With the first day of Eid Al-Fitr falling today, 20 March 2026, federal ministries and most private-sector offices across the UAE have commenced a four-day holiday that will last through Sunday, 22 March. Circular 2/2026 issued by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources designates the period as paid leave for all public-sector employees, and major visa outsourcing contractors, including VFS Global and the New Zealand Visa Application Centre, have mirrored the shutdown. For global mobility programmes the impact is immediate: in-country residence-visa stamping, Emirates ID biometrics and attestation services are on hold until Monday. Logistics providers warn that courier delivery of original passports will also pause, potentially delaying start dates for new hires due to collect entry permits or exit re-entry visas.
![Eid Al-Fitr holiday closures begin across UAE; visa counters and VFS centres shut until 22 March]()
To help mitigate such delays, VisaHQ provides an online, end-to-end service for UAE visa processing, document legalisation and real-time status tracking. Companies and travellers can preload applications now so that submissions are ready the moment government counters reopen, reducing the risk of extended onboarding timelines. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/
Companies with time-sensitive applications are urged to use the ICP’s smart app, which remains operational for most online extensions and fee payments. Airports, however, expect the usual Eid surge. Dubai Airports forecasts over 250,000 daily passengers between 20 and 24 March, despite the reduced flight schedule linked to regional airspace restrictions. Travellers should factor in longer immigration queues because staffing rosters are trimmed during public holidays. Recruiters note that the holiday coincides with peak spring hiring, and any document backlog this week could spill into April, affecting onboarding timelines for regional assignments. HR teams are therefore building two-week cushions into mobilisation plans. While consular sections of foreign missions are technically closed, several—including the Indian and Filipino embassies—have activated emergency hotlines for passport-loss and medical cases. Employers should circulate these contacts to travelling staff.
To help mitigate such delays, VisaHQ provides an online, end-to-end service for UAE visa processing, document legalisation and real-time status tracking. Companies and travellers can preload applications now so that submissions are ready the moment government counters reopen, reducing the risk of extended onboarding timelines. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/
Companies with time-sensitive applications are urged to use the ICP’s smart app, which remains operational for most online extensions and fee payments. Airports, however, expect the usual Eid surge. Dubai Airports forecasts over 250,000 daily passengers between 20 and 24 March, despite the reduced flight schedule linked to regional airspace restrictions. Travellers should factor in longer immigration queues because staffing rosters are trimmed during public holidays. Recruiters note that the holiday coincides with peak spring hiring, and any document backlog this week could spill into April, affecting onboarding timelines for regional assignments. HR teams are therefore building two-week cushions into mobilisation plans. While consular sections of foreign missions are technically closed, several—including the Indian and Filipino embassies—have activated emergency hotlines for passport-loss and medical cases. Employers should circulate these contacts to travelling staff.
