Government offices to close Dec. 26, Jan. 2

IMPACT – LOW

What is the change? The Philippines has announced that government offices will close on Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 after the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

What does the change mean? Companies should take note of the limited services and plan accordingly.

• Implementation time frame: Dec. 26 and Jan. 2.
• Visas/permits affected: All visas, permits and other immigration-related government services.
• Who is affected: Anyone in need of immigration-related government services during the holiday period.
• Business impact: Businesses may need to make minor adjustments because of the office closures. 

Background: Offices in countries around the world will close for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. President Rodrigo Duterte’s office announced late last week that government offices in the Philippines would be closed not only on Christmas and New Year’s days, but also on Dec. 26 and Jan. 2. Private sector offices are not affected.

BAL Analysis: Those in need of immigration services should expect delays and file applications early if possible.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in the Philippines. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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