Filipino expatriates—the UAE’s third-largest foreign community—have been advised to plan consular visits early after the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate-General in Dubai announced reduced Ramadan hours on 16 February 2026. From 19 February until the end of the lunar month, both missions will open Sunday–Thursday from 08:00 to 14:00, with cashiers closing at 13:00.
Services affected include passport renewals, Overseas Voter registrations, notarisation and civil-registry filings. The missions will not introduce afternoon counters, and Friday-Saturday weekends remain in force. Officials said the change balances operational efficiency with the wellbeing of fasting staff, half of whom observe Ramadan.
For mobility managers handling work-permit renewals, delayed passport releases can push back residence-visa stamping with the UAE’s ICP. Employers with large Filipino workforces—in retail, aviation and healthcare—are therefore being urged to schedule document drop-offs before mid-morning and to allocate extra lead time for exit-re-entry trips.
![Philippine Embassy Shortens Operating Hours in UAE for Ramadan Service Continuity]()
Amid such scheduling pressures, Filipino residents and their HR teams may consider using VisaHQ, an online visa and passport facilitation platform that helps coordinate UAE entry permits, residence renewals and document legalisation even when embassy counters operate on shortened hours. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/
The embassy will add 200 daily online appointment slots during the month and deploy a ‘mobile consulate’ to Al Ain and Ras Al Khaimah on selected weekends. It is also waiving the usual express-processing fee for distressed Overseas Filipino Workers needing emergency travel documents.
Analysts say the move underscores the importance of culturally responsive public services in host countries with diverse expatriate populations. Other missions—India’s and Pakistan’s among them—are expected to announce similar Ramadan schedules this week.
Services affected include passport renewals, Overseas Voter registrations, notarisation and civil-registry filings. The missions will not introduce afternoon counters, and Friday-Saturday weekends remain in force. Officials said the change balances operational efficiency with the wellbeing of fasting staff, half of whom observe Ramadan.
For mobility managers handling work-permit renewals, delayed passport releases can push back residence-visa stamping with the UAE’s ICP. Employers with large Filipino workforces—in retail, aviation and healthcare—are therefore being urged to schedule document drop-offs before mid-morning and to allocate extra lead time for exit-re-entry trips.
Amid such scheduling pressures, Filipino residents and their HR teams may consider using VisaHQ, an online visa and passport facilitation platform that helps coordinate UAE entry permits, residence renewals and document legalisation even when embassy counters operate on shortened hours. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/
The embassy will add 200 daily online appointment slots during the month and deploy a ‘mobile consulate’ to Al Ain and Ras Al Khaimah on selected weekends. It is also waiving the usual express-processing fee for distressed Overseas Filipino Workers needing emergency travel documents.
Analysts say the move underscores the importance of culturally responsive public services in host countries with diverse expatriate populations. Other missions—India’s and Pakistan’s among them—are expected to announce similar Ramadan schedules this week.
