Issuance of Biometric Passports Temporarily Halted

The issuance of biometric passports to citizens of Armenia will be temporarily suspended. This decision was made during the government meeting today, where the issue was included among unreported matters.

“Temporarily, until January 1, 2024, the issuance of biometric passports to citizens of Armenia will be suspended,” states the justification for the decision.

It is noted that biometric passports will not be issued until the creation of biometric passports equipped with future generation technologies and security conditions, and the gradual replacement of old passports with new ones.

Meanwhile, citizens of Armenia will have the opportunity to obtain passports as stipulated by the government’s 1998 decision until the complete implementation of the new biometric system. This means that taking into account that according to current legislation, old sample passports were to be ceased from issuance starting January 1, 2023, it is proposed to extend this deadline until December 31, 2023, when new types of biometric passports will be introduced.

The authorities aim to increase the volume of electronic services provided by expanding the possibilities of using electronic signatures.