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Armenia will begin printing and issuing new biometric identity documents to citizens in autumn 2026, including biometric passports and ID cards, as well as new versions of almost all other types of identity documents, including ID cards issued to refugees and convention travel documents. The changes will also cover documents establishing residence status, a senior Interior Ministry official said.
Nelly Davtyan, Acting Head of the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, made the announcement at a press conference.
She said approximately 185,000 old-style passports were printed in the first half of 2026. The figure was 174,000 last year. In 2024, the number of old-style passports printed was significantly higher, at around 270,000, because approximately 100,000 documents had been printed in 2022 and were due to expire in 2024.
According to Davtyan, demand for ID cards has increased, driven by the requirements related to income declaration and electronic contracts. Approximately 160,000 ID cards were printed in the first half of this year, compared with roughly the same number printed throughout all of 2024.
“In the first phase, we will have 14 offices opened by a private operator. We want to set a new standard for the delivery of public services in our country through these new offices and a new format, and break the stereotype that the quality of passport services is low and that the conditions and infrastructure are outdated.
“In fact, here we will demonstrate groundbreaking innovations and make investments in about two months. The conditions for obtaining documents will change. If our biometric passports issued before the beginning of 2024 cost 25,000 drams, the new biometric document, which is fully competitive globally in terms of its security features and meets the highest standards currently in force in the EU, will cost 28,650 drams, while the ID card will cost 5,950 drams. The passport will be issued for 10 years, while the ID card will be valid for five years.
“Another new feature is that, at a parent’s request, minors under the age of 16 will be able to obtain an ID card. Starting at age 16, under the law, which will enter into force by November 1, our new identity document will be mandatory,” Davtyan said.
The passport will be issued to citizens who have an ID card. There will be no requirement to replace an existing passport: individuals will be free to apply for and obtain a biometric passport regardless of the validity period remaining on their current document.
Even if someone has just obtained an old-style passport valid for 10 years, they will be able to replace it immediately with the new one. The same applies to ID cards.
If a citizen wishes to continue using an old-style passport already obtained for the full 10-year validity period, there will be no problem. The state will simply stop printing old-style passports from autumn 2026.
Documents will be issued 14 working days after an application is submitted. Expedited services will also be available, with details to be announced later.
“Significant work has also been carried out to reform the population state registry. We are currently at the software-development stage. The relevant law has been adopted and will enter into force on January 1, 2027.
“The law is intended to complement the new biometric system by creating an entirely new-quality ecosystem for managing a person’s legal identity and, more broadly, for identifying individuals.
“Starting November 1 of this year, the processes for granting residence status will also be digitized, while from January 1 of next year, the process for submitting citizenship applications will be digitized.
“Essentially, from January 1, 2027, we will be able to say that all processes falling under the Migration and Citizenship Service have undergone positive changes: they have either been digitized or have undergone large-scale reforms,” Davtyan concluded.