The United States government has announced that routine visa services at its embassy in Abuja and 24 other diplomatic missions across Africa will end on August 1, 2026, as part of a broader restructuring of its global consular operations.
The announcement was made in a statement issued by the US Department of State, which said the move is intended to strengthen national security, improve efficiency and standardize visa screening and adjudication procedures.
According to the department, the reorganization is in line with the Trump administration’s policy of prioritizing the safety of Americans while ensuring government resources are deployed more effectively.
“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.
Besides Abuja, the policy affects US diplomatic missions in 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 emphasized that the decision does not affect the operational status of the affected embassies and consulates, noting that they will continue carrying out their diplomatic and consular responsibilities.
It also clarified that all valid US visas remain unaffected by the policy change.
The department explained that the consolidation of visa services into regional processing hubs has already been implemented successfully in parts of Africa and Europe.
Following the restructuring, routine visa services will continue at selected US embassies and consulates, including those 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.
