- Several countries have implemented partial bans, visa suspensions, or stricter screening policies targeting Nigerian passport holders
- The US, UAE, and Seychelles are among the nations that have placed restrictions on specific visa categories for Nigerian nationals
- Nigeria's National Assembly also entered the picture by imposing a reciprocal ban on official visits to South Africa
At least four countries and territories have either suspended, restricted, or significantly tightened visa access for Nigerian passport holders.
Those restrictions have affected travel for tourism, study, and official purposes.
Source: Getty Images
The United States has put in place a partial visa suspension and entry restriction on Nigerian nationals under recent administrative proclamations.
The measures target specific nonimmigrant visa categories, including B-1/B-2 visitor visas and F, M, and J student and exchange visas, as well as certain immigrant visa categories.
The United Arab Emirates has enforced a broad restriction on tourist and visit visa applications from Nigerian nationals, along with several other African countries.
The suspension blocks Nigerians from obtaining tourist and visit visas through the standard process.
Seychelles has gone further by halting entry for Nigerian passport holders travelling for holiday and tourism purposes. Under current immigration rules, Nigerian nationals cannot gain entry to the island nation for tourism.
Nigeria's reciprocal action against South Africa
The Nigerian National Assembly responded to a separate dispute with South Africa by imposing a ban on all official visits and online engagements by Nigerian officials to that country. The move was framed as a reciprocal measure rather than a travel restriction on ordinary citizens.
High rejection rates in other countries
Beyond outright bans, several other countries apply strict visa screening processes for Nigerian applicants. Rejection rates in some of these jurisdictions approach nearly 50%, driven by concerns around documentation and overstay records.
These countries have not announced blanket bans but use tightened vetting procedures that make visa approval considerably harder for Nigerian passport holders.
US ends routine passport stamps for travellers
Legit.ng earlier reported that the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced it will no longer routinely stamp passports during primary screening, the first checkpoint travellers pass through when entering the United States.
Source: Legit.ng
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