The United States has announced that it will discontinue routine visa services at its diplomatic mission in Abuja and 24 other locations across Africa beginning August 1, 2026.
According to a statement issued by the US Department of State, the move is part of a broader realignment of visa operations to regional hubs aimed at strengthening national security, improving efficiency and ensuring more consistent screening, vetting and adjudication standards.
The department said the changes are in line with the administration of President Donald Trump’s policy of prioritizing the safety and security of Americans while streamlining overseas operations.
“The Department of State is constantly evaluating its overseas operations in order to advance America’s priorities as efficiently and effectively as possible.
“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,” the statement said.
The affected African diplomatic posts are:
- Abuja, Nigeria
- Asmara, Eritrea
- Bamako, Mali
- Banjul, The Gambia
- Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- Bujumbura, Burundi
- Conakry, Guinea
- Cotonou, Benin
- Durban, South Africa
- Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Gaborone, Botswana
- Harare, Zimbabwe
- Juba, South Sudan
- Libreville, Gabon
- Lilongwe, Malawi
- Lusaka, Zambia
- Maputo, Mozambique
- Maseru, Lesotho
- Mbabane, Eswatini
- N’Djamena, Chad
- Niamey, Niger
- Nouakchott, Mauritania
- Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Windhoek, Namibia
The State Department emphasized that the realignment does not affect the operating status of any US embassy or consulate, noting that diplomatic and consular services for American citizens will continue as usual.
It also clarified that the policy does not invalidate any currently issued US visas.
According to the department, the hub based visa processing model has already been implemented successfully in parts of Africa and Europe.
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, Lomé, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Nairobi, Port Louis, Praia and Yaoundé.
