The Embassy of Pakistan in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate-General in Dubai confirmed on 23 December that they will be closed on Wednesday, 25 December, in observance of Christmas Day and Quaid-e-Azam Day. Routine visa processing, passport renewals and attestation services will resume on the next working day.
The one-day shutdown coincides with Dubai International Airport’s peak outbound wave, and travel agents warn that last-minute travellers needing emergency laissez-passer documents could face delays. Employers with Pakistani assignees whose residency visas require passport validity updates should verify that documents have been endorsed before Tuesday evening.
![Pakistani missions in UAE to close on 25 December, pausing all consular services]()
Pakistani citizens transiting onward to Saudi Arabia for Umrah between 24–26 December should carry printouts of their e-visas and be prepared for manual verification at UAE immigration desks, as mission staff will be unavailable to reissue lost or damaged passports.
Corporate mobility teams are advised to: 1) move any notarisation requests forward to 24 December at the latest; 2) keep soft copies of employee passports and Emirates IDs; and 3) brief travellers about alternative contact points such as Pakistan’s 24-hour consular helpline in Islamabad.
While the closure is routine, its clash with holiday travel underscores the need for advance planning around embassy hours—especially as several other missions are observing extended breaks this year.
The one-day shutdown coincides with Dubai International Airport’s peak outbound wave, and travel agents warn that last-minute travellers needing emergency laissez-passer documents could face delays. Employers with Pakistani assignees whose residency visas require passport validity updates should verify that documents have been endorsed before Tuesday evening.
Pakistani citizens transiting onward to Saudi Arabia for Umrah between 24–26 December should carry printouts of their e-visas and be prepared for manual verification at UAE immigration desks, as mission staff will be unavailable to reissue lost or damaged passports.
Corporate mobility teams are advised to: 1) move any notarisation requests forward to 24 December at the latest; 2) keep soft copies of employee passports and Emirates IDs; and 3) brief travellers about alternative contact points such as Pakistan’s 24-hour consular helpline in Islamabad.
While the closure is routine, its clash with holiday travel underscores the need for advance planning around embassy hours—especially as several other missions are observing extended breaks this year.
Source: Gulf News
