Gulf-based executives heading to Poland this month will need to adjust timelines after the Polish Embassy in Riyadh and its consular section shut for the All Saints’ Day holiday on 2 November. The closure, announced in advance on 28 October, suspends all in-person appointments for national visas, work-permit legalisations and passport collections.
Why it matters: Saudi companies in the energy, defence and IT sectors increasingly send engineers to Polish projects under tight mobilisation schedules; a single-day consular closure can cascade into missed project start dates because biometrics and original-document submissions cannot be performed elsewhere in the kingdom. Couriered passport return services are also on hold until 3 November.
![Polish Embassy in Riyadh Closed on 2 November, Delaying Visa Services for Gulf Business Travellers]()
Mitigation tips for mobility teams: 1) Use Poland’s e-Consulate platform to lock in the first available post-holiday slot; Riyadh’s queue currently shows a seven-day wait for National (D) visas. 2) If urgent, redirect applicants to the Polish Consulate General in Dubai, which remains open, though extra legalisation fees apply. 3) Verify whether candidates qualify for visa-on-arrival alternatives via long-term Schengen multiple-entry permits issued by another EU state.
Bigger picture: The Riyadh post is one of several Polish missions that close on 1–2 November each year. Corporate mobility planners should bake these recurring holidays into global assignment calendars to avoid last-minute scramble.
Why it matters: Saudi companies in the energy, defence and IT sectors increasingly send engineers to Polish projects under tight mobilisation schedules; a single-day consular closure can cascade into missed project start dates because biometrics and original-document submissions cannot be performed elsewhere in the kingdom. Couriered passport return services are also on hold until 3 November.
Mitigation tips for mobility teams: 1) Use Poland’s e-Consulate platform to lock in the first available post-holiday slot; Riyadh’s queue currently shows a seven-day wait for National (D) visas. 2) If urgent, redirect applicants to the Polish Consulate General in Dubai, which remains open, though extra legalisation fees apply. 3) Verify whether candidates qualify for visa-on-arrival alternatives via long-term Schengen multiple-entry permits issued by another EU state.
Bigger picture: The Riyadh post is one of several Polish missions that close on 1–2 November each year. Corporate mobility planners should bake these recurring holidays into global assignment calendars to avoid last-minute scramble.
