The United States will end routine visa services from August 1, 2026, at its diplomatic posts in Lusaka. Harare, Abuja, Asmara, Bamako, Banjul, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Conakry, Cotonou, Durban, Freetown, Gaborone, Juba, Libreville, Lilongwe,, Maputo, Maseru, Mbabane, N’Djamena, Niamey, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou and Windhoek.
Applicants in the affected countries will have to use designated regional hubs for tourist, business, work-related and immigrant visas.
The US State Department said the changes are intended to improve security screening, reduce government costs and make visa processing more consistent.
The decision will not close the affected embassies or consulates and will not affect valid US visas. Routine visa services will continue in Lagos, Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lomé, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Nairobi, Port Louis,
Praia and Yaoundé. For Nigerians, routine visa processing will continue in Lagos, meaning many applicants who previously used Abuja may now have to travel there.(DWAfrica)