Key Takeaways
- Holiday seasons lead to worldwide delays in immigration document processing.
- Reduced operating hours of government offices during holidays affect the timelines for obtaining work permits, residence permits, and visas.
- Travelers and relocators are advised to plan their trips in advance, considering potential delays during holiday seasons.
During the holiday season, many government offices worldwide close or operate with reduced staff, leading to processing delays for work permits, residence permits, and visas. Below is a country-by-country breakdown of expected government office closures during the upcoming holiday season:
Albania
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1-2, 2025.
Algeria
- Closed on January 1, 2025.
Australia
- Closed from December 25 to 28, 2024, and on January 1, 2025.
Austria
- Closed on December 25-26, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Azerbaijan
- Closed from December 31, 2024, to January 4, 2025.
Bahrain
- Closed on December 16-17, 2024, December 25, 2024, and January 1 and 3, 2025.
Bangladesh
- Closed on December 16 and 25, 2024.
Belgium
- Regional employment ministries are closed on the following days:
- Brussels: December 25, 2024, until January 4, 2025.
- Flanders: December 25, 2024, until January 1, 2025.
- Wallonia: December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
- Federal and municipal authorities will be closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025, and may close early on other days between December 24, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Closed on December 24-25, 2024, and January 1-2 and 6-7, 2025.
Botswana
- Closed on December 25-28, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Brazil
- Federal Police and other government offices are expected to close at 12:00 PM on December 24 and 31, 2024, and remain closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Bulgaria
- Closed on December 24-28, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Canada
- Closed on December 25-26, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
China
- Closed on January 1, 2025.
Croatia
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1 and 6, 2025.
Cyprus
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1 and 6, 2025.
Czech Republic
- Closed from December 23, 2024, up to and including January 1, 2025.
Denmark
- Closed from December 24, 2024, up to and including January 1, 2025.
Estonia
- Closed on December 31, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Finland
- Closed on December 24-25, 2024, and January 1 and 6, 2025.
France
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Germany
- Closed on December 25-26, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Greece
- Closed on December 25-26, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Hungary
- Closed on December 25-26, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
India
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Indonesia
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Ireland
- Closed on December 25-26, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Italy
- Closed on December 25-26, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Japan
- Closed from December 29, 2024, to January 3, 2025.
Kazakhstan
- Closed on December 16, 2024, and January 1-2, 2025.
Kenya
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Luxembourg
- Closed on December 25-26, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Malta
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Mexico
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Montenegro
- Closed on December 24-25, 2024, and January 1-2, 2025.
Netherlands
- Closed on December 25-26, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
New Zealand
- Closed on December 25-26, 2024, and January 1-2, 2025.
Nigeria
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Norway
- Closed on December 24-26, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Pakistan
- Closed on December 25, 2024.
Philippines
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Poland
- Closed on December 25-26, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Portugal
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Romania
- Closed on December 25-26, 2024, and January 1-2, 2025.
Russia
- Closed from January 1 to 8, 2025.
Saudi Arabia
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Serbia
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1-2 and 7, 2025.
Singapore
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Slovakia
- Closed on December 25-26, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Slovenia
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
South Africa
- Closed on December 25-26, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
South Korea
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Spain
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Sri Lanka
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Sweden
- Closed on December 24-26, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Switzerland
- Closed on December 25-26, 2024, and January 1-2, 2025.
Thailand
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Turkey
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Ukraine
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1 and 7, 2025.
United Arab Emirates
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
United Kingdom
- Closed on December 25-26, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
United States
- Closed on December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Uzbekistan
- Closed on December 31, 2024, and January 1, 2025.
Vietnam
- Closed on January 1, 2025.
For those planning trips or relocations during these periods, it’s crucial to anticipate potential delays. It’s advisable to contact immigration services or consultants to discuss the impact of holiday closures on specific circumstances. This proactive approach can help avoid unexpected delays and adjust plans according to realistic processing timelines.
Understanding and accounting for these factors can minimize stress and ensure a smoother immigration or travel process during holiday seasons.
