Timelines for the Introduction of Biometric Documents in Armenia Announced
12.03.2026,
15:17
The biometric document system is planned to be introduced in Armenia in the fall of 2026, stated Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan.
YEREVAN, March 12. /ARKA/. The biometric document system is planned to be introduced in Armenia in the fall of 2026, stated Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan.
"New biometric documents will be provided to our citizens. These reforms are extremely important, as we are primarily dealing with the process of identification," Sargsyan noted at a joint briefing with EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner on Thursday in Yerevan.
According to her, Armenia and the EU must be confident that various identity fraud schemes can be identified and eliminated within the framework of human mobility.
Sargsyan previously announced that a large quantity of biometric ID cards have been sent to print. The design of biometric passports is also in the final stages and will also be approved. After that, the passports will be sent to print.
On the Implementation of the Biometric System
In August 2024, the government decided to issue Armenian citizens with ID cards and biometric passports in a new format.
The French consortium "IDEMIA Identity Security France and A.C.I. Technology S.à.r.l.", which won the tender, is creating the necessary infrastructure.
In April 2025, an agreement was signed in Armenia with "HAYPASS," a company created by this consortium. The company will be directly responsible for implementing the biometric passport and ID card system in Armenia. The design of the biometric ID cards, including background art, security features, and data fields, was approved. According to the schedule, their issuance will begin in the second half of 2026.
The implementation of the biometric system, specifically the provision of new biometric passports and ID cards, is the first step in Armenia's planned reforms to implement the Visa Liberalization Action Plan with the EU.
"New biometric documents will be provided to our citizens. These reforms are extremely important, as we are primarily dealing with the process of identification," Sargsyan noted at a joint briefing with EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner on Thursday in Yerevan.
According to her, Armenia and the EU must be confident that various identity fraud schemes can be identified and eliminated within the framework of human mobility.
Sargsyan previously announced that a large quantity of biometric ID cards have been sent to print. The design of biometric passports is also in the final stages and will also be approved. After that, the passports will be sent to print.
On the Implementation of the Biometric System
In August 2024, the government decided to issue Armenian citizens with ID cards and biometric passports in a new format.
The French consortium "IDEMIA Identity Security France and A.C.I. Technology S.à.r.l.", which won the tender, is creating the necessary infrastructure.
In April 2025, an agreement was signed in Armenia with "HAYPASS," a company created by this consortium. The company will be directly responsible for implementing the biometric passport and ID card system in Armenia. The design of the biometric ID cards, including background art, security features, and data fields, was approved. According to the schedule, their issuance will begin in the second half of 2026.
The implementation of the biometric system, specifically the provision of new biometric passports and ID cards, is the first step in Armenia's planned reforms to implement the Visa Liberalization Action Plan with the EU.
