Have a US Visa Appointment Wednesday? The Embassy Will Be Closed

The U.S. Embassy in San José will be closed all day Wednesday, Nov. 11. If you have a visa interview or any other in-person appointment that day, you’ll need a new plan. The closure covers the main embassy and the Consular Section, which handles visa applications and services for U.S. citizens. It’s for Veterans Day, a U.S. federal holiday honoring people who served in the American armed forces. Both offices reopen Thursday, Nov. 12, on their regular schedule. If your appointment is on Wednesday, look for rescheduling instructions in your confirmation email or the embassy’s online visa appointment system. The embassy hasn’t said whether Wednesday appointments will be moved automatically. U.S. citizens with a real emergency can still get help. The embassy says emergency cases are admitted case by case, and it asks citizens to give notice in advance by emailing ACSSanJose@state.gov. Two more dates matter if you have embassy business this month. The Consular Section closes for consular services on the last Wednesday of every month, which is Nov. 25. The embassy also closes on U.S. holidays, including Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 26. It closes on Costa Rican public holidays too, so check its online calendar before any visit. The embassy is in Pavas, west of downtown San José. Only people with scheduled appointments are let into the Consular Section, so turning up without one on a reopening day won’t get you in.