Quick Reads:

• Appointments cancelled from July 13 to 15, 2026
• Move comes amid escalating military tensions in the Gulf region
• Both missions remain on “ordered-departure status”
• All routine US visa services in the UAE still suspended
• Affected applicants will be contacted directly to reschedule

US missions in UAE suspend consular appointments this week, as Washington cites a deteriorating security situation across the Gulf region. The suspension, which began Monday, affects all scheduled visits to the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the US Consulate General in Dubai from July 13 through July 15.

In an advisory issued on Monday, the missions were direct about what Americans should do next: stay away. “The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and US Consulate General in Dubai have cancelled consular appointments from July 13 to 15 due to the regional security situation. If you have an appointment on those dates, Americans should not come to the embassy or consulate, we will contact you to reschedule,” the notice read.

The decision lands against a backdrop of rising military tension in the Gulf, with the US Embassy confirming it remains on “ordered-departure status.” That designation means non-emergency US government personnel have already been relocated outside the UAE, leaving only limited consular assistance available to American citizens for now.

For Americans who urgently need passport or other consular help, the missions say the front door is not the way in. Instead, applicants are being directed to reach out through the US Citizen Services Navigator online, select their preferred location, and wait for a response by email with further instructions. Beyond the appointment freeze, all routine US visa services in the UAE also remain suspended, meaning the disruption stretches well past this week’s three-day window.

This isn’t the first time the UAE mission has pulled back services this year. Similar restrictions were flagged back in May, when UAE authorities issued public alerts warning of potential aerial threats. That episode also saw the embassy operating on ordered-departure status while urging Americans to follow local instructions and be ready to shelter if needed.

For now, anyone with an existing appointment in the affected window is being told to sit tight rather than show up in person, as US missions in UAE suspend consular appointments while officials monitor how the wider regional security picture develops.