First EU assessment mission will visit Armenia for visa liberalization discussions

YEREVAN, November 18. /ARКА/. The first EU assessment mission will soon arrive in Yerevan for meetings and discussions with Armenian government agencies regarding the Armenia-EU Visa Liberalization Action Plan (VLAP).

The Action Plan was officially handed over to Armenia on November 5, 2025; it consists of 74 mandatory points.

According to the press service of the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the visit of experts from EU member states is aimed at assessing progress in implementing the benchmarks of the first stage only, which relate to the legislative and policy framework in all four areas of the Action Plan.

Following the delegation's visit, the European Commission will prepare the first assessment report on the Action Plan, which is expected to be published in spring 2026.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the assessment will be conducted in a two-stage format, based on the results of the preliminary benchmarks and, later, the second stage benchmarks for their practical implementation and application.

The EUBAM will periodically report on progress, drawing on on-site assessments, expert observations from EU Member States, and detailed information provided by Armenia.

About Armenia-EU Visa Liberalization

Currently, the Republic of Armenia is the only country with which the EU is pursuing visa liberalization.

The first reform point under the Plan is the introduction of a biometric system, specifically the provision of new biometric passports and ID cards. According to the schedule, their issuance will begin in the second half of 2026.

The newly established company HAYPASS, founded by the French consortium "IDEMIA Identity Security France and A.C.I. Technology S.à.r.l.", is creating the necessary infrastructure. (it is the winner of the tender for the implementation of the biometric passport and ID card system in Armenia).-0-