DUSHANBE (Khovar news agency) — Tajikistan is holding an international tender to introduce electronic visa (e-visa) for nationals of 80 countries in order to simplify the process, Ms. Ozoda Rahmon, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Tajikistan, told Khovar news agency in an interview.

Eight domestic and foreign companies have reportedly participated in the tender and the contract has been finally granted to a large French company. Khovar reports Tajikistan’s Foreign Ministry intends to launch the project in the second half of 2016.

Recently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan solicited to bid for purchasing visa stickers (labels) and systems for :

• Installation of automatic fingerprint identification system (Automated Fingerprint Identification System);
• Connection of the centre of the passport system of the Republic of Tajikistan to all border crossing points of the State border with the ability to read electronic documents, and it’s connection to the central database of Interpol for lost and stolen passports;
• The implementation of the electronic visa system of the Republic of Tajikistan;
• The implementation of an electronic information network system for obtaining visas of the Republic of Tajikistan for foreign citizens and stateless persons;
• Order of Scanners (readers) for electronic passport of the Republic of Tajikistan, ID cards and travel documents of the Republic of Tajikistan in the amount of 1,000 (one thousand) units;
• Backup System to an existing storage system of ID cards and foreign biometric passports of citizens of the Republic of Tajikistan in the offline mode.