DUSHANBE, December 16, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- With the entrance of Switzerland to the Schengen area as of December 15, 2008, the Consular Agency of Switzerland in Dushanbe has stopped issuing visa for entering Switzerland and all applications for Schengen visa by Tajik nationals have to be submitted to the Consulate General of Switzerland in Almaty, Kazakhstan  for visa processing, Gulnoz Hasanova, ,media and public affairs officer, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Office in Dushanbe, said.

The association agreements of Switzerland to Schengen-Dublin concluded with the European Union entered into force on March 1 2008.  Their actual entry into force is scheduled for December 12 2008.  From this date on, Switzerland applies the Schengen regulations concerning the issuance of visas. As of December 12, 2008, foreign nationals in possession of a valid Schengen visa are entitled to enter Switzerland.  A valid Schengen visa allows its holder to travel freely within the Schengen Space and within Switzerland.

The new Schengen visa application form is available free of charge at Consulate General of Switzerland in Almaty or can be downloaded from the following website: www.bfm.admin.ch/bfm/en/home/themen/einreise/visumantragsformular.html