Swiss embassy and consulate in UAE to issue Schengen visa

Dubai: The Swiss Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate in Dubai will now issue Schengen visas.

There are currently 15 active Schengen visa members: Austria, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and The Netherlands. Visa process times range from 48 hours to two weeks.

Gerhard Bruegger, Consul General in Dubai, said: "Visa process time depends on the nationality of the applicant.

"There may be an underlying consultation process - for some nationalities we have to wait for approval from other countries. "You could have one that would take two weeks and others may get the visa in 48-hours. The bulk will be two to four days, depending on nationality."

Types of visas

There are four categories of visa: (A) airport transit visa, (B) transit visa, (C) short-term stay visa and (D) a national visa.

There is also a visa that combines the functions of a short-term stay and national visa (C and D). "Visas have different validity - they can go up to five years, but we are not saying we will give a five-year visa to everybody. We will use our leverage to the maximum extent, but still within the Schengen rules," Bruegger said.

In the future, Dubai will become the main visa office for the Swiss Embassy and Consulate in the UAE, and studies to increase co-operation with the European visa centre are currently underway. "The Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate in Dubai issue 14,500 visas every year.

"Emirati passport holders can already travel to Switz-erland on a Schengen visa. Including Emirati passport holders, we have 25,000 to 30,000 visitors to Switzerland from the UAE per year," Bruegger said.

Biometric visas may also be issued in the future: the EU decision is currently pending.

A standard Schengen visa costs 60 euros.