NIGERIANS unhindered travel to Dubai for regular holidays and parties may be under threat after the emirate introduced several restrictions starting off with banning women under the age of 40 from visiting alone.

Dubai is one of the favourite holiday destinations for Nigerians mainly because it does not require any visa and travellers do not suffer from jetlag. Given the nice warm weather that is similar to that of Nigeria and the fact that trips can be hastily arranged without any delays, Nigerians not only go there to holiday but also to hold parties.

However, given the popularity of the emirate among Nigerians, the authorities have decided to clampdown by introducing new measures to limit the number of visitors. Under the new regime, all single and unmarried Nigerians who are less than 40 years old have been banned from visiting the country except they are accompanied by someone who is above 40 and bears the same surname with them.

Single ladies and men travelling alone must be 40 years old and above, as must married women travelling with children. Also, all visa applications must be subject to approval and once a form is submitted, full charges are applicable.

For Moroccans, Algerians, Libyans, Mauritanians and Tunisians, the minimum age requirement to apply for a visa is also is 40. However, for other nationalities, the minimum age requirement to apply for a visa is 21 for men and 23 for women.