Consular services to be upgraded promptly, accept passport and ID card applications, authorities say

Authorities have explained that following the temporary suspension of passport issuance and replacement services through Armenian embassies and consular offices abroad starting October 5, consular services will be upgraded as efficiently and quickly as possible.

Once the upgrade is completed, consular services will accept not only passport applications, as has been the case until now, but also applications for identity cards, which are in high demand among the public.

Nelly Davtyan, Head of the Migration and Citizenship Service of Armenia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, told Armenpress that the changes are linked to the introduction of Armenia’s new biometric identification-document system.

“Since the new Law ‘On Identification Documents’ enters into force on November 1, which means that the production and issuance of new biometric identification documents to Armenian citizens will begin and documents of the old format should no longer be produced, we are temporarily forced to suspend the provision of services outside Armenia, while undertaking to upgrade consular services as efficiently and quickly as possible. The organization of the provision of services outside Armenia will be carried out in stages: the public-private partnership agreement provides that within three months after services begin in Armenia, consular services will also be upgraded. Once the upgrade is completed, consular services will accept not only passport applications, as has been the case until now, but also applications for identity cards, which are in high demand among the public,” Davtyan said.

Since passport issuance and replacement services through Armenian embassies and consular offices, including via video link, will not be available starting October 5, Davtyan urged citizens living abroad on a long-term basis to begin the process of obtaining a new identification document in the coming days and contact the nearest consulate so that the documents can be produced and delivered to citizens by November 1.

“All persons who see that their passport will expire in the coming months and who intend to travel are advised to replace their passport now so that they do not have to return to Armenia with a return certificate and apply for passport replacement here. However, if people do not have any planned border crossings in the coming months or their passport is still valid for more than four months, there is no need to replace it now. In that case, I would recommend that our compatriots wait and obtain the new biometric document at once,” Davtyan said.