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Holiday Closures of Government and Immigration Offices
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18th Dec 1157 Views

During the Christmas and New Year period, many government and immigration authorities worldwide reduce working hours or close completely. This can significantly delay visa, residence permit, work permit, and citizenship applications.

If you plan to submit documents or expect decisions in late 2025 or early 2026, it is important to understand how holiday schedules may affect processing times.

This article provides a clear overview and practical guidance to help you plan ahead.

Why Holiday Closures Matter for Immigration Applications

Even when official closures are limited to a few days, reduced staffing, appointment suspensions, and backlog accumulation are common during the holiday season.

Possible impacts include:

  • Delays in visa and residence permit processing

  • Suspension of biometric appointments

  • Limited responses from immigration offices

  • Slower communication with embassies and consulates

In many countries, applications are not reviewed at all during public holidays, and processing resumes only after normal operations restart.

Overview of Holiday Closures (December 2025 – January 2026)

Across most regions, December 25, 2025 (Christmas Day) and January 1, 2026 (New Year’s Day) are public holidays. Many countries also observe additional closure days or reduced hours before and after these dates.

Key patterns include:

  • Europe: Widespread closures from December 24–26 and early January, with extended shutdowns in Nordic and Central European countries

  • Americas: Closures mainly on December 25 and January 1, often with early office closures on December 24 and 31

  • Asia & Middle East: Fewer Christmas holidays, but New Year closures and reduced staffing are common

  • Africa: Closures vary widely, with many countries closing on December 25 and January 1

Even where offices remain officially open, processing speeds are usually slower due to staff leave.

Countries With Extended or High-Impact Closures

Some countries have longer shutdown periods or major service limitations, which may strongly affect immigration timelines.

Examples include:

  • Denmark: Immigration offices closed from December 23, 2025 to January 5, 2026, including suspension of biometrics

  • Japan: Government offices closed from December 29, 2025 to January 4, 2026

  • Finland: Expected closures from December 24–26, 2025 and January 1–6, 2026

  • Hungary: Immigration and translation services closed December 29–31, 2025

  • Costa Rica: Expected closure from December 22, 2025 to January 2, 2026

In these cases, applications submitted close to the holidays may not be reviewed for several weeks.

Reduced Staffing and Limited Services

In many countries, offices remain technically open but operate with:

  • Reduced staff

  • Limited appointment availability

  • Slower document review

  • Delayed responses to inquiries

Countries such as Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States have officially warned of slower immigration processing during the holiday period.

Ports of entry and emergency services may remain open, but routine case processing is often delayed.

Countries With No Official Closures but Possible Delays

Some countries do not observe Christmas or New Year as official holidays. However, slowdowns may still occur due to annual leave or administrative backlogs.

Examples include:

  • Egypt

  • Morocco

  • Saudi Arabia

  • Turkey

  • Vietnam

Applicants should not assume normal processing speeds during this period.

How Holiday Closures Can Affect Your Case

Holiday disruptions may impact:

  • First-time visa applications

  • Work and residence permit renewals

  • Citizenship and naturalisation cases

  • Family reunification applications

  • Appeals and document corrections

Missing documents or small errors during this period can lead to months of additional waiting, as corrections may only be reviewed after offices fully reopen.

Practical Tips for Applicants

To reduce risks and delays, consider the following:

  • Submit applications well before mid-December 2025

  • Complete biometrics and appointments as early as possible

  • Check official holiday notices from immigration authorities

  • Avoid submitting incomplete or last-minute applications

  • Plan for longer waiting times than usual

Early preparation is the most effective way to protect your timeline.

Why Professional Support Is Especially Important During Holidays

During the holiday season, communication with authorities becomes more difficult. Professional migration support can help by:

  • Ensuring documents are correct before submission

  • Monitoring case status during closures

  • Communicating with authorities when offices reopen

  • Preventing avoidable rejections or delays

For time-sensitive cases, expert guidance can make the difference between approval and months of waiting.

Final Advice

If you are planning to apply for a visa, residence permit, work permit, citizenship, or family reunification in late 2025 or early 2026, holiday closures must be part of your planning.

Even short closures combined with reduced staffing can significantly slow down immigration processes.

Applying early, staying informed, and preparing correctly are essential during this period.

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