The United States has announced that it will discontinue routine visa services in Abuja and 24 other African diplomatic cities from August 1, 2026. The change is part of a wider realignment that will shift visa processing to regional hubs.
A statement by the US Department of State said the move is meant to boost national security, cut government waste and ensure more uniform screening, vetting and adjudication standards.
The department said the administration of President Donald Trump is putting “America and Americans first” by realigning overseas operations to advance US priorities efficiently and effectively.
“The Department of State is constantly evaluating its overseas operations in order to advance America’s priorities as efficiently and effectively as possible,” the statement read.
“This includes a visa process that maintains rigorous standards of security screening and vetting and aligns resources and operational capacity with America’s national interests. The Trump administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans, and the State Department will continue to provide Americans with appropriate consular services and assistance at diplomatic posts around the world.”
Affected Posts, Hubs and What Changes for Applicants
Other African diplomatic posts affected by the routine visa realignment include Asmara, Bamako, Banjul, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Conakry, Cotonou, Durban, Freetown, Gaborone, Harare, Juba, Libreville and Lilongwe. The rest are Lusaka, Maputo, Maseru, Mbabane, N’Djamena, Niamey, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou and Windhoek.
According to the US State Department, the realignment does not change the operating status of any of the embassies and consulates or the important work they continue to conduct on behalf of the American people.
The department also clarified that the policy does not affect any currently valid US visas.
The State Department noted that realigning visa services to hubs has already been successful with several African nations and in Europe.
Under the new arrangement, routine visa services will continue at US embassies and consulates in Lagos, Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar-Es-Salaam, Djibouti, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lome, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Nairobi, Port Louis, Praia and Yaoundé.
For applicants in Abuja and the other affected cities, this means future visa interviews and processing will be handled at designated regional hubs instead of their local embassy or consulate.
The US mission in Nigeria will still operate in Abuja for other diplomatic and consular functions, while Lagos remains a key visa processing centre for the country.
As long as it does not affect those with valid visas. I am good about it. Any other consequences from this will be seen soon.