Nigeria’s Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister, Festus Keyamo, announced that he has met with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, to fine-tune some modalities for resuming UAE visa issuance to Nigerians and direct flights between the two countries.
This announcement, made via Keyamo’s official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, aligns with Information and National Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris’s statement about successful negotiations between Nigeria and the UAE. The agreement includes updated requirements for obtaining a UAE visa.
“Following the announcement of the resumption of issuance of UAE visas to Nigerians and the resumption of direct flights between both countries, earlier this evening I held a private meeting with the UAE ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi to fine-tune some modalities for the resumption of these activities in view of the newly-established rapprochement,” Keyamo’s X post read.
What you should know
On Monday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced that the Federal Government has secured an agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) allowing Nigerian passport holders to obtain visas for travel to the UAE starting July 15, 2024.
Idris emphasized that this resumption of travel is the result of successful talks and extensive negotiations between the UAE and Nigeria, which have led to updated requirements and conditions for obtaining a UAE visa.
In his statement, he urged Nigerians interested in travelling to the UAE to visit the Document Verification Hub, a website designed to authenticate and verify essential documentation for visa applications.
Applicants must verify their documents for a non-refundable fee of N688,000, which includes N640,000 for the fee and an additional 7.5% VAT. This process is required to obtain a Document Verification Number (DVN), necessary to proceed with the visa application.
According to the Document Verification Hub, the new requirements for obtaining a UAE visa include presenting a six-month bank statement showing a minimum balance of $10,000, evidence of booked round-trip flight tickets, and proof of a confirmed and paid hotel booking.
Additionally, the visa fee must be paid by credit card at the UAE Visa Centre in Abuja, Nigeria. For Nigerians residing abroad, the fee can be paid at the nearest UAE Visa Centre.
These new requirements have elicited reactions from Nigerians, with many expressing concerns that some of these conditions are not easily achievable for the average Nigerian traveller who wishes to visit the UAE.
Meanwhile, Emirates Airlines, a UAE-based international carrier, announced in May 2024 that it would resume direct flights to Nigeria on October 1, 2024, after a two-year hiatus on the route.