The United States Embassy in Abuja has stopped processing routine visa applications, directing Nigerians seeking such services to the US Consulate General in Lagos.
The change took effect on August 1, 2026, following a wider decision by the United States Department of State to reorganise routine visa operations across Africa.
Under the new arrangement, Lagos is now the designated location for routine US visa services in Nigeria.
Applicants who would ordinarily have sought routine visa services at the Abuja embassy are expected to make use of the Lagos consulate.
The US Embassy confirmed the development in a visa advisory, urging applicants to take note of the change before scheduling appointments or making other travel arrangements.
“Routine visa services are only available at Consulate General Lagos. Effective August 1, 2026, U.S. Embassy Abuja no longer processes routine visa applications. All applicants who already have scheduled appointments will be honored; however, those dates may have been rescheduled. Those with appointments in Abuja should check their email for their new appointment date,” the advisory stated.
The development affects routine visa processing and does not mean that the US Embassy in Abuja has been shut down.
The embassy continues to operate and provide other diplomatic and consular services.
The change is specifically related to the processing of routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applications.
Applicants who already had appointments scheduled in Abuja before the new arrangement came into effect have also been given some relief.
The US authorities said such appointments would still be honoured, although some applicants may have their interview dates moved to another date or location.
Those affected have been advised to regularly check the email addresses linked to their visa applications.
Any changes to their appointments are expected to be communicated through email.
The embassy has also provided an option for applicants who had already paid their visa application fees.
According to the advisory, applicants with unused and valid MRV visa application fee receipts can use the receipts to schedule a new appointment at the US Consulate General in Lagos.
“Additionally, applicants holding an unused and still-valid MRV (visa application) fee receipt may use it to schedule a new appointment at U.S. Consulate Lagos,” the US authorities stated.
The move is part of a broader realignment of US visa operations across Africa.
The Department of State has transferred routine visa processing from several diplomatic posts to designated regional hubs.
The US government said the restructuring is intended to strengthen security screening, vetting and adjudication while improving the efficiency of its consular operations.
Twenty-five US diplomatic posts across Africa were affected by the realignment, with routine visa services being concentrated in selected regional hubs.
For Nigeria, Lagos was selected as the regional hub.
The change means that applicants living in Abuja and other parts of northern Nigeria may now have to travel to Lagos when they need routine US visa services.
The new arrangement covers routine visa categories, including applications that would ordinarily require consular interviews as part of the processing procedure.
Applicants are therefore expected to confirm the appropriate location before paying fees, scheduling appointments or making travel plans.
The US authorities have urged applicants to rely on official visa appointment information for the latest details on available services, appointment dates and operating arrangements.
The regional hub system is intended to centralise certain visa operations rather than maintain routine processing at every US diplomatic post.
However, applicants are expected to monitor their emails for notifications from the US authorities and follow the instructions provided.
Applicants with valid but unused MRV receipts have also been advised not to assume that they must pay a new fee simply because the processing location has changed.
Where the receipt remains valid and unused, it may be used to obtain a new appointment at the Lagos consulate, subject to the applicable appointment requirements.
The US Embassy has also clarified in a separate update that the suspension of routine visa processing does not affect all categories of visa services in Abuja.
… US Embassy Suspends Routine Visa Application Services in Abuja Read More on … NaijaOnPoint.
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