Photo credit: ANI
The US embassy in India announced in a statement on Tuesday that it will be closed from December 24 to December 26 in accordance with a Presidential Executive Order mandating the closure of executive departments and agencies of the federal government on these dates.Routine consular services, including visa processing and citizen services, will not be available during this period. US citizens requiring emergency assistance have been advised to use the emergency contact numbers provided by the embassy and consulates. Normal operations are scheduled to resume on December 29. The closures follow a Presidential executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which stated: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered. All executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, and Friday, December 26, 2025, the day before and the day following Christmas Day, respectively.”The order allows limited exceptions, noting that heads of executive departments and agencies “may determine that certain offices and installations of their organisations, or parts thereof, must remain open and that certain employees must report for duty” on December 24 or December 26 for reasons of national security, defence, or other public need.US citizens have been advised to plan accordingly, as only emergency services will be available during the shutdown.