
On December 24 the Consulate-General of China in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, issued its annual holiday notice detailing office closures for 2026. The consular section will be shut for New Year (1-3 January), Spring Festival (15-23 February), Labour Day (1-5 May) and China’s National Day (1-7 October), among other dates.
Applicants for Chinese visas, document legalisation or passport services are advised to avoid peak periods immediately before and after long holidays, when appointment slots fill quickly. The consulate will open on select Saturdays to compensate for extended closures, a practice introduced last year after travel demand rebounded.
If navigating these dates feels overwhelming, VisaHQ can shoulder the administrative burden. The firm’s China desk (https://www.visahq.com/china/) monitors consular calendars daily, helps clients secure scarce appointment slots, and double-checks paperwork so that applications lodged in Kota Kinabalu are accepted the first time around.
For Malaysian tour operators and HR teams arranging offshore crew changes or engineering assignments in southern China, the notice provides vital lead time. Businesses should submit applications at least one month in advance and make use of the consulate’s online appointment system to prevent delays.
The schedule also helps Chinese expatriates in Sabah plan passport renewals and notarisation requests without interrupting travel itineraries.
Applicants for Chinese visas, document legalisation or passport services are advised to avoid peak periods immediately before and after long holidays, when appointment slots fill quickly. The consulate will open on select Saturdays to compensate for extended closures, a practice introduced last year after travel demand rebounded.
If navigating these dates feels overwhelming, VisaHQ can shoulder the administrative burden. The firm’s China desk (https://www.visahq.com/china/) monitors consular calendars daily, helps clients secure scarce appointment slots, and double-checks paperwork so that applications lodged in Kota Kinabalu are accepted the first time around.
For Malaysian tour operators and HR teams arranging offshore crew changes or engineering assignments in southern China, the notice provides vital lead time. Businesses should submit applications at least one month in advance and make use of the consulate’s online appointment system to prevent delays.
The schedule also helps Chinese expatriates in Sabah plan passport renewals and notarisation requests without interrupting travel itineraries.







