Sierra Leone Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has debunked social media reports claiming that the UAE Government has issued a visa ban on Sierra Leoneans and several other African nationals.

According to the Embassy, they have not received any information from official sources in the UAE, and therefore considers the said report being circulated as false and misleading.

“Meanwhile, the UAE has recently introduced series of visa reforms, including but not limited to the reduction of the duration of tourist visas from three months to two months. Other new criteria for entry into the country can be found on the UAE Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security portal: www.icp.gov.ae,” the Embassy stated.

“Consequently, we encourage all Sierra Leoneans planning to visit the UAE on tourism or business purposes to go ahead with their visa applications as planned,” they added.