The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has once again imposed stricter visa requirements on Nigerian travellers, including a ban on transit visa applications, in a move that could significantly reduce the volume of Nigerians visiting Dubai for tourism or business.

Naijaonpoint learnt on Tuesday that the latest immigration directives were issued to travel agents by Dubai authorities, barely a year after the UAE lifted a two-year visa ban on Nigerian citizens.

According to the new guidelines, Nigerians aged between 18 and 45 will not be granted tourist visas unless they are accompanied by someone deemed acceptable under UAE regulations.

In a more sweeping change, the UAE has also suspended all applications for transit visas from Nigerian citizens, effectively eliminating the option of stopover travel via Dubai for Nigerians heading to other destinations.

Travel agents who spoke with Daily Trust said this development will drastically impact international travel routes and airline bookings for Nigerians using Dubai as a major connection hub.

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

“An applicant who is 45yrs or above must provide a Single Nigerian personal bank statement for a period of 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.”