Rio mayor announces Olympic holiday; offices closed Thursday, Friday

IMPACT – HIGH

What is the change? Rio de Janeiro’s mayor, Eduardo Paes, has announced that Thursday, Aug. 4, will be a municipal holiday, as the city prepares to play host to the Olympic Games.

What does the change mean? Government and private offices will be closed and immigration processing in Rio de Janeiro will be suspended during Olympics-related holidays. Other holidays are scheduled for Aug. 5, 18 and 22.

• Implementation time frame: Aug. 4, 5, 18 and 22.
• Visas/permits affected: All visas, permits and other immigration-related services.
• Who is affected: Anyone in need of immigration or other government services in Rio de Janeiro.
• Impact on processing times: All in-country immigration processing and other government services will be suspended.
• Business impact: The holidays may cause delays to business schedules.
• Next steps: Rio de Janeiro may announce additional holidays as the games progress. BAL will follow developments and alert clients to any additional holidays or office closures.

Background: The Olympics begin Friday and run through Aug. 21 in Rio de Janeiro. Holidays had been scheduled for Aug. 5, 18 and 22, but traffic concerns led Mayor Paes to declare Thursday a holiday as well, in part to ensure that the Olympic torch would not be held up on its way into the city. Government and private offices will be closed during the holidays in Rio de Janeiro, but other parts of Brazil will not be affected.

BAL Analysis: Employers should plan for the office closures and prepare for possible delays in services if backlogs build up during the Olympics.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group in Brazil. For additional information, please contact brazil@bal.com.

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