The end of the year may affect visa and residence permit processing times. Find out when government and immigration offices in different countries will be closed in December 2025 - January 2026 to plan your application in time

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The Christmas and New Year holiday period is traditionally accompanied by mass closures of government agencies around the world. For foreigners, employers and companies working with international mobility, this means increased risks of delays in processing visa applications, residence and work permits, as well as in the implementation of immigration procedures in general.

Throughout the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026, many immigration and government agencies will operate on a reduced schedule, with minimal staff or will be completely closed for holidays. In some countries, the period of actual pause in processing documents can last from a few days to two weeks or more.

Below is an updated overview of planned holiday closures of government and immigration agencies in different countries of the world, which will help you assess possible delays in advance and adjust your plans for submitting documents for relocation or travel.

Find entry rules for any country in the world on the Visit World portal.

Planning to submit documents at the end of the year? Holiday closures and reduced working hours can lead to unexpected delays or rejections due to missed deadlines.

A migration lawyer will help you choose the right time to file, prepare a package of documents and minimize the risks of delays even during the holiday period.

Get advice from a migration lawyer now.

Holiday closures of government and immigration institutions (December 2025 - January 2026)

Albania

Government institutions will be closed on December 8, 2025, December 25, 2025 and from January 1 to 2, 2026.

Algeria

Government institutions will be closed from January 1, 2026.

Angola

Immigration offices will operate on reduced hours on 24 and 31 December 2025 (until 12:00 local time) and will be closed on 25 December 2025 and 1 January 2026.

Argentina

Government offices will be closed on 25 December 2025 and 1 January 2026.

Armenia

Government offices will be closed from 31 December 2025 to 2 January 2026 and on 6 January 2026.

Australia

The Department of Home Affairs will be closed on 25–26 December 2025 and 1 January 2026. Reduced staffing and limited services are expected from 29 to 31 December 2025.

Austria

Government offices will be closed on December 8, 2025, December 24-26, 2025, December 31, 2025, January 1, 2026, and January 6, 2026. Year-end staffing cuts may cause delays in processing documents.

Azerbaijan

Government offices will be closed from December 31, 2025 to January 4, 2026.

Bahamas

Government offices will be closed from December 25-26, 2025, and January 1, 2026.

Bahrain

Government offices will be closed from January 1, 2026.

Bangladesh

Government offices will be closed on December 16 and 25, 2025.

Barbados

Government offices will be closed on December 25-26, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Belarus

Government offices will be closed on December 25-26, 2025, January 1-2, 2026 and January 7, 2026. In exceptional cases, offices will be open on December 20, 2025 (Saturday).

Belgium

The opening hours of government offices vary by region:

- Brussels and Flanders: closed from December 25, 2025 to January 1, 2026;

- Wallonia: closed from December 25-26, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Bermuda

Government offices will be closed on December 25-26, 2025 and January 1, 2026. Early closing (usually noon) possible on December 24, 2025.

Bolivia

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026. Reduced hours are expected on December 24 and 31, 2025 (until 1:00 p.m.).

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025, January 1–2, 2026, and January 7, 2026.

Botswana

Immigration services will operate at reduced hours from December 22, 2025 due to staffing shortages. Offices will be closed on December 25–26, 2025 and January 1–2, 2026.

Brazil

Government offices are likely to be closed on December 24, 25, and 31, 2025, and January 1, 2026. Reduced hours are possible on December 26, 2025, and January 2, 2026.

Brunei

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Bulgaria

Government offices will be closed from December 24 to 26, 2025 and from December 31, 2025 to January 2, 2026.

Cameroon

Government offices will be closed from December 25, 2025 to January 1, 2026.

Canada

Government offices will be closed from December 25 to 26, 2025 and January 1, 2026. Reduced business hours may apply on December 24 and 31, 2025. Work permit applications at ports of entry will remain open, but with reduced staffing.

Cayman Islands

Government offices will be closed from December 25 to 26, 2025 and January 1, 2026. Early office closures are expected on December 24, 2025.

Chile

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026. Offices will close at noon on December 24 and 31, 2025.

