How to Apply for Dubai Visa in Nigeria: Fees, Rules (2026)
Nigerian passports get no UAE visa on arrival. Emirates charges $90 for a 30-day tourist visa and takes applications through VFS Global in Lagos and Abuja.
A Dubai visa is a UAE visa, and a tourist one is never applied for at an embassy. The UAE government’s portal, u.ae, says on its tourist visa page that its embassies do not issue them. Someone based in the UAE has to apply to the immigration authorities for you: the airline you are flying with, a hotel, a licensed travel agency or a relative who lives there. For travellers starting from Nigeria, the route that is published in full is the one through Emirates.
The rules for Nigerians have changed several times in recent years, and a lot of what is repeated online cannot be traced to any official page. So this article starts with what the official sources say now, and what they leave unsaid.
Where Nigerian passport holders stand
We read the UAE government portal (u.ae), the federal immigration authority (ICP), Dubai’s immigration directorate (GDRFA), Emirates’ visa pages for Nigeria and the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ press releases. This is what they establish.
- Applications from Nigerians are being taken. Emirates’ Nigerian website takes UAE visa applications through VFS Global centres in Lagos and Abuja. Its visa requirements tool, which uses data from the International Air Transport Association, says a Nigerian passport holder must have a visa issued by the UAE before travelling. It lists no ban, age limit or transit restriction specific to Nigerians.
- There is no visa on arrival. Nigeria is on none of Emirates’ lists of nationalities that get a visa at the airport. That includes the scheme for people who hold a residence permit from the UK, the US, an EU state and a few other countries: Emirates lists it for citizens of India, Indonesia, Kenya, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand and Vietnam only.
- The UAE authorities publish no rule aimed at Nigerians. The conditions on u.ae and on ICP’s and GDRFA’s pages are the general ones for every nationality that needs a visa.
- VFS publishes one extra requirement for applications made in Nigeria. Its page for the Dubai Visa Processing Centre says applicants aged 18 to 41 must provide six months of bank statements showing a balance of at least $10,000, or the equivalent, in every month. A family travelling together can use a joint statement with at least $20,000 each month.
- Nigeria’s government says things have improved, without detail. In press release MFA/PR/2026/210, issued after the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs met the UAE ambassador in Abuja, the Ministry said the meeting “welcomed progress in resolving previous visa-related challenges”. It does not say what changed.
What we could not confirm
- Press reports that tourists aged 18 to 45 cannot apply alone and that transit visas for Nigerians have been stopped. None of the official pages we read says either, and Emirates’ Nigerian page lists 48-hour and 96-hour transit visas.
- Press reports that the UAE has stopped refusing visas to Nigerians. No official page says so, and Emirates’ terms state that entry is subject to immigration approval.
- Whether VFS’s $10,000 rule reads the same today. VFS’s site blocks automated reading, so we used the copy the Internet Archive saved in October 2025. Check VFS’s page or ask at the centre before you rely on it.
Visa types, validity and fees
These are the pre-arranged visas and prices on Emirates’ Nigerian website. The prices include VAT.
| Visa | Use it within | Stay allowed | Emirates’ price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transit, 48 hours | 30 days of issue | 48 hours from arrival | $10 |
| Transit, 96 hours | 30 days of issue | 96 hours from arrival | $49 |
| Tourist, single entry, 30 days | 60 days of issue | 30 days from arrival | $90 |
| Tourist, multiple entry, 30 days | 60 days of issue | 30 days from first entry | $136 |
| Tourist, single entry, 60 days | 60 days of issue | 60 days from arrival | $177 |
| Tourist, multiple entry, 60 days | 60 days of issue | 60 days from first entry | $231 |
The transit visas cannot be extended. The tourist visas can, for $230, at Emirates’ office in Dubai airport only. Emirates says fees are not refunded once an application has been submitted and processed, and that VFS’s processing fee applies on top when you apply online.
In Nigeria the fee is paid to VFS in naira, with its service charge and tax added. The naira price moves with the exchange rate, so take it from VFS’s page for the UAE on the day you apply.
The government’s own fees are lower, because they leave out whatever the sponsor charges for its service. GDRFA’s service cards for visas issued in Dubai list:
| Visa | Who applies | Government fee | Deposit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist, single entry, 30 or 60 days | An accredited tourism company | AED 200 or AED 300, plus 5% VAT | None |
| Tourist, multiple entry, 30 or 60 days | An accredited tourism company | AED 300 or AED 500, plus 5% VAT | None |
| Visit to a relative or friend, single entry, 30, 60 or 90 days | The visitor, with proof of the relative or friend in the UAE | AED 200, AED 300 or AED 400, plus 5% VAT and AED 40 to AED 90 for insurance | AED 1,000, plus AED 60 in deposit fees |
| Tourist, multiple entry, five years | You | AED 713.50 in fees | AED 3,000 guarantee |
GDRFA puts the five-year visa’s total at AED 3,713 and says the guarantee is forfeited if the visa’s terms are broken. Every card carries a note that the total may vary with the applicant’s circumstances. For visas issued by the other emirates, ICP’s card lists an application fee of AED 100, an issuance fee of AED 100 for each month of a single-entry visit visa (AED 200 for multiple entry) and a smart service fee of AED 100, with a financial guarantee of AED 1,000 or AED 2,000 in the cases where one is required.
Who can sponsor the visa
- A UAE airline you are flying with. u.ae names Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia. Each sets its own conditions, and flying with that airline is one of them.
