Dubai visa from Nigeria

A Nigerian passport is not on the visa-on-arrival list that Dubai publishes for many European and other passports. You arrange the visit visa before you fly, through an airline, a hotel, a licensed agent, or a resident sponsor.

The UAE government portal says passports must be valid for at least six months from entry, and that lists of who can get a visa on arrival change. It tells travellers who are not eligible to apply in advance. Dubai's own visit page says the same thing: if you are not eligible for visa on arrival, apply through an authorised agency, an approved airline, a hotel, or a resident relative through GDRFA. This page does not quote a single "UAE government fee in naira", because ICP and GDRFA do not publish one flat naira price for a Nigerian tourist. The naira price list we could read is the Emirates visa desk operated by VFS Global in Nigeria.

Fees on the Emirates / VFS page

These numbers are copied from visa.vfsglobal.com for UAE applications in Nigeria, read on 31 October 2026. The page says they include service charge and tax, that the visa fee is not refundable, and that a cancellation charge can still apply after approval. They are the price of that channel, not of every possible sponsor.

The 90-day single-entry line is cheaper on that page than the 30-day line, and it carries a different cancellation charge. Do not pick a row because it is the smallest. The category has to match the ticket. The page says the visa type follows the Emirates itinerary, and that the online upload option is only for people with a confirmed Emirates ticket.

What that desk asks for

Across the tourist categories, the same page asks for a completed form with a real UAE address and phone number, a colour photo on a white background, colour copies of the passport bio page and the cover, a passport valid at least six months, and a hotel booking whose dates match the ticket. It also says applicants aged 18 to 41, travelling alone or with family, must provide six months of bank statements with a balance of at least USD 10,000 each month, or USD 20,000 on a joint statement if the family travels together. Marriage and birth certificates are required for couples and children. Non-Nigerians living in Nigeria are asked for a CERPAC and a residence permit. If you already hold a tourist or residence visa for a third country and you plan to visit Dubai, the page says you must get the Dubai visa before you leave Nigeria for that third country.

The page gives a normal processing time of 5 to 6 working days from submission, excluding Saturday, Sunday and UAE holidays. It says Emirates will not sponsor an unaccompanied minor or a student, and that Dubai immigration will look at minors and students only if they travel with parents. Some categories mention a stay extension inside the UAE at AED 850 a time. That is an in-country fee, not part of the naira table.

A phone number printed on the same page for the national call centre is +234 08079890019 and +234 014536031. Use the centre the page names when you are ready to file. This guide does not invent a street address the page did not show in the text we read.

Other ways to apply

The UAE government portal lists ICP eChannels, the ICP app, GDRFA Dubai, and typing centres. A resident relative in Dubai can apply through GDRFA. A hotel or another airline may sponsor a different product with a different price. Ask them for their current fee in writing. Do not treat the VFS table as the price those sponsors will charge.

Emirates publishes a Lagos–Dubai flight time on its own site. That, and only that, is in the Lagos to Dubai guide. Buy the ticket the visa category actually matches. A 48-hour visa with a week-long hotel booking is the sort of mismatch the checklist is written to catch.

Last updated 31 October 2026.