Dubai visa for Nigerians: UAE tourist visa and fees

Nigerian passport holders need a UAE visa arranged before they fly to Dubai. There is no visa on arrival for Nigerians. You also cannot get a UAE tourist visa from the UAE embassy in Abuja or the consulate in Lagos. The visa is applied for on your behalf, inside the UAE, by an airline, a licensed travel agent, a hotel, or through the UAE’s own immigration authorities.

In Dubai, the official fee for a 30-day tourist visa is AED 200, plus 5% VAT. Anything above that is what the agent or airline charges for arranging it.

Everything below was read on official UAE and Nigerian government pages on 18 October 2026.

Can Nigerians get a UAE visa now?

The UAE imposed what Nigeria’s State House called a “blanket visa ban” on Nigerians. On 14 February 2023 the State House reported that the President had asked the UAE to “review the blanket visa ban imposed on Nigerians intending to travel to the UAE” (statehouse.gov.ng).

We could not find an official UAE or Nigerian government page, on 18 October 2026, that announces when or how the ban ended. What the official UAE pages say today is this:

• The UAE government portal does not list Nigeria among any restricted nationalities. It says a tourist visa “is for those who are not eligible for visa on arrival or a visa-free entry to the UAE.”
• The Dubai GDRFA’s tourist visa page names no excluded nationalities. It asks only Iraqi, Pakistani, Iranian and Afghan applicants for an extra identity card (gdrfad.gov.ae).
• The UAE embassy in Abuja’s visa page gives no application details. It lists a 24-hour enquiry line, +971 800 44444, and the email Abuja@mofaic.gov.ae (mofa.gov.ae).

Rules for particular nationalities can change without a public notice. Before you pay anyone, ask the airline or agent to confirm in writing that they can currently get a visa issued for a Nigerian passport. If in doubt, contact the UAE embassy in Abuja.

Who issues the visa

The UAE government’s portal says:

You can apply for a tourist visa online through the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security or the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai. You can also apply through airlines, licensed travel agents, or hotels.

(u.ae)

It also says that “The UAE’s embassies do not issue tourist visas.”

The routes are:

• Your airline. “Each airline has some conditions, which must be met in order for your visa to be arranged by them.” “One of the conditions is flying with them.”
• A licensed travel agent or hotel in the UAE, “provided you purchase the ticket through them and maintain hotel reservation with the specific hotel.”
• The federal authority (ICP), for any emirate, or the GDRFA for Dubai.

For Dubai, the GDRFA says the sponsor of a tourist visa is a tourism establishment. Only accredited tourism offices in the emirate can issue it.

Visa types: 30 and 60 days

The Dubai GDRFA describes its tourist visa as “an entry visa for a single visit for the purpose of tourism for a period of 30 or 60 days.”

Visa	Stay	Official fee in Dubai
Single-entry tourist visa	30 days	AED 200 + 5% VAT
Single-entry tourist visa	60 days	AED 300 + 5% VAT

The GDRFA page says “There is no security deposit amount on this type of visa.” It gives a processing time of 48 hours. That is the government’s time once an application is in, not a promise from the agent or airline.

The federal authority, ICP, issues visit visas for every emirate. Its fees depend on the category of visa and are listed on its issuance of a visa page. ICP gives a completion time of two days.

There is also a multiple-entry 5-year tourist visa. The UAE portal says it allows stays of “90 days on each visit” and that “This type of tourist visa can be issued for all nationalities.” The portal does not state its fee.

Airlines, agents and hotels add their own charges on top of the government fees.

No visa on arrival for Nigerians

The UAE gives visas on arrival to some nationalities. Nigeria is not named on the UAE portal’s visa page. In June 2026, ICP widened its entry visa for travellers who hold a US, UK or EU visa or residence permit. It covers India, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Thailand, the Philippines, Kenya and South Africa. Nigeria is not on that list (icp.gov.ae).

So a US or UK visa in your Nigerian passport does not get you a UAE visa at the airport. If you arrive without a visa, the airline will refuse to board you.

Documents

The Dubai GDRFA lists, for its tourist visa:

• a passport valid for at least six months;
• one personal photo and a copy of the passport;
• a ticket to continue your journey or to leave the UAE;
• medical insurance valid in the UAE.

The UAE portal says the same about the passport: “Passports must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry into the UAE.” See our passport validity rules.

Agents and airlines may ask for more, such as a hotel booking or bank statements. The official pages read for this guide do not list those.

Avoiding fake agents

The UAE government says:

• “If your visa/entry permit was issued in Dubai, you can verify its validity on the website of GDRFA.”
• “Visit or tourist entry permit/visa does not give you right to work in the UAE.”
• Check that a company really exists by searching its name in the UAE’s National Economic Register.

(u.ae)

Anyone offering you a job on a tourist visa is offering something illegal. Be wary of anyone who says they can get round a nationality restriction, or who wants full payment before showing you a licence. Never send your passport data page to an agent you have not checked. Our guide to fake visa websites covers more warning signs.

Checklist

• Arrange the visa before you fly, through your airline, a licensed agent or hotel, or the UAE authorities. There is no visa on arrival for Nigerians.
• Get written confirmation that the arranger can currently get a visa issued for a Nigerian passport before you pay.
• Expect the government fee in Dubai to be AED 200 (30 days) or AED 300 (60 days), plus 5% VAT; the arranger may add a charge.
• Have 6 months’ passport validity, an onward ticket and travel medical insurance.
• Check the agent is genuine before sending documents; verify a Dubai visa on the GDRFA site.
• See UAE visa rules for Nigerian passports and who needs a visa for the UAE, and check every figure on the official page before you pay.