The U.S. Department of State has issued an alert announcing that every domestic passport agency and the National Passport Information Center will be closed from Wednesday, 24 December through Friday, 26 December. Customers with scheduled appointments will be contacted to arrange new dates.
For global mobility teams, the three-day shutdown impacts both expatriate departures and inbound employees’ families who need U.S. passports for renewal or first-time issuance. Expedited (‘urgent travel’) requests submitted this week will be processed after agencies reopen, likely eroding the advertised three-to-five-day turnaround.
To help companies navigate interruptions like this, VisaHQ offers end-to-end passport renewal and visa facilitation services, monitoring agency backlogs and arranging courier submissions to keep assignee timelines on track. Mobility managers can access real-time status updates and dedicated support through the U.S. portal at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/, ensuring that last-minute travel plans remain viable even during government shutdowns.
![State Department Closes All Passport Agencies 24–26 Dec.; Applicants to Be Rescheduled]()
Companies planning early-January global assignments should verify that assignees—and any accompanying U.S.-citizen dependents—hold passports valid for at least six months beyond travel. Where renewals are pending, consider emergency appointments at regional centers on 29-30 December or, if travel is within 72 hours, seek congressional-office assistance.
The closure also pauses processing of Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA), potentially delaying work visas for U.S. parents posted overseas. HR and relocation vendors should brief employees on alternative proof-of-citizenship (e.g., expired passports plus birth certificates) accepted by some airlines in emergencies.
Looking ahead, mobility leaders should build the annual late-December federal closure into assignment calendars, front-loading passport actions by mid-November to avoid costly flight changes and project delays.
For global mobility teams, the three-day shutdown impacts both expatriate departures and inbound employees’ families who need U.S. passports for renewal or first-time issuance. Expedited (‘urgent travel’) requests submitted this week will be processed after agencies reopen, likely eroding the advertised three-to-five-day turnaround.
To help companies navigate interruptions like this, VisaHQ offers end-to-end passport renewal and visa facilitation services, monitoring agency backlogs and arranging courier submissions to keep assignee timelines on track. Mobility managers can access real-time status updates and dedicated support through the U.S. portal at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/, ensuring that last-minute travel plans remain viable even during government shutdowns.
Companies planning early-January global assignments should verify that assignees—and any accompanying U.S.-citizen dependents—hold passports valid for at least six months beyond travel. Where renewals are pending, consider emergency appointments at regional centers on 29-30 December or, if travel is within 72 hours, seek congressional-office assistance.
The closure also pauses processing of Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA), potentially delaying work visas for U.S. parents posted overseas. HR and relocation vendors should brief employees on alternative proof-of-citizenship (e.g., expired passports plus birth certificates) accepted by some airlines in emergencies.
Looking ahead, mobility leaders should build the annual late-December federal closure into assignment calendars, front-loading passport actions by mid-November to avoid costly flight changes and project delays.
