UAE Tightens Visa Regulations for Nigerian Travellers, Halts Transit Visa Applications
New Visa Restrictions
Blocking transit visas: Effective immediately, the UAE has stopped processing transit visa applications for all Nigerian nationals—a key route previously used to connect flights.
Tourist visa age rule: Nigerians aged 18–45 is no longer eligible for tourist visas unless traveling with an accompanying sponsor, stated Dubai immigration guidelines communicated to travel agencies on Tuesday
Financial Proof for Older Applicants
Applicants aged 45 and above face stricter financial screening: they must now provide a six-month Nigerian bank statement, showing an end-of-month balance of at least USD 10,000 (or its naira equivalent) for each month.
Standard documents like hotel reservations and passport data pages are still mandatory.
Context & Implications
These new measures arrive less than a year after the UAE lifted its two-year ban on Nigerian travelers in mid-2024 following negotiations to resume flights and visa issuance.
Travel agencies have raised alarms, warning that the new visa hurdles could sharply reduce Nigerian travel to Dubai, affecting both leisure and business tourism.
In a broader geopolitical context, this move closely follows U.S. tightening of visa conditions for Nigerians—such as limiting visas to single entry and three-month validity—raising speculation of a coordinated international stance.
“For Nigerian nationals, please bear in mind that an applicant aged 18 to 45 years travelling alone is not eligible for the tourist visa category. And for those above 45, a bank statement showing at least $10,000 monthly balance is now mandatory. It’s getting tougher every day.” — A Lagos-based travel agent speaking to Daily Trust.
The UAE’s latest visa policy significantly restricts entry and transit routes for Nigerian nationals—essentially limiting solo travel for young adults and imposing steep financial demands on older applicants. Coming on the heels of similar moves by Western nations like the U.S., these restrictions threaten to curtail tourism and business connectivity between Nigeria and the UAE. Travelers and travel planners must understand and prepare for the new requirements in order to avoid travel disruptions.
