EMB135 FLT CREW DECLARED MIN FUEL AFTER HOLDING DELAYS TO THEIR PRIMARY ARPT AND VECTORS TO THEIR ALTERNATE. APCH CTL CHANGES DECLARATION TO FUEL EMER AFTER LEARNING ONLY 30 MIN FUEL ONBOARD.

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WE BELIEVE WE WERE NOT PROVIDED ENOUGH FUEL FOR THE EXPECTED HOLDING OCCURRING WITHIN THE ARR SECTOR DURING THESE TIMES OF DAY. WE WERE GIVEN A HOLDING CLRNC BECAUSE OF ARR CONGESTION IN THE AREA. WE ENTERED THE HOLD AT XA41 LOCAL AND AT 10;000 FT MSL WITH A SCHEDULED FUEL LOAD OF 3520 LBS. OUR DISPATCHER GAVE US 20 MINUTES OF HOLDING FUEL. WE WERE GIVEN AN EFC OF XB30 LOCAL; THEREFORE THE CAPT AND I DECIDED AFTER COORDINATING WITH OUR DISPATCHER AND CENTER THAT WE WOULD DIVERT TO OUR ALTERNATE OF ZZZ. AFTER WE WERE GIVEN THE NEW RTE AND THE NEW ARR; WE SENT THIS RTE TO OUR DISPATCHER TO HELP US WITH FEEDBACK ON A FUEL BURN REQUIRED TO ZZZ. OUR DISPATCHER HAD SENT US NEW FUEL BURN NUMBERS BEFORE WE WERE GIVEN THE NEW RTE; WHICH ENDED UP BEING LESS THAN WHAT WAS REQUIRED TO FLY THE RTE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED. WE SENT THE RTE TO OUR DISPATCHER AND NEVER RECEIVED A RESPONSE WITH FUEL BURN FOR OUR NEW CLRNC. WE ASKED CENTER FOR A SHORTCUT ALONG THE ARR WHICH THEY GAVE US. ONCE WE ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH APCH; WE DECLARED MIN FUEL AND THEY ASKED US HOW MUCH FUEL UNTIL EXHAUSTION AND WE TOLD THEM 30 MIN. THEY THEN CAME BACK AND TOLD US THEY WERE DECLARING IT A FUEL EMERGENCY. WE PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY ALONG THE VOR APCH AND LANDED. ONCE AT THE GATE THE CAPT CALLED OUR DISPATCHER; BUT ENDED UP SPEAKING TO THE NEXT SHIFT DISPATCHER WHO HAD BEEN BRIEFED OF OUR CIRCUMSTANCES. RELEASING THE FLIGHT WITH ENOUGH FUEL FOR TYPICAL HOLDING IN THE XYZ ARR CORRIDOR DURING PEAK HOURS OF THE DAY IS A NECESSITY.