Armenia adopts passport rules ahead of November 1 biometric launch
The Interior Ministry plans to begin issuing new-format passports and ID cards on November 1, with 14 service offices due to operate nationwide from November.
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The Interior Ministry plans to begin issuing new-format passports and ID cards on November 1, with 14 service offices due to operate nationwide from November.
Armenia’s government adopted passport and identification-card issuance procedures at its October 29 Cabinet meeting, ahead of the planned November 1 launch of a new biometric-document system. Biometrics identify people through physical characteristics. The decision covers issuing or refusing documents, faster processing for an additional fee, and a private partner’s involvement.
Interior Ministry official Arpine Sargsyan said October 29 and 30 would be the final two days of operation for the old infrastructure. Resources had been mobilized to process applications already received and print old-format documents before new-format issuance begins on November 1.
Applicants will enter the required information online and choose a service office, appointment date and time, Armenia’s Interior Ministry says. People without internet access can preregister directly at a service office.
| Document | Price in Armenian drams |
|---|---|
| Biometric passport | 28,650 |
| Biometric identification card | 5,950 |
Although the Cabinet adopted expedited processing deadlines and additional charges, it did not specify them in its October 29 announcement.
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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said 14 offices would operate nationwide from November, including two inside Yerevan shopping malls. He did not identify the malls or give office addresses or opening hours.
Existing passports will remain valid until their expiry dates, the Interior Ministry says. Receiving a new document will invalidate the old one. Production of old-format identity documents bearing code 070 for people under temporary protection will continue.
The private company HayPas will provide the new biometric services, but the state will continue to decide whether to issue documents. The ministry says the company’s access to data will be restricted to the particular transaction and subject to state oversight.
Pashinyan said work was under way to let biometric-passport holders pass through Zvartnots Airport and other Armenian checkpoints without direct contact with border guards. The system would let travelers present their passports and proceed; he did not announce a November 1 start for that service.
For travel abroad, data exchange with France or the European Union (EU) would depend on future agreements. Pashinyan described biometric passports as having cornerstone significance for the EU visa-liberalization process.
For citizens living abroad, the Interior Ministry says diplomatic missions will be equipped in phases to collect biometric data locally. Home visits for groups with social needs remain under consideration. The ministry plans to expand the initial network of 14 service offices to 23 in the first quarter of 2027.
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