The US Embassy in Guatemala City lists 21 days in 2026 when it is closed to the public: 9 US federal holidays, 10 Guatemalan holidays and 2 that are both. Five remain after 4 November 2026: Veterans Day (Wednesday 11 November), Thanksgiving (Thursday 26 November), a half day on Thursday 24 December, Christmas Day (Friday 25 December) and a half day on Thursday 31 December. The embassy had not published a 2027 list as of 4 November 2026.
The embassy’s page is titled for 2026, although its web address still reads 2025. On an ordinary week the embassy’s contact page gives hours of 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Friday, and says the Consular Section is closed on US and Guatemalan holidays.
The 2026 closure list
The first four columns follow the embassy’s list (A = American holiday, G = Guatemalan). The last column compares each date with Article 127 of Guatemala’s Labour Code, which sets the national paid holidays.
| Date (2026) | Day | Holiday (embassy wording) | Observed by | Guatemalan holiday under Article 127? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Thursday | New Year’s Day | A & G | Yes |
| January 19 | Monday | Martin Luther King’s Birthday | A | No, ordinary working day |
| February 16 | Monday | Washington’s Birthday | A | No |
| April 2 | Thursday | Holy Thursday | G | Yes |
| April 3 | Friday | Good Friday | G | Yes |
| May 1 | Friday | Guatemalan Labor Day | G | Yes |
| May 25 | Monday | Memorial Day | A | No |
| June 19 | Friday | Juneteenth | A | No |
| June 29 (observed) | Monday | Army Day | G | Yes: Article 127 lists 30 June, and under Decreto 19-2018 the 2026 paid day off moved to Monday 29 June |
| July 3 (observed) | Friday | U.S. Independence Day | A | No |
| August 15 | Saturday | Feast of the Assumption | G | Not on the national list; Article 127 adds each locality’s own feast day |
| September 7 | Monday | U.S. Labor Day | A | No |
| September 15 | Tuesday | Guatemalan Independence Day | G | Yes |
| October 12 | Monday | Columbus Day | A | No |
| October 20 | Tuesday | Revolution Day | G | Yes |
| November 1 | Sunday | All Saints Day | G | Yes |
| November 11 | Wednesday | Veterans Day | A | No |
| November 26 | Thursday | Thanksgiving Day | A | No |
| December 24 | Thursday | Christmas Eve – Half Day | G | Yes, from 12:00 |
| December 25 | Friday | Christmas Day | A & G | Yes |
| December 31 | Thursday | New Year’s Eve – Half Day | G | Yes, from 12:00; banks do not open to the public that day |
Two footnotes on the embassy’s list explain the shifted dates. US holidays that fall on a weekend are observed on the Friday before or the Monday after, under 5 U.S.C. 6103(b) and Executive Order 11582, which is why Independence Day was observed on 3 July. And Guatemalan Labor Day and Revolution Day are back on their own dates, with Decree 19-2018 still applying only to Army Day.
Holy Saturday (4 April 2026) is on Guatemala’s Article 127 list but not on the embassy’s. For the 15 August feast in the capital, see Guatemala City’s August feria.
What this means for your plans
- US-only days (nine in 2026): none is on Guatemala’s Article 127 holiday list, but the embassy and its Consular Section are closed. Thanksgiving is on our Thanksgiving in Guatemala page.
- Guatemalan holidays close the embassy and are paid holidays under Article 127; see Guatemala holidays 2026 and bank holiday hours.
- Christmas and New Year: half days on 24 and 31 December, full closure on 25 December. The rest of the month is on Guatemala in December.
What still works on a closure day
The embassy’s contact page lists one emergency number for both business hours and after hours: 2354 0000 from Guatemala, or 011 502 2354 0000 or 1-301-985-8164 from the USA, with routine American Citizen Services enquiries going through its online U.S. Citizens Services Navigator. The same page notes that embassy staff are not first responders and points to ASISTUR, Guatemala’s tourist assistance service, staffed in Spanish and English 24/7: 1500 from a Guatemalan phone, (502) 2290-2810, or WhatsApp +502-5188-1819. Address, services and the Navigator are on our US citizen services page; dated security alerts are on US Embassy Guatemala security alerts.
2027: what is known
The embassy had not posted a 2027 list as of 4 November 2026. Two pieces are already published separately:
- US side. The Office of Personnel Management’s 2027 federal holiday schedule: Friday 1 January, Monday 18 January, Monday 15 February, Monday 31 May, Friday 18 June (Juneteenth, observed), Monday 5 July (Independence Day, observed), Monday 6 September, Monday 11 October, Thursday 11 November, Thursday 25 November and Friday 24 December (Christmas Day, observed).
- Guatemalan side. The legal dates and the Monday-shift rule for 30 June are on Guatemala holidays 2027.
The 2026 list combined both, so treat these as a guide until the embassy publishes its 2027 list.
Sources
- US Embassy in Guatemala: 2026 holidays when the embassy is closed to the public — read 4 November 2026; page last modified 2 March 2026.
- US Embassy in Guatemala: Contact us — read 4 November 2026.
- US Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays — read 4 November 2026; 2027 schedule.
- Organismo Judicial: Código de Trabajo, Article 127 — read 4 November 2026.
- AGN: Army Day 2026 holiday moved to Monday 29 June — read 4 November 2026.
- Superintendencia de Bancos: calendario 2026 — read 20 September 2026; 31 December closure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the US Embassy in Guatemala open on Christmas Eve 2026?
Only for half the day. The embassy’s 2026 list gives Thursday 24 December as Christmas Eve – Half Day, followed by a full closure on Friday 25 December and another half day on Thursday 31 December.
Which US holidays close the embassy while Guatemala works normally?
In 2026: Martin Luther King’s Birthday (19 January), Washington’s Birthday (16 February), Memorial Day (25 May), Juneteenth (19 June), US Independence Day observed on Friday 3 July, US Labor Day (7 September), Columbus Day (12 October), Veterans Day (11 November) and Thanksgiving (26 November). None of them is on Guatemala’s Article 127 holiday list.
Who do I call if I have an emergency when the embassy is closed?
The embassy’s contact page gives the same number for business hours and after hours: 2354 0000 from Guatemala, or 011 502 2354 0000 or 1-301-985-8164 from the USA. It also points to ASISTUR, the tourist assistance service, on 1500 from a Guatemalan phone, (502) 2290-2810, or WhatsApp +502-5188-1819, 24 hours a day.
Has the US Embassy published its 2027 holiday list?
Not as of 4 November 2026. The embassy’s holiday page and its contact page carry only the 2026 list. The US Office of Personnel Management has published the 2027 federal holidays, but the embassy’s list also includes Guatemalan holidays, so wait for the embassy’s own list.
Why did the embassy close on 29 June 2026 instead of 30 June?
Because Guatemala itself moved the holiday. Decreto 19-2018 makes a 30 June that falls on a Tuesday or Wednesday a day off on the Monday before, and the government news agency AGN reported that the 2026 paid day off moved to Monday 29 June. The embassy’s footnote says the decree now applies only to Army Day, while Labor Day and Revolution Day have returned to their original dates.
