US Restructures African Visa Operations, Abuja Office Among Those Affected
The United States government has unveiled plans to stop routine visa processing at its embassy in Abuja from August 1, 2026, as part of a wider reorganisation of its diplomatic operations across Africa.
The policy will also affect 24 other US diplomatic missions on the continent, with visa services being transferred to designated regional centres in what American officials describe as an effort to strengthen security and improve operational efficiency.
In a statement released by the US Department of State, the agency said the review of overseas operations is aimed at ensuring that visa applications are processed under more consistent screening and adjudication standards while making better use of available resources.
The Department explained that the reorganisation aligns with the Trump administration’s goal of enhancing national security and delivering government services more effectively.
Despite the adjustment, US authorities emphasised that embassies and consulates affected by the policy will remain open and continue carrying out their diplomatic and consular responsibilities. Only routine visa processing will be relocated.
The Department further assured travellers that visas already issued will remain valid, stressing that the new arrangement does not cancel or invalidate existing travel documents.
Apart from Abuja, routine visa services will end at 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.
Applicants seeking US visas will instead be directed to regional processing locations where services will continue.
These include 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.
According to the State Department, similar regional processing systems have already been introduced successfully in several African countries as well as parts of Europe.
Officials said the latest changes are expected to improve consistency in visa processing while maintaining high standards of security for travellers seeking entry into the United States.
