Head of section: ASAN service will also issue visas to Azerbaijani citizens

Baku. 15 January. REPORT.AZ/ “From this year ASAN service will also issue visas to Azerbaijani citizens.”

Director of Electronic Services Development and Social Innovation Section of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Salmanov told Report.

He reminded that since January 10, 2017, issuance of visa to foreign citizens was launched in ASAN Visa system facilities. After the system was initiated, the arrival of tourists to Azerbaijan has simplified: “As of today, through the system visas were issued to about 280,000 people for travelling to Azerbaijan. Currently, the number of countries granted visa up to 94 from 81. Initially, visas were issued only during three working days. Starting from the mid-2017, it is possible to issue visas within three hours, which makes the work of tourists easier. Previously, visas were issued for 30 days with a single entry. After the recent amendment to the Migration Code in accordance with the Presidential decree, visas are already multiple and issued for 90 days. In coming days the system will be adapted to this renovation.”

The head of the section also told about changes in the system. He said that the innovation is related with launching of creation of the ASAN visa 2.0 system: “The system will process the electronic application for Azerbaijani citizens to get visas to foreign countries. Currently, the system is being updated. New sections will be set up for launching this service in all ASAN Service facilities. The sections of embassies in the country will join the system and new section to be established at  these facilities will accept visa applications for all embassies. Due to access to the e-services of ministries, visa processing will be more simplified for citizens. The number of documents to be submitted by citizens will be reduced, they will be taken from the systems of relevant structures. In addition, from now on, citizens living in the regions where ASAN service centers are located, will not have to come to the capital to get a visa, to collect documents and stay in a queue. The citizens will only come to embassies to take their visas.”

Salmanov also said that the system will be launched in 2018: “We have already started to select pilot embassies. For now, embassy of Morocco was selected. Talks are held with embassies of Lithuania and United Arabic Emirates in this direction. Along with relevant state bodies the Working Group was set up in this regard at the State Agency.”