nigerians
- The country also denied links with a document verification hub and asked applicants to provide a bank balance of $10,000
Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment and the economy for over a decade.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has disclosed that Nigeria has not been exempted from the usual visa application process
Legit.ng reported that the country lifted the visa ban imposed on Nigerian passport holders two years ago.
Source: Facebook
Confusion over UAE visa application fee
However, 24 hours after the announcement, reports emerged that the country had increased its visa application fee for Nigerian passport holders from N155,000 to N640,000.
The report also listed other requirements, such as having a Document Verification Number (DVN) before processing a visa application.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed that the resolution had some mutually beneficial requirements.
The minister said that one condition is getting a DVN, which is designed to process, authenticate, and verify essential documents for visa applications to the UAE.
Reports say the DVN costs a non-refundable fee of N640,000, excluding VAT, per applicant, and it does not include the visa fee.
Additionally, to obtain a UAE visa, Nigerian passport holders must provide proof of a six-month bank statement with a minimum balance of $10,000, about N15 million.
UAE denies hiking application fee
TheCable reported that the UAE Department of Economy and Tourism said the DVN hub website is not affiliated with the UAE government.
The UAE referred the media house to Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFAD) for confirmation on payments required to obtain visas.
The GDRFAD explained the process for a visa application: “You will need a personal photo and a copy of your passport, which must have a validity of at least six months.”
Reports say a tourist visa to the UAE costs about 200-300 dirhams, about N60,000 to N90,000, depending on the stay.
The GDRFAD added that travelers need a travel ticket and valid medical insurance in the UAE.
The directorate also said Nigerian passport holders do not need a $10,000 bank balance to process their visas.
Emirates Airline set to resume operation
Legit.ng reported that Festus Keyamo, Nigeria's minister of aviation and aerospace development, has announced Emirates Airline has given a verified date for the aviation company to resume flights to Nigeria.
Keyamo stated this in a post via his X handle after he met with UAE Ambassador Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi in Abuja on Wednesday.
This came after the UAE prohibited Nigerians from obtaining visas in October 2022, and Emirates Airline ceased flights to Nigeria in November of the same year.
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Source: Legit.ng
