The United States has announced that routine visa services at its Embassy in Abuja and 24 other diplomatic missions across Africa will be discontinued from August 1, 2026, as part of a broader restructuring of its overseas consular operations.

The US Department of State said the move is aimed at strengthening national security, improving operational efficiency and ensuring consistent standards for visa screening, vetting and adjudication.

According to the department, the realignment forms part of the administration’s efforts to streamline overseas operations while advancing America’s national interests.

“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 statement read.

It added:

“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.”

Besides Abuja, the affected diplomatic posts are 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 policy does not affect the operational status of the embassies and consulates involved, stressing that they will continue carrying out their diplomatic and consular responsibilities.

It also assured travellers that currently valid US visas remain valid and are not affected by the new arrangement.

The department noted that the regional hub model has already been implemented successfully in several African countries and parts of Europe.

Meanwhile, 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.