Africa: 20 African Cities Selected as Full U.S. Visa Processing Hubs

Kampala has been retained as one of only 20 US visa processing hubs in Africa under a major restructuring plan by the administration of President Donald Trump, positioning Uganda as a key regional gateway for travelers seeking entry to the United States.

While Kampala remains among the 20 African cities selected to retain full US visa-processing services, diplomatic observers note that the broader trend among Western governments has been toward regionalization.

Nairobi has increasingly emerged as East Africa's diplomatic and consular hub, hosting regional operations for several countries that have scaled back services elsewhere in the region.

The latest move by Washington, detailed in an internal State Department memo first reported by The Associated Press, will see the number of African embassies and consulates processing visas reduced from nearly 50 to just 20, as part of a broader effort to centralise consular operations and tighten immigration controls.

According to the memo, the 20 remaining "hubs" will include Kampala, alongside cities such as Nairobi, Kigali, Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg, Lagos, Accra, Addis Ababa and others spread across the continent.

While Kampala's inclusion places Uganda among a smaller group of countries still offering full visa-processing services, questions are already emerging over whether this reflects a long-term strategic choice or a temporary position within a wider consolidation trend.

Over the past decade, several European countries have already shifted consular and migration processing functions away from smaller missions toward regional centres, with Nairobi increasingly emerging as a key East African hub.

Norway closed its embassy in Kampala on July 31, 2024. Since then, diplomatic relations with Uganda have been handled by the Norwegian Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, while all visa applications for Norway from Uganda are processed through the Norwegian Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.

In a similar pattern, Sweden has centralised much of its migration processing through Nairobi. While the Swedish Embassy in Kampala continues to operate and provide consular assistance, migration-related applications and inquiries are directed to Nairobi, with interviews and biometric collection in some cases still handled in Uganda.

Several other European countries also rely on outsourced visa application centres linked to regional hubs, meaning Ugandan applicants are already accustomed to submitting documentation through systems that are not always located within their own country.

Against this backdrop, analysts say the