China

Government offices will be closed from January 1 to 3, 2026.

Colombia

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026. Shortened hours are expected on December 24 and 31, 2025.

Costa Rica

Government offices are expected to be closed from December 22, 2025 to January 2, 2026 (until further notice).

Ivory Coast

Immigration offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Croatia

Government offices will be closed on December 25-26, 2025, January 1, 2026, and January 6, 2026.

Cyprus

Government offices will be closed on December 25-26, 2025, and January 1 and 6, 2026.

Czech Republic

Government offices will be closed on December 24-26, 2025, and January 1, 2026.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Immigration offices will be closed on December 25, 2025, and January 1, 4, 16, and 17, 2026.

Denmark

Immigration offices will be closed from December 23, 2025 to January 5, 2026. Biometrics and appointments will not be available during this period. Delays in processing documents are expected.

Dominican Republic

Government offices will be closed on December 24, 25, and 31, 2025, and January 1, 2026.

Ecuador

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025, and January 1-2, 2026.

Egypt

There are no planned government office closures in December 2025 and January 2026.

El Salvador

Government offices will be closed from December 23, 2025 to January 1, 2026.

Estonia

Government offices will be closed from December 24 to 26, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Ethiopia

Government offices will be closed from January 6 to 7, 2026 and January 19, 2026.

Fiji

Government offices will be closed from December 25 to 26, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Finland

Government offices are expected to be closed from December 24 to 26, 2025 and from January 1 to 6, 2026. Official confirmation of holiday dates is usually published in mid-December.

France

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026. Due to reduced staffing at consulates, prefectures and OFII offices, delays in processing applications may occur.

Georgia

Government offices will be closed on 1-2 January 2026 and 7 January 2026.

Germany

Government offices will be closed on 25-26 December 2025 and 1 January 2026. Certain administrative and consular offices may be closed on 24, 27 and 31 December 2025.

In Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxony-Anhalt, offices will also be closed on 6 January 2026.

Ghana

Government offices will be closed on 25-26 December 2025, 31 December 2025 and 1 January 2026.

Greece

Government offices will be closed December 25-26, 2025, January 1, 2026, and January 6, 2026.

Guatemala

Government offices will be closed December 24-25, 31, 2025, and January 1, 2026. Additional closures are possible with short notice.

Guyana

Government offices will be closed December 25-26, 2025, and January 1, 2026.

Honduras

Government offices are expected to be closed December 24-26, 2025, and December 31, 2025, through January 2, 2026.

Hong Kong

Government offices will be closed on December 25-26, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Hungary

Government offices will be closed on December 24-26, 2025 and January 1-2, 2026. The Immigration Service and the National Translation Service will be closed on December 29-31, 2025.

Iceland

Government offices will be closed on December 24-26, 2025, December 31, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

India

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025.

Indonesia

Government offices will be closed on December 25-26, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Iraqi Kurdistan

Government offices are expected to be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026 (official confirmation awaited).

Iraq

Government offices will be closed from January 1, 2026.

Ireland

Government offices will be closed from December 25-26, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Israel

Government offices will operate on the following schedule:

- December 14, 2025 - reduced working hours (until 2:00 PM);

- December 21, 2025 - complete closure.

Most government employees will be on vacation from December 14 to 30, 2025, which may affect the processing times for applications.

Italy

Government offices will be closed on December 25–26, 2025, and January 1 and 6, 2026.

Japan

Government offices will be closed from December 29, 2025 to January 4, 2026.

Jordan

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Kazakhstan

Government offices will be closed on December 16, 2025, January 1–2, 2026, and January 7, 2026. No applications will be accepted on December 31, 2025.

Kenya

Immigration offices will be closed on December 12, 25, and 26, 2025, and January 1, 2026. Expect slow service during the holiday period.

Kosovo

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025, January 1–2, 2026, and January 7, 2026.

Kuwait

Government offices will be closed from January 1, 2026.

Kyrgyzstan

Government offices will be closed from January 1 to 7, 2026.

