The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the US Consulate-General in Dubai announced on 23 December that they will be closed from Wednesday 24 December through Friday 26 December for Christmas celebrations, reopening on Monday 29 December .
All non-immigrant visa interviews, American-citizen services and document-legalisation appointments during the three-day window have been automatically cancelled. Applicants will receive emails with instructions to log in to the CGI Federal portal to select new dates; premium “Emergency Travel” slots will be prioritised for medical and bereavement cases.
Travel-management companies note that the closure falls amid Dubai’s year-end tourist surge. Executives planning post-New-Year trips to the United States should expect limited January availability and consider alternate consular posts in Muscat or Manama, which remain open.
![US Embassy and Consulate in UAE to close 24–26 December; visa applicants urged to reschedule]()
During this crunch period, applicants can also leverage VisaHQ’s online platform to coordinate visa services or secure appointments at neighbouring missions. The company’s UAE page (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) offers clear checklists, expedited processing options and live status updates, easing the administrative load for both individual travellers and corporate mobility teams.
US citizens in the UAE requiring urgent assistance can call +971-2-414-2200 and follow prompts to the duty officer. The embassy’s American Services Unit recommends carrying multiple hard copies of passport ID pages and residence visas when travelling domestically, as federal offices in Washington will also operate on holiday staffing.
Tip: mobility managers should update assignment timelines to account for the gap; standard B-1/B-2 interview wait times in Abu Dhabi were already 42 days as of 15 December.
All non-immigrant visa interviews, American-citizen services and document-legalisation appointments during the three-day window have been automatically cancelled. Applicants will receive emails with instructions to log in to the CGI Federal portal to select new dates; premium “Emergency Travel” slots will be prioritised for medical and bereavement cases.
Travel-management companies note that the closure falls amid Dubai’s year-end tourist surge. Executives planning post-New-Year trips to the United States should expect limited January availability and consider alternate consular posts in Muscat or Manama, which remain open.
During this crunch period, applicants can also leverage VisaHQ’s online platform to coordinate visa services or secure appointments at neighbouring missions. The company’s UAE page (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) offers clear checklists, expedited processing options and live status updates, easing the administrative load for both individual travellers and corporate mobility teams.
US citizens in the UAE requiring urgent assistance can call +971-2-414-2200 and follow prompts to the duty officer. The embassy’s American Services Unit recommends carrying multiple hard copies of passport ID pages and residence visas when travelling domestically, as federal offices in Washington will also operate on holiday staffing.
Tip: mobility managers should update assignment timelines to account for the gap; standard B-1/B-2 interview wait times in Abu Dhabi were already 42 days as of 15 December.