- A hotel or licensed travel agency in the UAE. GDRFA says only accredited tourism offices can issue the ordinary tourist visa. u.ae says to check that an agent is genuine before you pay or send copies of your documents, and that the UAE embassy can help you verify one.
- A relative or friend who lives in the UAE. ICP sets a minimum monthly salary for the resident: AED 4,000 to sponsor a parent, spouse or child, AED 8,000 for other relatives and AED 15,000 for a friend, with proof of the relationship. Emirates, which takes these applications at its ticket offices in the UAE, uses its own scale from AED 4,000 to AED 10,000.
- Yourself, for the five-year visa. u.ae says the multiple-entry five-year tourist visa needs no sponsor and can be issued to all nationalities. It asks for a bank balance of $4,000 or the equivalent over the last six months, health insurance valid in the UAE and a ticket out, and it allows 90 days on each visit.
Documents
Emirates lists these for a pre-arranged visa:
- a colour photograph on a plain, light background;
- a colour copy of your passport, which must be valid for at least six months, and of its outside cover;
- a confirmed hotel reservation for the whole stay, or the tenancy contract of the parent, brother or sister you are staying with;
- your return Emirates ticket, with dates that match the hotel booking;
- proof of relationship, such as a birth or marriage certificate, when applying for a family member.
VFS’s page for Nigeria adds a completed application form that gives an address, phone number and email for your stay in the UAE, the bank statements described above for applicants aged 18 to 41, a marriage certificate for couples and birth certificates for children. It says Emirates does not sponsor unaccompanied minors or students, and that a transit visa needs a valid visa for the country you are travelling on to.
The government conditions on GDRFA’s and ICP’s cards are short: a passport valid for at least six months, a ticket out of the UAE and medical insurance that is valid there. Emirates and VFS both say the UAE authorities may ask for more.
How to apply from Nigeria
- Book a return Emirates flight in and out of Dubai on one ticket. Emirates sponsors visas only for its own passengers, and the ticket has to be issued before you can apply.
- Apply through “Manage your booking” on Emirates’ website, or take the application to VFS’s Dubai Visa Processing Centre. Emirates lists two: Purple Lekki, 2 Purple Way, Freedom Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, and the 3rd floor of Sterling Bank Plaza, Plot 1083, Mohammadu Buhari Way, Central Business District, Abuja. Both take visa applications from 9am to 3pm, Monday to Friday.
- Pay the visa fee and VFS’s charge.
- Wait for the decision. An approved visa is issued electronically, and Emirates says the passport does not have to be submitted for stamping.
- Print the visa. Emirates says Dubai immigration runs random eye screening on arrival, and a visitor sent there without a printed copy pays AED 30 for one.
The order matters for your money: the ticket comes before the visa. Emirates’ visa page does not say what happens to the fare if the visa is refused, so read the ticket’s refund rules before you pay for it.
A relative or friend who lives in the UAE can start the application instead, on GDRFA’s website for Dubai or ICP’s for the other emirates. A hotel or agency in the UAE applies through the same two systems.
How long it takes
| Source | Time stated |
|---|---|
| GDRFA, tourist and visit visas | 48 hours expected, once the sponsor has applied |
| Emirates, online application | Apply at least four international working days before you arrive |
| Emirates, ticket offices in the UAE | About 2 to 4 working days |
| VFS, applications made in Nigeria | 5 to 6 working days from submission, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and UAE holidays |
If you are applying in Lagos or Abuja, VFS’s figure is the one that fits your case. It is from the same archived copy of its page as the naira prices.
Avoiding fraud
The UAE government has a page of tips on visa and job fraud, and its other pages add to it:
- UAE embassies do not issue tourist visas. u.ae says tourist entry permits are issued through UAE-based airlines, licensed hotels and licensed travel agencies.
- You can check that a visa is real. One issued in Dubai is verified on GDRFA’s website, and one issued in any other emirate on ICP’s eChannels platform.
- A visit or tourist visa gives no right to work. u.ae says working on one brings fines and legal liability, that a real job offer comes as an offer letter issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, and that the employer pays the recruitment costs.
- The government fees are published on GDRFA’s and ICP’s service cards, so you can see how much of a quoted price is the sponsor’s own charge.
- None of the official pages offers a guaranteed visa. Emirates says entry is subject to immigration approval, and VFS says the fee is not refunded under any circumstances once paid.
If you are comparing destinations, we have set out the UK visitor visa and the Canadian visitor visa in the same way.
Quick answers
Is a Dubai visa free or on arrival for Nigerians?
No. Emirates’ visa requirements tool says a Nigerian passport holder must have a visa issued by the UAE before travelling, and Nigeria is not on its visa-on-arrival lists.
How much is a Dubai visa from Nigeria?
Emirates prices a 30-day single-entry tourist visa at $90 and a 60-day one at $177, with VFS’s charge on top. GDRFA’s own fee for a single-entry tourist visa is AED 200 or AED 300 plus 5% VAT.
Can a Nigerian living in the UK get a UAE visa on arrival?
Not under the scheme for residents of the UK, the US and the EU. Emirates lists it for citizens of India, Indonesia, Kenya, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand and Vietnam, and Nigeria is not among them.
How long does a Dubai visa take from Nigeria?
VFS’s page for Nigeria gave 5 to 6 working days from submission. Emirates asks for at least four international working days before arrival when you apply online.
Can I work in Dubai on a tourist visa?
No. The UAE government’s portal says a visit or tourist visa does not give the right to work, and that doing so leads to fines and legal liability.
