Following the recent lifting of the visa ban on Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Government has increased its visa fee by over 300 per cent, a move that has been met with widespread condemnation by air travellers in the country.
Expressing her frustration, a traveller at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Rose Aikigbe, lamented, “This is a clear indication that the UAE government doesn’t want Nigeria in their domain. How much is the United Kingdom taking? Why is the amount so out of reach? They reluctantly unbanned the Nigerian passport but slammed a hefty N640,000 on Nigerians. Guess what? The money is nonrefundable and has an expiration date. This is see finish.”
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced the lifting of the ban while briefing the State House correspondents on Monday after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu. Idris stated that the Federal Government and the UAE authorities had reached an agreement vacating travel restrictions imposed on Nigerians with immediate effect.
“Nigerian passport holders can now travel to the UAE without any form of hindrance,” Idris said. He also directed Nigerians seeking information on the updated UAE visa conditions to visit documentverificationhub.ae for further details. “I can tell you that the agreement has been reached and effective from today (Monday), Nigerian passport holders intending to travel to the UAE are able to do so,” he reiterated.
Our correspondent observed on the United Arab Emirates document verification website that applicants are now required to pay N640,000 as non-refundable application fees for visas. This fee represents a significant increase from the pre-ban fee of $100, which amounted to N155,500 using the currency exchange rate of N1,555/$. The hike to N640,000 reflects a 311.58 per cent rise.
Moreover, the N640,000 fee does not guarantee a visa to the UAE. The issued Document Verification Number will only be valid for 14 days from issuance or once the visa application has been processed by the visa application department.
The UAE imposed the visa ban on Nigeria in connection with several diplomatic disputes. Additionally, Dubai’s Emirates Airline halted flights to Nigeria due to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s inability to remit an estimated $85 million in revenue to the UAE. In June, following several meetings with the UAE government, the Federal Government assured Nigerians that the visa ban would soon be lifted. During the same month, the Nigerian government announced that it had paid 98 per cent of $850m owed to the UAE.
The recent agreement to resume visa issuance to Nigerians wishing to travel to the Middle Eastern country has sparked excitement among Nigerians. “I can tell you that the agreement has been reached and effective from today, Nigerian passport holders intending to travel to the UAE are able to do so,” Minister Idris affirmed to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
Idris further explained, “You are aware that Nigeria has been discussing with the United Arab Emirates on the issue of visas for Nigerian passport holders going to the United Arab Emirates.”
Despite the lifting of the ban, the exorbitant visa fee has cast a shadow over what could have been a wholly positive development. Travellers and stakeholders are calling for the Nigerian government to engage further with the UAE authorities to address the prohibitive costs and ensure fairer treatment for Nigerian passport holders.
