The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has denied the $10,000 bank balance and N640,000 fee for Nigerians applying for visas, according to The Cable. This comes after Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced that the UAE has agreed to lift travel restrictions on Nigerians.
Idris said applicants will need to get a document verification number on documentverificationhub.ae for N640,000 (excluding VAT) per application and a 6 months bank statement with a minimum of $10,000.
But The Cable reached out to the UAE’s Department of Economy and Tourism and found out that the DV hub website is not a government website. The department said document verification inquiries should be directed to Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFAD).
GDRFAD said the visa application process only requires a personal photo and a passport with at least 6 months validity. A tourist visa costs 200-300 dirhams (N60,000 – 90,000) depending on the duration of stay. As well as a travel ticket and valid medical insurance for the UAE.
When asked about the $10,000 bank balance requirement, GDRFAD replied, “We are not aware of such requirements. Apply through GDRFAD.”
Eche Abu-Obe, spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said further clarification would be sought from the ministry’s office in the Middle East.
UAE had imposed a visa ban on Nigeria almost 2 years ago due to various diplomatic disputes. Dubai’s Emirates Airline also stopped flights to Nigeria because the Central Bank of Nigeria couldn’t remit $85 million to the UAE.
In June, after several meetings with the UAE government, Nigeria said the visa ban would be lifted and 98% of $850m paid.
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