The United States Mission in Nigeria has reminded Nigerians that routine visa services at the US Embassy in Abuja will end from Saturday, August 1, 2026.
The mission said applicants seeking US visas must henceforth process their applications through the US Consulate General in Lagos, which has been designated as Nigeria’s regional visa processing hub.
The reminder was issued in a statement posted on the mission’s social media platforms on Friday, days after the policy was first announced as part of a broader restructuring of US visa operations across Africa.
The US Mission explained that the US Department of State was consolidating visa processing activities at selected regional hubs to enhance national security by ensuring more consistent screening, vetting and adjudication procedures.
It added that the realignment was also aimed at improving operational efficiency and aligning visa services with changing US immigration priorities.
“Citizens and residents of Nigeria who wish to apply for a visa must schedule an appointment and pay the required visa fee at US Consulate Lagos, the new designated location,” the mission said.
In a detailed notice published earlier on its website, the State Department said the changes were part of efforts to strengthen security and ensure that overseas operations were conducted in line with US national interests.
The department said it regularly reviews its global consular operations to improve efficiency, while maintaining strict security screening standards.
It clarified that affected embassies and consulates would remain open and continue providing services, including assistance to US citizens, despite changes to visa processing arrangements.
Under the new structure, 20 cities across Africa have been designated as regional visa hubs, including Lagos, Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Nairobi, Johannesburg and Kinshasa.
The State Department said 25 other diplomatic posts, including Abuja, would now provide only American Citizen Services and limited non-immigrant visa services, while Bangui and Khartoum would no longer conduct consular visa operations.
The realignment covers both non-immigrant and immigrant visa categories, including tourist, business and petition-based visas, as well as family-based, employment-based, fiancé/fiancée, adoption, diversity visa and follow-to-join asylee and refugee applications.
The department noted that the changes do not affect existing visa restrictions under Presidential Proclamation 10998, visa bond requirements or immigrant visa pauses involving certain nationalities.
Applicants with appointments already scheduled at affected locations were advised to check their emails for further instructions. The department warned that visa fees paid at posts offering limited services from August 1 would not be refunded if appointments were not scheduled by July 31.
For immigrant visa applicants, the department said medical examinations could be completed in their country of residence where an approved panel physician is available, or at their designated regional hub if such services are unavailable locally.
