For the first time since Poland began digitising its consular network, every Polish consulate and consular section worldwide closed simultaneously from 24 to 28 December. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) confirmed the blackout on the e-Konsulat portal and via consular hot-lines, citing the addition of Christmas Eve as a new statutory public holiday. During the four-day window no national- or Schengen-visa applications were accepted, no passports were issued, and no legal-authentication services were processed.
The closure caught many mobility and relocation managers off-guard because, in previous years, at least one working day fell between Christmas and New Year, allowing urgent submissions. This year even domestic back-up channels failed: voivodeship offices, whose front desks normally accept last-minute residence-permit extensions, and Border Guard customer counters at key airports were also dark. As a result, foreign employees whose permits expired over the holiday period could not file timely extensions, heightening overstay risks and potential business-continuity issues for employers.
![Christmas Shutdown of Polish Consulates Freezes Global Visa Processing 24-28 December]()
In scenarios where sudden consular shutdowns jeopardise travel and immigration timelines, VisaHQ can step in as an efficient workaround. Through its Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) the service aggregates appointment openings, automates alerting, and offers document-checking and courier options that help companies reroute urgent filings or shift applications to alternative consulates—minimising costly delays when official channels go offline.
Practically, the freeze means that applications lodged after 18 December will not receive biometric appointments until January, pushing the first available travel dates into February for some high-volume posts such as New Delhi, London and Riyadh. Companies planning January start dates for new hires now face costly project delays or must reroute talent through intra-EU work-assignment regimes. The bottleneck is expected to ripple into Q1 2026, when Poland will simultaneously quadruple residence-permit fees and move all filings onto the new MOS2 portal.
Mobility specialists are advised to audit assignment populations for permits expiring in early January and prepare justification letters for overstays where renewal applications could not be filed. HR teams should also brief business travellers that Polish consulates will face record backlogs in the first week of January and plan itineraries accordingly. The MFA has yet to announce any compensatory weekend opening hours, so pent-up demand will land squarely on 2 January, when normal service resumes.
The closure caught many mobility and relocation managers off-guard because, in previous years, at least one working day fell between Christmas and New Year, allowing urgent submissions. This year even domestic back-up channels failed: voivodeship offices, whose front desks normally accept last-minute residence-permit extensions, and Border Guard customer counters at key airports were also dark. As a result, foreign employees whose permits expired over the holiday period could not file timely extensions, heightening overstay risks and potential business-continuity issues for employers.
In scenarios where sudden consular shutdowns jeopardise travel and immigration timelines, VisaHQ can step in as an efficient workaround. Through its Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) the service aggregates appointment openings, automates alerting, and offers document-checking and courier options that help companies reroute urgent filings or shift applications to alternative consulates—minimising costly delays when official channels go offline.
Practically, the freeze means that applications lodged after 18 December will not receive biometric appointments until January, pushing the first available travel dates into February for some high-volume posts such as New Delhi, London and Riyadh. Companies planning January start dates for new hires now face costly project delays or must reroute talent through intra-EU work-assignment regimes. The bottleneck is expected to ripple into Q1 2026, when Poland will simultaneously quadruple residence-permit fees and move all filings onto the new MOS2 portal.
Mobility specialists are advised to audit assignment populations for permits expiring in early January and prepare justification letters for overstays where renewal applications could not be filed. HR teams should also brief business travellers that Polish consulates will face record backlogs in the first week of January and plan itineraries accordingly. The MFA has yet to announce any compensatory weekend opening hours, so pent-up demand will land squarely on 2 January, when normal service resumes.
