New Decision on Non-Biometric Passports

On December 7, the Parliament discussed the package of bills authored by the Government aimed at amending the laws on "The Passport of the Citizen of the Republic of Armenia" and "Identification Cards". This was conducted during the second reading and complete acceptance session.

According to Deputy Chief of the Armenian Police Ara Fidanyan, the initiative aims to resolve issues arising from practical law enforcement and align the legal provisions governing the same field.

Proposed amendments state that passports will be issued to male citizens under the age of 16 and those who have reached the age of 16 until they turn 19. If they are over 19, passports will be issued in accordance with the provisions of the law on Military Service and the Status of Servicemen, along with the medical examination period as stipulated by relevant articles of the law.

At the request of the Minister of Defense, passports can also be issued to male citizens who are 18 years old for other purposes, including education, treatment, and participation in sports and cultural events.

The initiative extends the deadline for issuing non-biometric passports to Armenian citizens from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022. Ara Fidanyan noted that no proposals had been submitted regarding the package after its first reading.

Armen Khachatryan, a member of the Parliamentary Committee on State and Legal Affairs, presented the committee's positive conclusion and urged to vote in favor of the initiative.