At a glance
Nigerians need a UAE visa before they fly. There is no visa on arrival and no visa-free route for Nigerian passports. Applications go through a UAE-based sponsor: a licensed tourism company, a hotel, an airline visa service, or a relative who lives in the UAE.
Nigerian applicants also face extra conditions that most other nationalities don't. The UAE suspended visas for Nigerians in October 2022. It lifted the ban in July 2024, and new screening conditions followed in 2025.
The conditions for Nigerian applicants (as reported)
- Solo travellers aged 18–45. From July 2025, agents were told that single applicants in this age group are not eligible for the tourist visa category. The exceptions are travel with a UAE sponsor or exceptional justification (Daily Trust, July 2025; reiterated November 2025).
- Applicants aged 45 and over. You need a personal Nigerian bank statement for the last six months. Each month-end balance must be at least US$10,000 or its naira equivalent.
- No transit visas. 96-hour transit visa applications for Nigerians have been suspended.
- Verification before applying. When the 2024 ban was lifted, Nigerian applicants were required to complete a digital verification of identity and travel history before a visa application could be submitted. Children aged 13 and under were exempt.
Visa types and stay
Dubai's immigration authority, the GDRFA, issues single-entry tourist visas for 30 or 60 days. These are requested through accredited tourism offices. The official GDRFA service lists:
- Government fee: AED 200 (30 days) or AED 300 (60 days), plus 5% VAT.
- Documents: a passport copy and one photo.
- Passport validity: at least six months.
- Processing time: about 48 hours after submission.
Sponsors, agencies and airline visa centres add their own service charges, so what you pay in naira will be higher. Airline-linked visa centres in Nigeria also offer multiple-entry and longer-stay options. They quote processing times of about 5–6 working days, and their fees are non-refundable.
Documents checklist
- Passport valid for 6+ months from your travel date.
- Colour scan of the bio page.
- Recent photo on a white background.
- Confirmed return ticket.
- Hotel booking, or your host's residence details.
- Six months of personal bank statements.
- Employment letter or business documents, to support why you'll return home.
How to apply safely
- Choose your sponsor. Your hotel, an established tour operator, a UAE-resident relative, or your airline's visa service if you've booked with Emirates.
- Ask the sponsor to confirm the current Nigeria-specific conditions in writing before you pay.
- Submit documents through the sponsor's portal or visa centre only. The GDRFA and ICP don't take tourist-visa applications at the airport.
- Wait for the e-visa before booking anything non-refundable.
- Print the e-visa and carry it with your return ticket and hotel confirmation.
At the border
A visa doesn't guarantee entry. Immigration officers can ask about your plans, funds and accommodation. Travel with printed copies and answer consistently. Overstaying leads to fines and can affect future applications.
Plan the rest of the trip
Read our UAE destination guide for money, data, transport and local laws.