Nigerians can now apply, obtain UAE visa - Minister

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Nigerians can now apply and obtain visas to travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) beginning from today, July 15, 2024.

This is in line with the agreement reached by the Federal Government has reached an agreement with the UAE.

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

According ti him, “Following successful talks and extensive, mutually beneficial negotiations between the Government of the United Arab Emirates and the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, an agreement was reached allowing for the resumption of travel to the UAE for Nigerian passport holders.

“This agreement includes updated controls and conditions to facilitate obtaining a UAE visa.

“The resumption of visas will be effective from July 15, 2024.”

The minister said Nigerians wishing to learn more about the updated visa conditions from the UAE are free to visit the country’s website.

Indeed, this position is coming in over two years after the UAE suspended visa issuance to Nigerians after a period of protracted diplomatic row with Nigeria.

Also, the lifting of visa ban comes about two months after UAE national carrier Emirates Airlines announced the resumption of flights to Nigeria. The airline said in May that its daily Lagos-Dubai flights would resume from October 1, 2024.

Emirates Airlines suspended its Dubai-Lagos flights in 2022 over its inability to repatriate trapped funds in Nigeria in the heat of the diplomatic fireworks between the two countries.

Nigeria and the UAE have a long history of restriction of flights between both countries based on certain unresolved issues surrounding the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA). Visa restrictions later surfaced as diplomatic fireworks continued between Nigeria and the UAE, which is a top destination for Nigerian migrants and tourists.

In September 2023, President Bola Tinubu met with UAE President, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi, to smoothen the rough edges in the diplomatic relations between the two countries.