The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has imposed restrictions on visa issuance to nationals from 20 African nations, including Ghana, Nigeria, and Sudan, who intend to visit Dubai.
This move comes in response to instances of visitors from these countries overstaying their visas and engaging in unauthorized employment within the UAE.
It is pertinent to mention here that Nigeria had already witnessed a change in its citizens’ ability to obtain tourist visas for the UAE a month ago. Specifically, individuals below 40 years old were no longer eligible for tourist visas unless they were reuniting with their families residing in the UAE.
The list of the 20 African countries whose nationals are affected by this travel ban to Dubai includes:
- Ghana
- Sierra Leone
- Sudan
- Cameroon
- Nigeria
- Liberia
- Burundi
- Republic of Guinea
- Gambia
- Togo
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Senegal
- Benin
- Ivory Coast
- Congo
- Rwanda
- Burkina Faso
- Guinea Bissau
- Comoros
- Uganda
This isn’t the first instance of African nations facing travel restrictions to Dubai. On December 29, 2021, Emirates, a prominent Dubai-based airline, temporarily prohibited passengers from eight African countries from traveling to or transiting through Dubai due to concerns regarding the Omicron variant of COVID-19. This list encompassed nations like Ghana, Uganda, and Kenya.
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It remains evident that the UAE’s recent visa restrictions underscore a broader effort to address issues related to visa overstays and unauthorized employment, which have prompted these measures.
