The United States Embassy in Abuja has ended routine visa processing and directed applicants to the US Consulate General in Lagos instead.
In a reminder posted on its official X account, the embassy confirmed the change took effect on August 1, 2026. “Routine visa services are only available at the Consulate General in Lagos. Effective August 1, 2026, U.S. Embassy Abuja no longer processes routine visa applications,” it stated.
Applicants who already hold scheduled appointments will still be seen, though some dates may have been shifted. Those with Abuja appointments were advised to check their email for any updated details.
People with unused and still-valid Machine Readable Visa (MRV) application fee receipts can use them to book new appointments at the Lagos consulate.
The shift forms part of a broader US Department of State realignment of routine visa operations across Africa. The department is consolidating services at designated regional hubs to strengthen national security through more consistent screening, vetting and adjudication standards, while also boosting efficiency.
Lagos has been named Nigeria’s regional visa hub. Other hubs include Accra, Abidjan, Addis Ababa, Dakar, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Yaoundé.
US officials have stressed that the change applies only to routine visa processing and does not mean the Abuja embassy is closing.
It covers both nonimmigrant and immigrant categories, including tourist and business visas, petition-based visas, family-preference and employment-based immigrant visas, among others.
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