Worldwide: Ramadan Will Bring Immigration Processing Delays

March 23, 2026

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Countries / Territories

  • 🌐

At a Glance

  • Foreign nationals and their employers can expect immigration processing delays throughout March and April in the Middle East, North Africa, Türkiye and parts of Asia during the observance of Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr. Many government offices worldwide reduce their hours and/or close during Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr. 
  • Processing delays could continue in the weeks following Ramadan, due to application backlogs that accumulate during the closures. 

The situation 

Foreign nationals and their employers can expect immigration processing delays throughout March and April in the Middle East, North Africa, Türkiye and parts of Asia during observance of Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr. Many government offices worldwide reduce their hours and/or close during Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr. 

A closer look 

This year, the month of Ramadan is expected to begin on February 18 or February 19 and end on March 19 or March 20, 2026. However, the exact dates will be determined by lunar sighting and announced individually for each country. 

Below is a non-exhaustive list of operating hours and office closures for Ramadan. Government office closures are expected in many countries for Eid-al-Fitr, though there have not been official announcements for most countries. 

Country 

Government Office Operating Hours and Closures 

Algeria 
  • Daily operating hours:  
  • Government offices in the north: Sunday to Thursday 8:00-15:30 
  • Government offices in the south (desert): Sunday to Thursday 8:00-14:00  
  • Office closure dates: Exact dates are yet to be announced by the authorities. It is anticipated that government entities will remain closed from March 20, 2026, and work will resume on March 23, 2026.

Azerbaijan 
  • Office closure dates: All government offices, as well as many private-sector businesses, will be closed from March 20-26 (due to Nowruz) and March 20-21, and tentatively 27-30 (due to Ramadan). 

Bangladesh 
  • Daily operating hours: 9:00-15:30 (local time) 
  • Office closure dates: March 17, 19-23, 2026 

Bahrain 
  • Office closure dates: Government entities will remain closed from March 19 or March 20, 2026, and work will resume on March 24, or March 25, 2026.

Brunei 
  • Daily operating hours. Public offices are likely to close on the first day and operate until 14:00 during Ramadan, which may cause processing delays. 
  • Office closure dates: February 19 (First day of Ramadan). February 23, 2026 (National Day), March 21, 2026 (to be confirmed; Hari Raya)  

Cote D’Ivoire 
  • Office closure dates: Government offices will be closed March 17, 2026, for Ramadan; and for Eid-Al-Fitr on March 20, 2026.   

Egypt 
  • Daily operating hours: Sunday to Thursday 9:00-14:00. 
  • Office closure dates: Government entities will remain closed from March 19, 2026, and work will resume on March 24, 2026.

Indonesia 
  • The Ministry of Manpower has not yet issued any official circular or provided confirmed guidance on government closures related to Ramadan. However, based on prior years, the online submission system typically closes at 15:00. For ITAS/Stay Permit submissions, new applications are usually no longer accepted between 14:30 and 15:00 during this period. 

Iraq 
  • Daily operating hours: Sunday to Thursday 8:00-14:00. 
  • Office closure dates: Exact dates are yet to be announced by the authorities. It is anticipated that government entities will remain closed from March 20, 2026, and work will resume on March 24, 2026.

Iraqi Kurdistan 
  • Daily operating hours: Sunday to Thursday 8:00-14:30. 
  • Office closure dates: Government entities will remain closed from March 19, 2026, and work will resume on March 29, 2026.

Jordan 
  • Daily operating hours: Sunday to Thursday 9:30-15:00. 
  • Office closure dates: Government entities will remain closed from March 20, 2026, and work will resume on March 24, 2026.

Kenya 
  • Office closure dates: Government immigration entities will be closed for Eid-al-Fitr, depending on the lunar sighting. 

Kuwait 
  • Daily operating hours: Sunday to Thursday 9:30-14:00. 
  • Office closure dates: Government entities will remain closed from March 19, 2026, and work will resume on March 23 or March 24, 2026.

Lebanon 
  • Daily operating hours: Monday to Thursday 9:00-14:00 and Friday 9:00-12:00. 
  • Office closure dates: Exact dates are yet to be announced by the authorities. It is anticipated that government entities will remain closed from March 20, 2026, and work will resume on March 23, 2026.

Mauritania 
  • Daily operating hours: During Ramadan operating hours will be at 9:00-16:00 (local time). 
  • Office closure dates: Government offices will be closed March 19 and 20, 2026 for Eid-Al-Fitr. 

Morocco 
  • Daily operating hours: Monday to Friday 9:00-15:00. 
  • Office closure dates: Government entities will remain closed on March 23, 2026, and work will resume on March 24, 2026.

Oman 
  • Daily operating hours: Sunday to Thursday 9:00-14:00. 
  • Office closure dates: Government entities will remain closed from March 19, 2026, and work will resume on March 24, 2026.

Pakistan 
  • Daily operating hours: Monday to Thursday 9:00-15:00 and Friday 9:00- 12:30. 
  • Office closure dates: Government entities will remain closed from March 21, 2026, and work will resume on March 24, 2026.

Qatar 
  • Daily operating hours: Sunday to Thursday 9:00-14:00. 
  • Office closure dates: Government entities will remain closed from March 18, or March 19, 2026, and work will resume on March 23, or March 24, 2026.

Saudi Arabia 
  • Daily operating hours: Sunday to Thursday 10:00-15:00. 
  • Office closure dates: Government entities will remain closed from March 18, 2026, and work will resume on March 22, 2026.

Senegal 
  • Daily operating hours: During Ramadan operating hours will be at 9:00-16:00 (local time).   
  • Office closure dates: Government offices will be closed March 19 or 20, 2026 for Eid-Al-Fitr. 

Sierra Leone 
  • Daily operating hours: Monday to Thursday 8:30-17:00 (local time); Friday 8:30-13:30 (local time) 
  • Office closure dates: Government offices will be closed on Eid al-Fitr. 

Singapore 
  • Office closure dates: Hari Raya Puasa falls on March 21, 2026. As it falls on a weekend, there will be no office or government closures, and it will instead be observed as an earned “floating leave” holiday for the Singapore offices. 

Tunisia 
  • Daily operating hours: Monday to Thursday 8:00-14:30 and Friday 8:00-13:30. 
  • Office closure dates: Exact dates are yet to be announced by the authorities. It is anticipated that government entities will remain closed from March 20, 2026, and work will resume on March 23, 2026

Türkiye 
  • No government office closures. 

United Arab Emirates 
  • Daily operating hours: Monday to Thursday 9:00-14:30 and Friday 9:00- 12:00. 
  • Office closure dates: Government entities will remain closed from March 19, 2026, and work will resume on March 23, 2026

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.  

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