Pakistani Embassy Abu Dhabi and Consulate Dubai closed on 25 Dec; employers told to pre-check passports

Pakistan’s diplomatic missions in the UAE will be closed on Wednesday, 25 December, in observance of Christmas Day and Quaid-e-Azam Day. Consular services—including visa issuance, passport renewals and attestation—will resume on the next working day.

The one-day shutdown falls in the middle of Dubai International Airport’s outbound peak, heightening the risk that Pakistani nationals travelling on near-expiry passports could be stranded if they require emergency laissez-passer documents. Travel agents report a spike in same-day passport collections in the run-up to the closure, and employers with Pakistani assignees have been advised to verify that residency-visa endorsements are already stamped into renewed passports.



Under UAE immigration rules, residency visas become invalid if the underlying passport expires. The Dubai General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) has confirmed that gate agents will deny boarding to holders of expired passports even if their UAE ID and residence sticker remain valid.

Companies with large Pakistani workforces—construction, healthcare and hospitality in particular—should keep contingency plans. If urgent travel documents are required on 25 December, private visa-service providers such as VisaHQ can generate electronic exit permits, though fees apply and processing depends on ICP approval.

Looking ahead, mobility managers should note that the missions will also close on 30–31 December for Rizal Day and New Year’s Eve, compressing year-end processing capacity into three working days.