UAE Visa: Nigerians Required to Pay Non-Refundable N640,000 Verification Fee

Nigerian passport holders intending to visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) must now obtain a Document Verification Number (DVN) before applying for a visa. According to the Emirates verification website, Nigerians must pay a non-refundable fee of N640,000 for this verification.

The DVN will be valid for 14 days from issuance.

The UAE government’s new guidelines ensure all documents are digitally verified and authenticated before issuing visas. Individuals under the age of 13 are exempt from needing a DVN for their visa applications.

The issued DVN will be valid for 14 days from issuance or until the visa application is processed, whichever comes first. The non-refundable fee for each application is ₦640,000 (excluding VAT).

The Nigerian Government has announced a new agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that will allow Nigerian passport holders to obtain visas to travel to the UAE, starting on July 15, 2024.

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

Minister Idris stated that the resumption of travel follows extensive negotiations between Nigeria and the UAE. These discussions led to the establishment of new controls and conditions for obtaining UAE visas.

UAE Sets Conditions for Nigerian Travelers

According to the minister, the United Arab Emirates government has stipulated that Nigerians must obtain a Document Verification Number (DVN) before applying for a visa.

The Document Verification Hub will ensure that all necessary documents are digitally verified and authenticated before visa issuance. Notably, individuals under the age of 13 are exempt from needing a DVN for their visa applications.

Resumption of Emirates Airlines Flights

In October 2022, the United Arab Emirates imposed a visa ban on Nigerians without providing specific reasons, which strained travel and diplomatic relations between the two countries.

President Bola Tinubu visited the UAE in 2023 to address the visa restrictions and the suspension of Emirates Airlines flights to Nigeria. Following the meeting, Emirates Airlines announced it would resume flight operations in Nigeria on October 1, 2024, ending a two-year suspension.

Clarification on Visa Ban

In response to reports claiming that the UAE had lifted the visa ban for Nigerians, the Nigerian Presidency issued a clarification.

On March 5, 2024, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, stated on his X page that no changes had been made at that time regarding the visa restrictions.

The recent agreement now officially marks the lifting of these restrictions, allowing Nigerian travellers to visit the UAE once again.