Nigerians Can Now Apply for Visas to the UAE—Minister

According to a deal struck by the Federal Government and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), holders of Nigerian passports will be able to apply for visas to visit that Arab country as of today, July 15, 2024.

Following the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information, briefed State House media on Monday.

“An agreement was achieved allowing for the return of travel to the UAE for Nigerian passport holders, following successful conversations and protracted, mutually beneficial negotiations between the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Government of the United Arab Emirates,” he added.

Updated regulations and requirements are included in this agreement to make it easier to get a UAE visa.

“Visas will be available again starting on July 15, 2024.”

The minister also mentioned that Nigerians should visit the UAE’s website to find out more about the most recent visa requirements.

The declaration was made more than two years after the UAE stopped issuing visas to Nigerians as a result of a protracted diplomatic spat with the country that has the largest population in Africa.

It also occurs around two months after Emirates Airlines, the official airline of the United Arab Emirates, declared the start of new flights to Nigeria. The airline announced in May that it would start operating daily flights from Lagos to Dubai on October 1, 2024.

In 2022, Emirates Airlines halted its flights from Dubai to Lagos due to its incapacity to return cash that were embezzled in Nigeria during the tumultuous diplomatic relations between the two nations.

There has long been a history of flight restrictions between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Nigeria due to outstanding concerns pertaining to the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA). Later, as diplomatic tensions between Nigeria and the UAE—a popular destination for Nigerian visitors and migrants—grew, visa restrictions were revealed.

To iron out the kinks in their diplomatic ties, President Bola Tinubu met with President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates in September 2023 in Abu Dhabi.