US Embassy continues diplomatic, official visa processing in Abuja

The U.S. Embassy in Abuja will continue to process diplomatic and official visas for eligible applicants, including A, G and C visa categories.

The information was contained in a statement published on the website of the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria.

The development comes after the U.S. Mission transferred routine visa services from the U.S. Embassy in Abuja to the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos on August 1, 2026, making Lagos the designated location for routine U.S. visa processing in Nigeria.

What they are saying

The embassy said applicants who believe they may qualify for diplomatic or official visas should first consult their protocol office, which normally handles visa matters.

• “The U.S. Embassy in Abuja will continue to process diplomatic and official visas (A, G and C visas).
• “Applicants who believe they may qualify for a diplomatic or official visa should first consult with their protocol office that normally handles visa matters,” the statement read in part.

Applicants are required to submit a diplomatic note or note verbale from the Foreign Ministry or international organisation, the DS-160 confirmation page, a diplomatic or official passport and one recent photograph taken against a white background.

• The embassy advised applicants not to pay the Machine Readable Visa (MRV) application fee unless specifically instructed to do so by a consular officer.
• It said the diplomatic note or note verbale should include the applicant’s name and date of birth, position and title, place of assignment or visit, purpose of travel and a brief description of duties.

The note should also state the intended travel date, anticipated length of stay or tour of duty in the U.S., as well as the names, relationships and dates of birth of any dependants or household members accompanying or joining the principal applicant.

Application submission and processing

Diplomatic and official visa applications can be dropped off at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Abuja from Monday to Thursday between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

• The embassy said Friday’s 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. period is for pick-up only for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Applicants are advised to submit their applications at least 10 business days before their planned departure date to allow sufficient time for processing.
• The diplomatic and official visa services are handled at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy at Plot 1075, Diplomatic Drive, Central Business District, Abuja.

The embassy provided AbujaDiplomaticVisas@state.gov as the contact email for diplomatic and official visa-related enquiries.

Get up to speed

Nairametrics reported in June 2026 that Lagos was among 20 African cities selected to retain full U.S. visa processing services under a major restructuring of the State Department’s consular operations across the continent.

• Under the reorganisation, the number of African embassies and consulates handling routine visa applications was reduced from nearly 50 to 20, with applicants from countries without designated visa hubs required to travel to approved locations to complete their applications.
• The 20 designated visa processing hubs are Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lagos, Lomé, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Nairobi, Port Louis, Praia and Yaoundé.
• Nairametrics had earlier reported that routine U.S. visa services for Nigerians were transferred from the U.S. Embassy in Abuja to the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos from August 1, 2026.

The U.S. Department of State said the move was part of a broader realignment of visa operations across Africa aimed at standardising screening, vetting and adjudication processes, improving efficiency and aligning operations with evolving U.S. immigration policy priorities.

The U.S. Mission said the restructuring reflected a long-standing practice of consolidating visa operations into regional hubs to improve consistency in visa processing and enhance operational efficiency.

What you should know

Earlier this month, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria announced Brandon Hudspeth as the new consul general in Lagos.

Hudspeth previously served as the Political-Economic Section Chief at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos and most recently served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Namibia.

His appointment comes as the U.S. Mission implements changes to its visa operations in Nigeria, with routine visa processing now handled by the Lagos consulate.