AGS NEWS – The United Arab Emirates has refuted claims that it requires a $10,000 bank balance and a N640,000 fee for Nigerians applying for visas, reports The Cable.

On Monday, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated that UAE authorities had agreed to lift travel restrictions on Nigerians.

However, applicants would need to meet specific conditions, including obtaining a document verification number from documentverificationhub.ae.

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The website indicates that this verification process costs a non-refundable N640,000 plus VAT per application, not including the visa fee.

Applicants must present a six-month bank statement showing a minimum balance of $10,000.

These requirements were criticized by air travelers, who called them a “constructive ban.”

However, TheCable’s inquiries to the UAE’s Department of Economy and Tourism revealed that the DV hub website is not connected to the UAE government.

Instead, document verification should be directed to Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFAD).

GDRFAD clarified that the visa application process only requires a personal photo, a passport with at least six months validity, a tourist visa costing approximately 200-300 dirhams (N60,000 – 90,000), a travel ticket, and valid medical insurance for the UAE.

They denied knowledge of the $10,000 bank balance requirement, advising applicants to use GDRFAD for their visa applications.

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Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Eche Abu-Obe, promised further clarification from the ministry’s office in the Middle East.

The UAE had imposed a visa ban on Nigeria nearly two years ago due to diplomatic disputes, and Dubai’s Emirates Airline halted flights to Nigeria due to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s failure to remit $85 million in revenue to the UAE.

After several meetings, the Nigerian government assured in June that the visa ban would soon be lifted, announcing that it had paid 98 percent of the $850 million owed.