The U.S. missions in the UAE have confirmed an extended holiday closure that will see all public-facing services suspended from Wednesday, 24 December, through Friday, 26 December. Because the pause overlaps with the UAE’s regular weekend (Saturday–Sunday), the interruption effectively lasts five consecutive days, with normal operations resuming on Monday, 29 December.
The shutdown covers non-immigrant and immigrant visa interviews, American-citizen services, document legalisations and ad-hoc notarial appointments. Applicants holding interview dates inside the window have received automated cancellation notices and instructions to re-book via the CGI Federal portal. “Emergency Travel” slots will be prioritised for medical or bereavement cases, but capacity is expected to remain tight until mid-January.
![U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi and Consulate Dubai shut 24–26 Dec, halting visa services for five days]()
For corporate mobility teams the timing is challenging: U.S. missions typically release fresh blocks of non-immigrant visa appointments every Friday—precisely when the consular section will be dark. Global employers rushing to place staff into January project kick-offs may therefore see onboarding delayed by two to three weeks. Travel-management companies recommend leveraging third-country appointments—Manama and Muscat currently show the shortest wait times—or shifting to ESTA-eligible nationalities where feasible.
American citizens resident in the UAE are advised that routine passport renewals and Consular Report of Birth Abroad filings will also pause. Those with year-end travel must ensure that passport validity extends at least six months beyond the date of intended return, as several onward-destination carriers operating through DXB enforce the six-month rule at check-in.
Finally, the closure coincides with Dubai International’s peak holiday rush. Mobility managers should build in extra lead time for document couriering and remind travellers that no new interview slots will be released until 02:00 GST on Friday, 2 January.
The shutdown covers non-immigrant and immigrant visa interviews, American-citizen services, document legalisations and ad-hoc notarial appointments. Applicants holding interview dates inside the window have received automated cancellation notices and instructions to re-book via the CGI Federal portal. “Emergency Travel” slots will be prioritised for medical or bereavement cases, but capacity is expected to remain tight until mid-January.
For corporate mobility teams the timing is challenging: U.S. missions typically release fresh blocks of non-immigrant visa appointments every Friday—precisely when the consular section will be dark. Global employers rushing to place staff into January project kick-offs may therefore see onboarding delayed by two to three weeks. Travel-management companies recommend leveraging third-country appointments—Manama and Muscat currently show the shortest wait times—or shifting to ESTA-eligible nationalities where feasible.
American citizens resident in the UAE are advised that routine passport renewals and Consular Report of Birth Abroad filings will also pause. Those with year-end travel must ensure that passport validity extends at least six months beyond the date of intended return, as several onward-destination carriers operating through DXB enforce the six-month rule at check-in.
Finally, the closure coincides with Dubai International’s peak holiday rush. Mobility managers should build in extra lead time for document couriering and remind travellers that no new interview slots will be released until 02:00 GST on Friday, 2 January.
Source: VisaHQ Global Mobility News
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