Following the lift of the visa ban on Nigerian passport holders, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has introduced a new visa application fee of N640,000, which is non-refundable.
Previously, the fee was $100, which, at the current exchange rate (N1,555 to $1), amounted to N155,500. The new fee aligns with updated visa issuance guidelines by the UAE government.
Many Nigerians have expressed their dissatisfaction with the increased fee on social media. NEFERTITI, with the handle @firstladyship, commented, “It is obvious the UAE doesn’t want Nigerians. They reluctantly unbanned the Nigerian passport but imposed a hefty N640,000 fee on us. The money is non-refundable and has an expiration date. This is see finish.”
Prince (@Peco3D) remarked, “This is just extortion in fine words. Shameless.” Similarly, Lucky Man (@Comr_lucky1) stated, “This is exploitation and shameful if allowed by the Nigerian government.” MAYOR (@Enokeran2016) added, “The constant appeal from the Nigerian government to lift travel bans to the UAE appears to primarily benefit wealthy individuals and politicians seeking a haven for their ill-gotten wealth, rather than ordinary Nigerians.”
On Tuesday, Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, announced that the UAE had lifted the visa ban on Nigerians traveling to the country. The announcement, made through a statement by Rabiu Ibrahim, the Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister, confirmed that effective from July 15, Nigerian passport holders can obtain visas to the UAE.
The visa ban, imposed about two years ago due to diplomatic disputes, also saw Dubai’s Emirates Airline halting flights to Nigeria because the Central Bank of Nigeria couldn’t remit an estimated $85 million in revenue to the UAE. After several meetings with the UAE government, the Federal Government assured Nigerians in June that the visa ban would soon be lifted and announced that 98% of the $850 million owed had been paid.
Additionally, as part of the new requirements to visit the UAE, Nigerian passport holders must obtain a Document Verification Number (DVN) before applying for a visa. The N640,000 fee does not guarantee a visa, as the issued DVN will only be valid for 14 days or until the visa application has been processed, whichever comes first.
Seunmanuel Faleye is a brand and communications strategist. He is a covert writer and an overt creative head. He publishes Apple’s Bite International Magazine.