The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has denied approving $10k bank balance, and N640k fee requirements for Nigerians applying for visas into the country, reports The Cable.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced on Monday, that the UAE authorities agreed to vacate travel restrictions imposed on Nigerians.
Idris further revealed that applicants must fulfill certain conditions part of which was obtaining a document verification number on documentverificationhub.ae.
According to the website, the verification costs a non-refundable N640,000 excluding VAT for each application. This does not include the visa fee.
Additionally, applicants must provide a six-month bank statement showing a minimum balance of $10,000.
This development was condemned by air travellers who labelled the requirements as a “constructive ban,”.
However, inquiries by TheCable to the UAE’s Department of Economy and Tourism revealed that the DV hub website is not affiliated with the UAE government.
The department noted that document verification inquiries should be directed to Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFAD).
The GDRFAD meanwhile revealed that the visa application process requires a personal photo and a passport with at least six months validity. A tourist visa costs approximately 200-300 dirhams (N60,000 – 90,000), depending on the length of stay.
Applicants also need a travel ticket and valid medical insurance for the UAE.
When asked about the $10,000 bank balance requirement, GDRFAD responded, “We are not aware of such requirements. Make your visa applications through the GDRFAD.”
The spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Eche Abu-Obe, assured that further clarification on the matter would be sought from the ministry’s office in the Middle East.
It would be recalled that the UAE had imposed a visa ban on Nigeria barely two years ago due to various diplomatic disputes.
Additionally, Dubai’s Emirates Airline halted flights to Nigeria because the Central Bank of Nigeria couldn’t remit an estimated $85 million in revenue to the UAE.
In June, following several meetings with the UAE government, 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 $850 million.
