The United States has announced that it will discontinue routine visa services at its embassy in Abuja and 24 other diplomatic posts across Africa with effect from August 1, 2026.
In a statement, the US Department of State said the realignment of visa services to regional hubs is part of efforts to strengthen national security, reduce government waste and ensure more consistent screening, vetting and adjudication standards.
According to the department, the administration of President Donald Trump is restructuring overseas operations to better advance US priorities while improving efficiency and effectiveness.
“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 read.
Other African diplomatic posts affected by the realignment include Asmara, Bamako, Banjul, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Conakry, Cotonou, Durban, Freetown, Gaborone, Harare, Juba, Libreville, Lilongwe, Lusaka, Maputo, Maseru, Mbabane, N’Djamena, Niamey, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou and Windhoek.
The State Department clarified that the move does not affect the operational status of any US embassy or consulate, noting that diplomatic missions will continue to carry out their regular functions on behalf of the American people.
It also stressed that the policy does not affect any currently valid US visas.
According to the department, the regional hub model has already been implemented successfully in several African countries and parts of 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.
