14 May, Vitebsk /Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. The Consulate of the Republic of Latvia in Vitebsk will accept Schengen visa applications only with electronic forms, the head of the consulate Dagnija Lāce-Āte told a BELTA correspondent. Starting from 21 May of the current year, the Consulate of the Republic of Latvia in Vitebsk will exclusively accept electronic visa application forms. This decision was made after the successful introduction of acceptance of such forms for groups of more than five people and the rapidly growing number of applications with electronic forms from individuals. This practice of consular services in Minsk and other CIS countries has also proven positive. According to Dagnija Lāce-Āte, the introduction of electronic forms for submitting documents for a Schengen visa will enable the consulate to speed up the processing of applications and visitor services, which is very important in anticipation of the tourist season. The use of electronic visa forms will simplify the further completion of forms by citizens, as the entered data can be reused. As the head of the consulate emphasized, the method of filling out the form is the only change in the procedure for submitting documents for a Schengen visa. The completed, printed, and signed form, along with the received barcode, as well as the passport and other documents, must be submitted in person at the Consulate of the Republic of Latvia in Vitebsk. Electronic application forms for submitting documents for a Schengen visa are available on the website of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of the Republic of Latvia.-0-

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