•UK plans digital e-visas for work, study applicants
•China expands visa-free travel to 74 countries, leaves out Africa

The United Arab Emirates has imposed tougher entry conditions for Nigerian travellers and banned transit visa applications entirely, travel agents confirmed on Tuesday.

According to new directives from Dubai immigration, Nigerians aged 18 to 45 will no longer be eligible for tourist visas unless accompanied.
For those aged 45 and above, visa applicants must present a personal six-month bank statement showing a minimum monthly balance of $10,000 (or its naira equivalent).

Travel agents said the new policy was expected to drastically reduce travel from Nigeria to Dubai, a top destination for business and tourism.
This is coming just about a year after the UAE and Nigeria resolved a two-year visa ban placed on Nigerians by the UAE authorities.
But the lifting of the ban still came with several stringent conditions, which restricted the number of Nigerians travelling to the UAE.

However, travel agents told our correspondent that it would get worse in the coming days following the review of the visa process for Nigerians.
IN another development, the United Kingdom has announced plans to launch digital e-visas for most Nigerian nationals applying for study or work visas from July 15, 2025, a step in the UK’s transition to a fully digital immigration system.

According to a statement released yesterday under the new system, successful applicants will receive a secure online e-visa instead of a physical visa sticker in their passport. Applicants will still need to attend a Visa Application Centre to provide biometric information, but if a vignette is not required, they can retain their passport the same day.

The statement reads: “This change applies only to study and work visa applications submitted on or after July 15. Dependants (e.g. spouses or children) and visitor visa applicants will continue to receive a visa vignette for now.

“Successful applicants will be issued an e-visa, a secure, online record of their immigration status. This change marks a major step in the UK Government’s transition to a modern, digital immigration system.

Applicants who apply before July 15 will continue with the current process, including leaving their passports at the Visa Application Centre and receiving a vignette. Visit visa applications will continue to receive the visa vignette sticker for the time being.”

MEANWHILE,China has expanded visa-free travel to boost tourism revenue.Starting July 16, a total of 74 countries will be able to travel to China for 30 days without a visa.

China reopened its borders to international tourists in early 2023, but only 13,8 million people visited in 2023, less than half that of 2019, the last year before the shutdown.

“This year, we’re only halfway through, and we’ve already matched our total revenue of 2024. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, we’ve seen a roughly 50 per cent increase in terms of the number of travellers, the number of tour groups booked, and overall spending”, the Managing Director at the WildChina Tourism Bureau, Jenny Zhao, said.