The United States Mission in Nigeria has reminded Nigerians that routine visa services at the US Embassy in Abuja will officially end from August 1, 2026, as visa processing shifts to the Consulate General in Lagos.
In a statement shared on its social media platforms on Friday, the mission urged visa applicants to book appointments and complete their applications in Lagos, which has been designated as Nigeria’s regional visa processing hub.
The reminder comes days after the mission first announced the policy as part of a broader restructuring of US visa operations across Africa.
According to the mission, the US Department of State is consolidating visa processing at selected regional hubs to strengthen security through more consistent screening, vetting and adjudication procedures while improving operational efficiency.
“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 repeated in the latest notice.
The State Department had earlier explained that the changes align with the Trump administration’s priority of strengthening national security and ensuring overseas operations better serve America’s interests.
It also clarified that embassies and consulates affected by the restructuring would remain open, continuing to provide American Citizen Services and other designated functions.
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Under the new arrangement, Lagos is among 20 cities across Africa selected as regional visa hubs, alongside Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Nairobi, Johannesburg and Kinshasa.
Meanwhile, Abuja is one of 25 diplomatic posts that will now provide only American Citizen Services and limited non-immigrant visa services. Bangui and Khartoum will no longer offer consular visa operations.
The revised system covers both immigrant and non-immigrant visa categories, including tourist, business, employment, family-based, fiancé or fiancée, adoption, diversity visa and follow-to-join refugee and asylee applications.
The department also advised applicants with existing appointments at affected locations to monitor their email for further instructions, adding that visa fees paid at posts offering limited services from August 1 will not be refunded if appointments were not booked by July 31.
It further noted that immigrant visa applicants may complete their medical examinations either in their home country where an approved panel physician is available or at their designated regional visa hub.