Legally Displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh Must Present Temporary Protection Certificate When Traveling

The Armenian government has mandated that starting January 28, citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh who have received Temporary Protection status must present their passport as well as a Temporary Protection certificate when traveling.

Armen Ghazaryan, the head of the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, presented the procedure for obtaining the certificate during a press conference. He emphasized that the requirement was established in a government decision made at the end of October 2023, stating that after three months of the decision coming into force, individuals granted Temporary Protection must provide the certificate along with other necessary documents when traveling.

“An individual holding a Temporary Protection certificate benefits from international protection and cannot, under any circumstances, be handed over, extradited, or forcibly relocated to a specific territory, in this case, Azerbaijan. This aims to apply additional protective measures for our compatriots forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh while traveling,” stated Ghazaryan.

The Temporary Protection certificate is issued by passport services in conjunction with the registration of the individual in Armenia. Displaced persons can submit a request for the certificate alongside their application for registration in the population registry of Armenia. Those currently abroad may contact Armenian diplomatic representations to obtain the certificate. The certificate is valid for one year and may be extended in accordance with the continuation of the government decision.

Ghazaryan noted that the certificate is necessary for both adults and minors, while displaced individuals who are Armenian citizens do not require a Temporary Protection status certificate. As of January 25, 42,809 applications for the Temporary Protection certificate had been received, the overwhelming majority of which have already been approved. Additionally, the number of individuals registered in the state population registry as forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh has approached 50,000, with around 900 applications for Armenian citizenship submitted.

All individuals granted Temporary Protection must obtain the certificate. According to the government’s decision, the following groups of individuals qualify for Temporary Protection:
a. Individuals registered in the population registry of Nagorno-Karabakh;
b. Those whose last registration was in the population registry of Nagorno-Karabakh;
c. Individuals who are not registered anywhere but were forcibly displaced in 2023 and whose displacement has been documented.

Exempt from these groups are individuals holding third-country citizenship, including those who are Armenian citizens. Those registered do not lose their eligibility for social support programs. Passport services have been instructed to give priority to individuals who present specific reasons for traveling. Priority is also granted to pensioners and those receiving benefits.