US to end routine visa services at 24 African posts

The United States will end routine visa services at 24 of its diplomatic posts across Africa from August 1, 2026, according to a new State Department directive.

Affected posts include 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.

Under the change, applicants in those countries who need tourist, business, work-related and immigrant visas will have to schedule appointments at designated regional hubs.

The State Department said the move is aimed at improving security screening, cutting government costs, and making visa processing more consistent. The decision will not close the affected embassies or consulates, and it will not affect anyone holding a valid US visa.

Where services will continue:

Routine visa services will continue 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.

For Nigerians in particular, routine processing will continue in Lagos, meaning many applicants who previously used Abuja will now have to travel to Lagos.

What you should do:

If your city is on the 24-location list, monitor travel.state.gov and your local US Embassy website for your new assigned hub before August 1.