This notice is to advise American citizens residing or traveling in Afghanistan that the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul will be closed for all routine services on the following Afghan and U.S. holidays throughout 2016.
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 31 | Thursday | New Year’s Day | U.S. |
| January 17 | Sunday | Martin Luther King’s Birthday | U.S. |
| February 14 | Sunday | President’s Day | U.S. |
| March 21 | Monday | Afghan New Year (Nawroz) | Local |
| April 28 | Thursday | Afghan Victory Day | Local |
| May 29 | Sunday | Memorial Day | U.S. |
| June 5* | Sunday | First Day of Ramadan | Local |
| July 4 | Monday | Independence Day | U.S. |
| July 5-7* | Tues – Thurs | Eid-ul-Fiter | Local |
| August 19 | Friday | Afghan Independence Day | Local |
| September 4 | Sunday | Labor Day | U.S. |
| September 9 | Friday | Martyrs and Ahmad Shah Masoud Day | Local |
| Sep 14-16* | Wed – Fri | Eid-ul-Qurban | Local |
| October 9 | Sunday | Columbus Day | U.S. |
| October 11 | Tuesday | 10th of Muharram (Ashura) | Local |
| November 10 | Thursday | Veterans’ Day | U.S. |
| November 24 | Thursday | Thanksgiving Day | U.S. |
| December 12* | Monday | Prophet’s Birthday | Local |
| December 25 | Sunday | Christmas Day | U.S. |
NOTE:
*These Afghan holidays are based on the Islamic calendar and depend on sightings of the moon. The exact dates of the holiday are subject to official confirmation announcement made by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
Other than these holidays, the Consular Section is open to the public Sunday through Thursday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Appointments for consular services can be made on the U.S. Embassy website at kabul.usembassy.gov.
We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Afghanistan enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates, and makes it easier for the U.S. Embassy to contact you in an emergency. If you don’t have Internet access, enroll directly with the U.S. Embassy.
U.S. citizens in Afghanistan should regularly monitor the Travel Advisories on the website of the Embassy of the United States Kabul, Afghanistan, as well as the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs website, where the Worldwide Caution, Country Specific Information and the Travel Warning for Afghanistan are found. In addition, the Embassy encourages U.S. citizens to review “A Traveler’s Checklist ” which includes valuable security information for those traveling or living in foreign countries. You can also follow the Bureau of Consular Affairs on Twitter and on Facebook. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada, or, for callers outside of the United States and Canada, on a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
The U.S. Embassy is located at Great Massoud Road between Radio Afghanistan and the Ministry of Public Health in Kabul. To reach the American Citizen Services (ACS) unit of the Consular Section during business hours, please call 0700-108-499 or send an email toKabulACS@state.gov. You can also reach the ACS unit through the Embassy’s switchboard by calling 0700-108-001/002. For after-hours emergencies involving U.S. citizens, please call the Consular Duty Officer at 0700-10-8001.
