UAE lifts visa ban for Nigerian travellers after two years

The Federal Government has reached an agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to permit Nigerian passport holders to obtain visas for travel to the UAE starting today, July 15, 2024.

The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, announced this on Monday during a briefing with State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

“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,” he said.

“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 added that Nigerians wishing to learn more about the updated visa conditions from the UAE can visit the country’s website.

This announcement comes more than two years after the UAE suspended visa issuance to Nigerians due to a prolonged diplomatic row with Africa’s most populous nation.

It also comes about two months after UAE national carrier Emirates Airlines announced the resumption of flights to Nigeria. In May, the airline stated that its daily Lagos-Dubai flights would resume from October 1, 2024.

Emirates Airlines had suspended its Dubai-Lagos flights in 2022 due to an inability to repatriate trapped funds in Nigeria amidst the diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

Nigeria and the UAE have a long history of flight restrictions based on unresolved issues surrounding the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA). Visa restrictions later emerged as diplomatic tensions continued between Nigeria and the UAE, which is a popular 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.