Nigerians have expressed outrage over the exorbitant charges imposed by firms handling visa processing for the Turkish government, with fees ranging between N335,000 and N827,000 for single and multiple entry visas.
Before the recent increment, visa fees for Turkey were collected in dollars, with charges ranging from $213 to $500 in Abuja and $317 to $500 in Lagos.
However, following the Nigerian government’s directives to embassies to collect visa fees in naira, the fees have been revised to the local currency.
Under the new fee regime announced by Voyal Turkey, the firm managing the visa process, applicants in Abuja are required to pay N335,408 for a single entry visa on appointment and N507,360 for walk-in applicants.
Meanwhile, multiple entry visas cost N627,680 for appointments and N797,280 for walk-in applicants.
In Lagos, where only walk-in applications are accepted, the charges are slightly higher, with single-entry visas costing over N500,000 and multiple-entry visas priced at N827,680.
The sudden hike in visa fees has sparked outrage among Nigerian applicants, who argue that the charges are unjustifiably high and constitute a rip-off.
Many expressed concern that the exorbitant fees would negatively impact business travel and hinder economic activities between Nigeria and Turkey.
One applicant lamented the disparity in fees compared to other countries like the United States, emphasizing the need for government intervention to address the issue.
“This is just out of this world.
How can we be paying close to N1 million naira for a visa alone? We are not talking about flight tickets here,” the applicant said.
“The Federal Government should come into it as it will seriously impact negatively on businesses.”
Another applicant urged the Nigerian government to intervene urgently to prevent further exploitation of Nigerian travelers and mitigate the adverse effects of the fee hike on businesses.
