Government has not received any communication from UAE announcing visa ban on Ghanaians – Ministry

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration says it has not received any communication from the authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announcing visa ban on Ghanaians seeking to travel to the UAE.

A statement issued by the Foreign Ministry and copied to the Ghana News Agency urged Ghanaians to disregard a news publication circulating that the UAE had announced a visa ban on Ghana.

It said the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been drawn to news circulating on various media platforms indicating that authorities in the UAE had announced a visa ban on Ghana and 20 other nationalities seeking to travel to the UAE with immediate effect.

According to the publication, the countries affected by the visa ban include Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cameroon, Nigeria, Liberia, Burundi, Republic of Guinea, the Gambia, Togo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Benin, Ivory Coast, Congo, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Comoros, and the Dominican Republic.

The statement indicated that the said publication assigned no reason for the ban, but social media sources have alleged that it was aimed at keeping away visitors from African countries who usually overstay their visit visas in the UAE.

The statement assured the public that it had received no such communication from the authorities in the UAE and as such, the story should be disregarded.

It noted that information available to the Ministry indicated that the UAE had reviewed the requirements for its tourist and visit visas.

The revision of visa regimes and requirements includes: The 30-day single entry visas had been put on hold; a 60-day multiple visa entry regime was currently in force; and Travellers to the UAE should secure a round-trip ticket and a hotel booking prior to the visa application.

It said while assuring the public to remain calm, the Ministry wished to advise travelling Ghanaians to observe the new visa requirements put in place by the UAE.

Source: GNA