UAE Imposes Strict Visa Rules For Nigerians, Bans Transit Visa Applications

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has introduced new, tougher visa requirements for Nigerian travelers, including a complete ban to transit visa applications.

This was confirmed by several travel agents on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, following fresh directives from Dubai immigration authorities.

According to the new policy, Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 45 are no longer allowed to apply for tourist visas if they plan to travel alone. They must be accompanied to qualify.

For those aged 45 and above, the rules now require a personal bank statement covering the last six months. The account must show a minimum balance of $10,000 (or the equivalent in naira) at the end of each month.

Travel agents said the changes are likely to cut down the number of Nigerian visitors to Dubai, which has long been a popular destination for tourism and business.

“For Nigerian nationals, please bear in mind that an applicant aged 18 to 45 years travelling alone is not eligible for the TOURIST VISA CATEGORY.

“An applicant who is 45 years or above must provide a Single Nigerian personal bank statement for a period of the last six months, with each month’s end balance reflecting a minimum ending balance of USD 10,000 or its naira equivalent.

“Kindly note that the above points must be taken into consideration before sending your applications with other existing documents such as hotel reservation, data page, etc,” the notification reads.

KanyiDaily recalls that the United States also announced a major change to how it issues visas to Nigerian citizens.