BY SIFISO NHLABATSI
MBABANE – The United States Embassy in Eswatini will stop offering routine visa services from August 1, 2026.
This comes after the U.S. Department of State shifted visa processing to regional hubs across Africa in a move it says is aimed at strengthening national security, improving efficiency and aligning overseas operations with U.S. immigration policy priorities.
In a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Eswatini, the Department of State announced that citizens and residents of Eswatini seeking U.S. visas will now be required to schedule appointments and pay the applicable visa fees at the U.S. Consulate General in Johannesburg, South Africa, which has been designated as the country’s regional visa processing hub.
The announcement forms part of a broader restructuring of U.S. visa operations affecting more than two dozen embassies and consulates across the African continent. According to the Department of State, the realignment is part of a long-standing practice intended to promote more uniform screening, vetting and adjudication standards while making visa operations more efficient.
The statement said the changes are also designed to ensure that U.S. resources and operational capacity are aligned with America’s national interests.
The Department said the decision reflects the Trump Administration’s priority of strengthening national security while reducing government expenditure and improving the efficiency of government services.
“President Trump is putting America and Americans first by strengthening national security, cutting government waste, and ensuring government works in the interests of the American people,” the statement said.
It added that the safety and security of Americans remain the administration’s highest priority and that the State Department would continue providing appropriate consular services to American citizens at diplomatic missions worldwide.
While routine visa services will cease in Mbabane, the embassy will remain operational and continue carrying out its diplomatic responsibilities. The Department clarified that the changes do not amount to the closure of the U.S. Embassy in Eswatini or any other affected diplomatic mission.
“The 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,” the Department stated.
The Department also confirmed that the U.S. Embassy in Mbabane will continue offering American Citizen Services (ACS) together with limited non-immigrant visa services, although routine visa processing will now be handled through designated regional hubs.
Besides Eswatini, countries affected by the changes include Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Nigeria, Eritrea, Mali, The Gambia, Republic of Congo, Burundi, Guinea, Benin, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Gabon, Chad, Niger, Mauritania and Burkina Faso.
Regional visa services will instead be concentrated at selected U.S. embassies and consulates in 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.
The Department advised applicants with existing appointments at affected embassies to monitor their email accounts for country-specific instructions regarding their applications.
Applicants who paid the Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee at an affected post were also reminded that the fee will not be refunded if they fail to schedule an appointment before July 31, 2026.
The Department further clarified that the changes do not affect visas that have already been issued and remain valid.
“No. This does not affect any currently valid visas,” the Department said in response to frequently asked questions accompanying the announcement.
For immigrant visa applicants, medical examinations may still be conducted in their home country where an approved panel physician is available. Alternatively, applicants may complete the required medical examination at their designated regional visa hub before their interview.
The Department said the regional hub model has already been implemented successfully in several African countries and parts of Europe and is expected to enhance consistency in visa processing while maintaining rigorous security standards.
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