After a halt of nearly two years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) lifted visa requirements for Nigerian passport holders wishing to travel to the Middle Eastern country.
Under the new decision, starting July 15 of the current year, Nigerian passport holders can obtain visas for travel to the UAE, VisaGuide.World reports.
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 Nigerian passport holders to resume travel to the UAE.
The UAE government further confirmed that Nigerian passport holders can now visit the UAE, but they must first obtain a Document Verification Number (DVN) before applying for their visa.
As the UAE Document Verification Hub explains, this new regulation ensures that all necessary documents are digitally verified and authenticated before visa issuance. On the other hand, individuals under the age of 13 are exempt from requiring a DVN for their visa applications.
Steps for Nigerian Passport Holders to Obtain a DVN & Apply for a UAE Visa
Apply for the Document Verification Number (DVN):
- Visit Document Verification Hub
- Complete the online application form accurately to start the DVN process.
Upload Necessary Documents:
- Provide identification documents, travel history, and any other required paperwork for verification.
Receive Your DVN:
- After submitting the documents, the UAE government will review them. If approved, you will receive your DVN within five business days.
- Apply for a UAE Visa:
- Use the obtained DVN to proceed with your UAE visa application.
UAE Recently Expressed Its Willingness to Lift Visa Ban on Nigerian Citizens
In May, Emirates resumed flights to Nigeria by operating a daily service between Lagos and Dubai from October, ending a two-year flight halt.
Following several meetings with the UAE government last month, the Federal Government assured Nigerians that the visa ban would soon be lifted. During the same month, the Nigerian government announced that it had paid 98 percent of $850m.
In this regard, the Federal Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said that although President Tinubu and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had agreed to lift the ban during Tinubu’s September 2023 visit, additional processes were required before implementation.
However, the UAE stopped issuing visas to Nigerians in 2022 after Dubai’s Emirates airline suspended flights to the African nation due to delayed repatriation of funds from ticket sales.
Moreover, the Central Bank of Nigeria has cleared a backlog of $137 million in foreign exchange owed to international airlines by January 2024.