State Dept. proposes mass closures of US consulates across Africa

Written By Iandoli Desai & Cronin

In June 2026, the State Department released an internal memorandum announcing its plan to drastically reduce the number of US consulates in Africa that will process visa applications from 50 locations to 20 “hubs.” The consulates in the “non-hub” countries will remain open but will offer limited services. Many more African nationals wishing to obtain a US visa will now have to travel to another country for a visa appointment, which requires additional time, money, and permission to enter that country.

The 20 African consulates that will become visa “hubs” are:

  • Abidjan, Ivory Coast

  • Accra, Ghana

  • Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

  • Cape Town, South Africa

  • Dakar, Senegal

  • Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania

  • Djibouti, Djibouti

  • Johannesburg, South Africa

  • Kampala, Uganda

  • Kigali, Rwanda

  • Kinshasa, Congo

  • Lagos, Nigeria

  • Lome, Togo

  • Luanda, Angola

  • Malabo, Equatorial Guinea

  • Monrovia, Liberia

  • Nairobi, Kenya

  • Port Louis, Mauritius

  • Praia, Cape Verde and

  • Yaounde, Cameroon

Iandoli Desai & Cronin
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