Latvia

Government offices will be closed from December 24 to 26, 2025, and from December 31, 2025 to January 2, 2026. December 23 and 30, 2025 will be reduced working days.

Lebanon

Government offices are expected to be closed on December 25, 2025, and January 1, 2026 (official confirmation awaited).

Liechtenstein

Government offices will be closed on December 8, 2025, December 24-26, 2025, December 31, 2025-January 2, 2026, and January 6, 2026.

Lithuania

Government offices will be closed on December 24-26, 2025, and January 1, 2026. Staff reductions at the end of the year may cause delays in processing documents.

Luxembourg

Government offices will be closed during the day on December 24, 2025, during the day on December 25-26, 2025, and on January 1, 2026.

Malaysia

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025, and on January 1, 2026.

Malta

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Mexico

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026. Immigration offices may operate on a reduced schedule in advance of the holidays.

Moldova

Government offices will be closed from December 25, 2025 to January 1, 2026 and January 7, 2026.

Montenegro

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025, from January 1 to 2, 2026 and January 7, 2026.

Morocco

There are no official holiday closures scheduled for December 2025 and January 2026. However, there may be a slowdown in office hours at the end of the year.

Nepal

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Netherlands

Government offices will be closed on December 25-26, 2025 and January 1, 2026. Shortened working hours are expected on December 24 and 31, 2025.

New Zealand

Government offices will be closed on December 25-26, 2025 and January 1-2, 2026.

Nigeria

Government offices will be closed on December 25-26, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

North Macedonia

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025, January 1, 2026 and January 7, 2026.

Norway

Government offices will be closed on December 25-26, 2025 and January 1, 2026. Shortened hours may apply on December 24 and 31, 2025.

Panama

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Peru

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Philippines

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Poland

Government offices will be closed on December 25–26, 2025 and January 1, 2026. There may be delays in the work of provincial and migration offices between the holidays.

Portugal

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Qatar

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Romania

Government offices will be closed on December 25–26, 2025 and January 1–2, 2026.

Saudi Arabia

There is no official Christmas holiday. January 1, 2026 is not a public holiday, but some offices may operate on reduced hours.

Serbia

Government offices will be closed on January 1–2, 2026 and January 7, 2026.

Singapore

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Slovakia

Government offices will be closed on December 24–26, 2025 and January 1–6, 2026.

Slovenia

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1–2, 2026.

South Africa

Government offices will be closed on December 16, 25–26, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

South Korea

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

Spain

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025, January 1, and 6, 2026. Opening hours may vary by autonomous community.

Sweden

Government offices will be closed on December 25-26, 2025, and January 1, 2026.

Switzerland

Government offices will be closed on December 25-26, 2025, and January 1-2, 2026. Opening hours may vary by canton.

Thailand

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025, and January 1, 2026.

Turkey

There are no official holiday closures scheduled for December 2025 and January 2026.

Ukraine

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

United Arab Emirates

Government offices will be closed on January 1, 2026.

United Kingdom

Government offices will be closed on December 25-26, 2025 and January 1, 2026. Visa processing is expected to be significantly slower during the holiday period.

United States

Government offices will be closed on December 25, 2025 and January 1, 2026. Immigration services may operate with limited staffing through the end of December.

Uzbekistan

Government offices will be closed on January 1, 2026.

Vietnam

There are no official holiday closures scheduled for December 2025 and January 2026.

If you are planning to apply for a visa, residence permit, citizenship, or other immigration services in late 2025 or early 2026, please be aware of the holiday schedules of government agencies. Even without official holidays, many agencies are operating with reduced staff, which can significantly affect the processing times of applications.

We recommend that you apply early, check official notices from local authorities, and allow extra time for processing applications during the holiday period.

Visas, residence permits, work permits, or family reunification - during the holiday season, every mistake can cost months of waiting.

A migration lawyer will accompany your case from document preparation to submission and communication with government agencies, even during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Sign up for professional migration support!

Reminder! December strikes by airlines and airport workers threaten Christmas travel in Spain, the UK and other European countries. We have already told you which airports will be affected and how to prepare for travel.

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