The United States has announced that, from August 1, 2026, it will stop routine visa processing at its embassy in Abuja and 24 other diplomatic missions across Africa.
According to the US Department of State, the decision is part of a wider overhaul of its consular operations aimed at:
Strengthening national security through more consistent visa screening and vetting.
Reducing government spending by centralising routine visa services.
Improving efficiency by processing routine visa applications through regional hubs.
The State Department stressed that:
Only routine visa processing is affected.
The US Embassy in Abuja and the other affected missions will remain open and continue providing other consular services, including assistance to US citizens and diplomatic functions.
Existing valid US visas remain valid and are not affected by the change.
Under the new system, applicants from Nigeria and other affected countries will need to submit routine visa applications through designated regional visa-processing hubs rather than their local embassy.
The affected African missions include those in Abuja, 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.
