UAE Debunks Report Of Visa Fee Hike For Nigerians

Nigerians were thrown into a state of confusion on Tuesday when some national dailies reported that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had imposed stringent restrictions on Nigerians who wish to procure visas to the country, with a hike as high as a non-refundable N640, 000 fee.

This was coming after the announcement on Monday by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris that the UAE has lifted the over two-year visa ban on Nigerians with a momentary sigh of relief.

The relief was however, followed by anxiety over the reported visa hike including another $10,000 account balance requirement for prospective travellers to UAE.

According to these reports, Nigerians would need to secure a Document Verification Number (DVN) at a substantial cost of N640, 000, not including the visa fee, and maintain a six-month bank statement with a minimum balance of $10,000.

This is even as these conditions do not guarantee that the visa will be issued after the payment.

Many Nigerians took to the social media and reacted in anger, charging the Nigerian government to intervene in the matter with some describing the measure as “visa ban using another way”.

Many expressed their displeasure over what they regard as an ‘affront’ in the country.

However, the UAE on Wednesday dispelled the reports as lacking authenticity and informed Nigerians through UAE’s Department of Economy and Tourism, according to a Nigerian newswire report that the DV hub website, which purportedly listed these requirements, is not affiliated with the UAE government.

The UAE officials explained that “the standard requirements for a UAE tourist visa include a personal photo, a valid passport with at least six months remaining, a travel ticket, and valid medical insurance within the UAE.

“The cost of a tourist visa typically ranges from 200 to 300 dirhams (approximately N60, 000 to N90,000), depending on the duration of stay.”

According to the newswire, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFAD) in Dubai also confirmed that they were unaware of any such bank balance requirements.

Applicants were therefore warned against applying for visa through inauthentic channels but always do so through official channels to avoid misleading information.

Efforts made on Wednesday to reach the UAE ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, on the vexed issue did not yield many results as he responded by saying, “I am not interested”.

LEADERSHIP also tried to reach the spokesman of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Abu Obe to no avail, as he did not pick his calls and also did not respond to a message sent to him.

The UAE had imposed a visa ban on Nigeria about two years ago following a diplomatic spat.

The situation quickly degenerated to disagreements in the aviation sector when Dubai’s Emirates Airline stopped flights to Nigeria because the Central Bank of Nigeria allegedly did not remit an estimated $85 million in revenue to the UAE.

There was also the case of the UAE reducing the flight frequencies of Nigerian Air Peace to UAE and Nigeria also taking a retaliatory action by reducing flight frequencies of Emirate airlines into Nigeria as both countries plunged into an uncertain future in their diplomatic ties.

Before the visa ban, Dubai, a bustling city in the UAE has been the choice destination for Nigerian tourists, businessmen and property investors.

The development has also triggered the desire for Nigerians to compare visa application fees for other countries that are frequently visited by Nigerians such as the United States of America (US), The United Kingdom (UK), Germany, Canada, and People’s Republic of China among others.

United States

According to the official US embassy website in Nigeria, prospective travellers’ visa applicants, including children, are required to pay a non-refundable, non-transferable visa application fee, and sometimes referred to as the MRV fee, before applying for a nonimmigrant visa.

The visa application fee must be paid whether a visa is issued or not. The type of visa for which one applies determines the fee amount.

Current Consular Exchange Rate: 1500 NGN = 1 USD and for a Business/Tourist visa the cost is $185 (277,500.00 NGN000) Non-refundable. There are other types that go for $205 and $315 (472500.00 NGN) Non-refundable

UAE

Before the visa ban, Nigerians paid an average of $100 (N155, 500) to procure a visa to travel to the UAE, but with the current confusion over alleged hike in visa fee, it is yet to be certain what the real fee could be. Perhaps more clarification is needed from the UAE mission in Nigeria.

United Kingdom

Prospective visa applicants from Nigeria who desire to travel to the UK must pay visa fees ranging from an average of 115 Pounds Sterling (N241, 489.15) to 200 Pounds and above, depending on the type of visa.

Canada

The visitor’s visa costs 100 $CAN (N117, 901.89) per person. According to the website, a super visa lets parents and grandparents of Canadian residents visit for up to 2 years initially and 6 months afterward.

If the person plans to work while visiting, the person must pay for the work permissions fees of 155 $CAN.

Germany

German government from its website disclosed that visa applicants are required to pay an average of 90 Euros (N158, 804.58) in the current exchange rate in Nigeria.