The United States has announced that it would discontinue visa services in Abuja and 24 other African diplomatic cities effective August 1, 2026.
A statement by the US Department of State said realignment to regional hubs was part of efforts aimed at boosting national security, cutting government waste and ensuring more uniform screening, vetting, and adjudication standards.
The statement said the administration of President Donald Trump is putting America and Americans first by realigning overseas operations to advance US priorities efficiently and 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.
Other African diplomatic posts affected by the routine visa realignment include Asmara, Bamako, Banjul, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Conakry, Cotonou, Durban, Freetown, Gaborone, Harare, Juba, Libreville and Lilongwe.
The rest are Lusaka, Maputo, Maseru, Mbabane, N’Djamena, Niamey, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou and Windhoek.
According to the US State Department, the realignment does not change the operating status of any of the embassies and consulates or the important work they continue to conduct on behalf of the American people.
The State Department equally clarified that the policy does not affect any currently valid US visas.
The Department also noted that realigning visa services to hubs has already been successful with several African nations and in Europe.
However, routine visa services, according to the State Department, will continue at US embassies and consulates in Lagos, Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar-Es-Salaam, Djibouti, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lome, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Nairobi, Port Louis, Praia and Yaoundé.
