In mid-July 2026, the US Department of State announced that it would discontinue visa-processing in 25 cities across Africa, with such services assigned to what Washington calls “regional hubs.”
The US Department of State, in its notice published on July 15, said “effective August 1, 2026, the Department of State will realign routine visa services in” the said-25 cities.
The affected cities are: Antananarivo (Madagascar), Abuja (Nigeria), Asmara (Eritrea), Bamako (Mali), Banjul (The Gambia), Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo), Bujumbura (Burundi), Conakry (Guinea), Cotonou (Benin), Durban (South Africa), Freetown (Sierra Leone), Gaborone (Botswana), Harare (Zimbabwe), Juba (South Sudan), Libreville (Gabon), Lilongwe (Malawi), Lusaka (Zambia), Maputo (Mozambique), Maseru (Lesotho), Mbabane (Eswatini), N’Djamena (Chad), Niamey (Niger), Nouakchott (Mauritania), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), and Windhoek (Namibia).
Applicants, who initially would have processed their visas at US consulates or embassies in the said-cities, will now have to move to other cities, or even countries, for their visa-processing appointments.
Based on the US Department of State’s guidelines, TRT Afrika compiles the new visa-processing hubs for persons of the affected cities. See the compilation below:
Antananarivo (Madagascar) — Johannesburg (South Africa)
Abuja (Nigeria) — Lagos (Nigeria)
Asmara (Eritrea) — Kampala (Uganda)
Bamako (Mali) — Dakar (Senegal)
Banjul (The Gambia) — Dakar (Senegal)
Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo) — Kinshasa (DRC)
Bujumbura (Burundi) — Kampala (Uganda)
Conakry (Guinea) — Dakar (Senegal)
Cotonou (Benin) — Lome (Togo)
Durban (South Africa) — Johannesburg (South Africa)
Freetown (Sierra Leone) — Monrovia (Liberia)
Gaborone (Botswana) — Johannesburg (South Africa)
Harare (Zimbabwe) — Johannesburg, Cape Town (South Africa)
Juba (South Sudan) — Kampala (Uganda)
Libreville (Gabon) — Yaounde (Cameroon)
Lilongwe (Malawi) — Nairobi (Kenya)
Lusaka (Zambia) — Johannesburg (South Africa)
Maputo (Mozambique) — Johannesburg (South Africa)
Maseru (Lesotho) — Johannesburg (South Africa)
Mbabane (Eswatini) — Johannesburg (South Africa)
N’Djamena (Chad) — Yaounde (Cameroon)
Niamey (Niger) — Lome (Togo)
Nouakchott (Mauritania) — Dakar (Senegal)
Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) — Lome (Togo)
Windhoek (Namibia) — Johannesburg, Cape Town (South Africa)
The US Department of State said: “Citizens and residents of these countries who wish to apply for a visa on or after August 1, 2026, must schedule an appointment and pay the required visa fee at the appropriate designated Nonimmigrant Visa Locations or designated Immigrant Visa Locations.”
Other consulate, embassy roles to continue
On the types of visas to be realigned in the affected cities, the state department said: “All routine visas services, for both nonimmigrant and immigrant visas, including tourist and business-related nonimmigrant visas, as well as petition-based nonimmigrant visas. Immigrant visa services being realigned are the immediate relative, family preference, and employment based categories, as well as fiancée/fiancé visas.”
The US added that although visa-processing services have been moved from the mentioned locations, “realignment of routine visa-processing does not change the operating status of any of the embassies and consulates or the important work they continue to conduct on behalf of the American people.”
Washington states that it adjusted its visa-processing operations in Africa and other regions world-over as “part of a long-standing Department practice that strengthens national security by promoting more uniform screening, vetting, and adjudication standards, as well as improves efficiency.”
