Some Swiss embassies and consulates abroad are having technical issues processing visas for Europe's Schengen zone, potentially hindering holiday travel plans, swissinfo reported.

A Schengen visa allows visitors to travel freely around many European countries that have stopped systematic passport controls on their borders. Switzerland joined the Schengen Area on December 12.

Since then, various Swiss missions abroad have reported problems in adapting to the Schengen system rapidly. The foreign ministry said poor internet connections in some countries had compounded difficulties.

"Other countries have also encountered problems with the introduction of the Schengen visa," Philippe Jutzi of the foreign ministry commented.

The ministry spokesman could not say how many travellers would be affected by the problem.

The Schengen Agreement was signed in Schengen, Luxembourg, on June 15, 1985, by Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. Since then, a total of 30 countries have signed the treaty, but only 15 have actually implemented it.

Switzerland's entry into the Schengen zone is set to bring closer cooperation than ever before with the European Union on police and asylum matters.

A larger celebration - at ministerial level – is planned at the end of March when Switzerland's airports are integrated into the Schengen accords.

In short, the Schengen accords deal with the abolition of systematic passport controls among the participating countries.

There was much more enthusiasm a year ago when eight eastern European countries and Malta entered the Schengen Area. Politicians and crowds of people celebrated in style with confetti and fireworks as the border posts disappeared.

For many east Europeans, travelling in the Schengen area without passport controls was the final victory against the Iron Curtain.

But there will be no great changes at Swiss borders on the official entry into Schengen.

Customs control remain

"Customs controls will remain so Switzerland's entry into Schengen will not have the same symbolic meaning," said Catherine Kropf at the Swiss justice and police ministry.

Since Switzerland is not a member of the EU's customs union, there are no changes for goods entering the country.

Photo: Typical Schengen border crossing sign.

For example, Schengen does not change the amount of red wine that people can bring into Switzerland from France, and customs controls remain.

Systematic controls of passports and identity cards at border crossings have been lifted but they were replaced by random checks within border regions and in international trains.