The United Arab Emirates (UAE) immigration authorities have announced a ban on Nigerian visa applications.
The Dubai authorities informed its trade partners in Nigeria, including travel agents, on Friday that “all Dubai applications submitted are now rejected.”
The government then stated that rejection notices would be sent to applicants in batches.
It stated that the rejections “are general for Nigerians and Approvals are currently on hold.”
The UAE government stated that the suspension would remain in effect until issues between the UAE and the Nigerian government were resolved.
“Kindly advise your clients to resubmit applications when the issue between both governments is resolved,” the notice states.
The change comes more than a month after the nation stopped issuing tourist visas to people under the age of 40, affecting Nigerians as well as people from other countries.
In a statement on the subject, the federal government stated that Nigerians must respect the immigration laws of other countries in order to avoid “unwarranted treatment.”
“The general public is invited to note and be guided that the UAE Government has introduced a new visa regime and has stopped issuing tourist visas to persons under the age of 40 years, except for those applying for family visas,” the ministry of foreign affairs stated.
“It is thus instructive for prospective visa applicants to clearly indicate their visa preferences without any ambiguity, as well as respect the immigration laws of other countries to avoid unwarranted treatment.”
Nigeria and the UAE fought several diplomatic battles in aviation for several months in 2021.
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