Armenia switches to biometric passports and ID cards from November 1
Armenia’s new system for issuing biometric passports and ID cards goes live nationwide on November 1.
The government approved the procedure for issuing biometric passports and ID cards, and for refusing to issue them, at its October 29 meeting. The same decision sets the deadline and additional fee for expedited issuance and the procedure for involving a private partner.
What happened
The decision implements part 18 of Article 10 of the Law on Identity Documents. Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan said October 29 and 30 are the last two days of the old, worn-out infrastructure. All applications received until then will be processed and issued as old-style documents, and from November 1 citizens will receive new-style ones. According to the minister, the work with the private partner was aimed at producing a document that meets European Union standards.
How the process will work:
- Pre-registration. It is being introduced for the first time: citizens complete the whole process on a digital platform, from home or anywhere convenient.
- Verification. Before the office visit, the Interior Ministry fully checks the citizen against the State Population Register.
- Payment. All payments are cashless and made on the platform before the visit.
- QR code. After the state gives the “green light”, a QR code is emailed for the visit to the private partner’s office.
- Visit. At the office, the citizen only gives fingerprints and has a photo taken. This can also be done at a self-service kiosk, without contact with staff.
Offices. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that 14 offices will operate nationwide from November, two of them in shopping malls in Yerevan. According to the Interior Ministry, these are Yerevan Mall and Mega Mall in Yerevan, plus offices in Artashat, Yeghegnadzor, Kapan, Vagharshapat, Ashtarak, Abovyan, Hrazdan, Gyumri, Vanadzor, Ijevan, Gavar and Martuni. The network is due to grow to 23 offices in the first quarter of 2027. The private partner is HayPass CJSC, registered on April 23, 2025. Citizens choose the office and visit time on the platform.
Deadlines and prices. New state fees under the Law on State Duty apply from November 1, with a passport now costing AMD 28,650 (about $80).
| Document | Before, AMD | Now, AMD | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport | 25,000 | 28,650 | +14.6% |
| ID card | 3,000 | 5,950 | +98% |
| Passport and ID card together | 28,000 | 34,600 | +23.6% |
Deadlines under the government decision. As standard, the document is ready on the 14th working day after biometric data is submitted, at the same office where it was given. Applicants are notified by SMS or email when it is ready or if issuance is refused. With expedited issuance, the document must be ready within 24 hours in Yerevan (excluding Sundays and holidays) and within 48 hours in the regions (excluding weekends and holidays) after the Interior Ministry notifies the private partner of its decision to issue it.
Expedited fee. Under the government decision, it may not exceed three times the state fee for the document concerned. By BusinessDaily’s calculation, that is up to AMD 85,950 for a passport and up to AMD 17,850 for an ID card. The private partner sets the exact amount within this cap and publishes it on its website and the Interior Ministry’s. The fee is refunded if issuance is refused, if the applicant fails to correct errors in the application on time, or if they do not come to the office on the chosen day.
New rules under the Law on Identity Documents. An ID card is mandatory from age 16, and citizens aged 16 and over can get a passport only if they have an ID card. The ID card is valid for 5 years. Passports are valid for 3 years for children under 6, 5 years for those aged 6 to 16, and 10 years for citizens aged 16 and over.
Who benefits
- Citizens. Applications and payments move online, and the office visit shrinks to a photo and fingerprints. Offices in shopping malls and self-service kiosks save time.
- Travellers. Pashinyan said holders of biometric passports will cross the border without any contact with a border guard. Work is already under way at Zvartnots airport and border checkpoints so that citizens can place their passport and walk through. Depending on bilateral agreements, for example with France or the EU on data exchange, the Prime Minister expects the same to be possible when crossing borders abroad.
- The state. Pashinyan called the new system a cornerstone of the EU visa liberalisation process and a new chapter in Armenia’s digitalisation. Checking applicants against the register before the visit reduces the risk of documents being issued using someone else’s data.
What it means
The documents meet EU standards. A biometric passport is one of the technical conditions Armenia is meeting under its visa liberalisation dialogue with the EU. Visa-free travel does not follow automatically: according to Pashinyan, contactless border crossing abroad depends on agreements with specific countries.
Documents are getting more expensive. By BusinessDaily’s calculation, the passport-plus-ID-card bundle has risen by AMD 6,600, or 23.6%. A family of two adults without ID cards and two children (passports are optional for children) will pay AMD 126,500 for passports: 2 × 34,600 + 2 × 28,650.
Office workloads will be uneven. In the first phase, 14 offices serve the whole country, with only two in Yerevan. Queues are possible in the first months, especially for people turning 16 and those whose documents are expiring.
There is no need to replace documents. Arpine Sargsyan noted that valid passports and ID cards can be used until they expire. To get a biometric document, citizens must hand in all the documents they currently hold.
What to do
- Check when your documents expire. If your passport or ID card is still valid, there is no rush to replace it.
- If you need a new passport: if you are over 16 and have no ID card, you will need both documents (AMD 34,600). Start with pre-registration and online payment on the digital platform, and go to the office only after you receive the QR code.
- For children turning 16: the ID card becomes mandatory, so it is worth applying in advance.
- If you are planning a trip: allow for the standard 14 working days. Expedited issuance (24 hours in Yerevan, 48 hours in the regions) costs up to three times the state fee on top; check the exact price on the Interior Ministry and HayPass websites.
- To save time: use the self-service kiosks in the offices to give your photo and fingerprints without staff.
- When collecting a new document, bring all your old ones: you will need to hand them in.
Calculations by BusinessDaily with the help of Claude, based on official data.
