Nigerian men traveling alone will no longer be able to obtain tourist or transit visas to Qatar, following fresh restrictions introduced by the country’s Ministry of Interior.
The new policy, which quietly took effect on September 5, 2025, is said to be aimed at curbing overstays but has triggered outrage among travel agencies and industry observers, who warn it could disrupt business, family connections, and wider Nigeria-Qatar relations.
Under the revised rules, only women and families are eligible to apply for tourist or transit visas. Men traveling independently are barred — unless accompanied by their families. In addition, applicants must book confirmed return transfers and secure accommodation exclusively in five-star hotels before visa requests can be processed.
For many Nigerians, particularly male business executives, students, and travelers who rely on Doha as a transit hub to Asia and Europe, the development represents a major setback.
“This is going to affect a lot of Nigerians who fly Qatar Airways to Asia or Europe. For men, it is practically a travel ban if they are not going with their family,” a travel source told Vanguard.
The restrictions, which apply to both new and pending applications, have effectively cut off independent travel for Nigerian men, significantly raising costs and limiting opportunities.
Qatari authorities insist the policy is targeted at reducing overstays, but in Nigeria, concerns are mounting that it could strain bilateral ties and severely restrict people-to-people exchanges.
This is not the first time Qatar’s visa policies have been a source of friction. In 2019, then Senate President Bukola Saraki appealed to the Gulf nation to ease entry barriers for Nigerians, while in 2023, former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika made a similar call for fairness.
However, the latest rules appear to be the toughest yet — especially for Nigerian men, many of whom are now forced to cancel or restructure their travel plans under stricter and more expensive conditions.
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