Christmas in UAE: US Embassy in Abu Dhabi, Consulate in Dubai closed for five days

Will visa interviews be affected as Christmas holiday bookended by additional closures?

Last updated: December 23, 2025 | 11:36

2 MIN READ

Expats across the UAE mark Christmas with church services, carol singing, family gatherings and traditional festive feasts, adding to the country’s diverse and inclusive holiday spirit. Photo used for illustrative purposes.

Abu Dhabi: The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the US Consulate General in Dubai will remain closed for five days during the Christmas period, it was announced on Tuesday.

Both diplomatic facilities will be shut from Wednesday, December 24 through Friday, December 26, 2025, in observance of the Christmas holiday. Normal operations at both missions will resume on Monday, December 29 after the regular weekend holidays.

The announcement was made through the US Mission to the UAE's social media account.

"The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the US Consulate General in Dubai will be closed in observance of #Christmas on Thursday, December 25. This closure is bookended by additional closures at both Missions on Wednesday, December 24 and Friday, December 26, 2025," the official post on X stated.

"Normal operations will resume on Monday, December 29.We wish you and your loved ones a joyful holiday," it added.

Visa appointments affected?

The extended Christmas closure due to the three-day shutdown and the subsequent weekend holiday is likely to impact the regular visa appointment release schedule. The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai typically release new non-immigrant visa interview appointments every Friday morning between 7.30am and 11.30am.

However, with Friday, December 26 falling within the holiday shutdown period, no new appointment slots will be released on that day, as the schedule excludes US and UAE public holidays, according to the website of the US mission.

The missions may occasionally release additional interview appointments outside the standard Friday morning window to accommodate demand, according to the website. This flexibility could prove helpful when services resume after the holiday period. However, it is not immediately clear when exactly the missions would release visa interview appointments outside of the Friday schedule.