Swiss fund to support access to the former Sigurimi files

Services and visa

All consular services and visa issues are provided by the Regional Consular Centre Western Balkans in Pristina.

Consular services
Visa and entry to Switzerland

Services

Contact the responsible Swiss representation or consulate when you want to register or unregister as a resident, when you need a new passport, have moved or wish to apply for citizenship. The entire selection of services offered can be found in the dropdown menu to the right. The contact details of the responsible Swiss representation are shown on the corresponding page.

Swiss citizens who get into difficulties abroad, also can ask for advice and help from the Swiss representative.

The magazine for the Swiss Abroad appears six times a year and provides information about what is happening at home and the activities of Swiss associations abroad. It also answers administrative questions.

Online desk FDFA

Using the FDFA’s online consular services while abroad.

The relevant Swiss representation abroad can answer any questions concerning the FDFA’s online desk.

Ambassador Graf with the director of the Authority for Secret Service Documents in Albania Gentiana Sulo. FDFA

The newly established Authority for Information on Former State Security Documents has received Swiss support and will work with OSCE to improve its long-term strategic plans and IT equipment base.

Director Gentiana Sula signed the agreement together with the Head of OSCE Presence in Albania, Bernd Borchardt. Present at the signing, Swiss Ambassador Christoph Graf stated: ‘Your transparency mandate is crucial for a peaceful society in Albania. Switzerland stands by you in this delicate initiative to build a collective memory and debate about the past’.

During his speech the Head of OSCE Presence Bernd Borchardt highlighted that ‘the Authority has created and will keep alive the debate on the past, a debate that develops and moves society further’.

Since its inception in 2015 the Authority is responsible for managing and making transparent the files of Albania’s notorious Sigurimi – the secret service. It will provide access to past documents to citizens, institutions, media and researchers. Over 200,000 Sigurimi files and over 30 million pages of documents need to be stored, administered and secured.

The aim is to bring to light the communist state crimes and to enable a constructive debate about the past in order to clean and heal the societal wounds still present in Albania’s public discourse.

The Swiss funds complement a German contribution and will be used for international and local expertize and experiences from other countries in order to assist the Authority in how to best offer access to the files. In addition, computers, scanners, printers, cameras and internet access will be secured.