The Passport Application Process to be Digitized

A completely new concept for public service delivery is being introduced. This was announced by Nelli Davtyan, head of the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia.

According to her, the new concept will serve as a model experience for other state agencies. "I mean the quality of service delivery, as a good experience is being brought to Armenia. We will have 23 offices managed by the private sector, 2-3 of which will be in Yerevan, and the rest will be in the regions. This is where citizens will submit their applications for obtaining identification documents, whether it's a passport, an identification card, or other types of identification documents.

I know there are concerns regarding public perceptions that the number of offices is insufficient; we previously had 63. In 2023, with the establishment of the Migration and Citizenship Service, the number was reduced to 47, which already raised complaints from some of our fellow citizens, and now it will become 23. However, I must emphasize that services will be provided in a digitized manner, and essentially, the need to visit an office will become a process that happens every few years," she stated.

Nelli Davtyan noted that when it was necessary to have an exit stamp in the passport, perhaps it made sense for the network to have so many offices with a wide geographical distribution. "Under these new technological implementations and taking into account the best practices from around the world, 23 offices will be sufficient." Responding to the question of whether the paper version will be maintained at least in the initial phase in communities and regions, she replied, "The process itself is digitized; the applicant can apply in-person at an office or electronically. This means that the collection of biometric data does not involve a paper process; there won't be any paper involved. However, for individuals who may struggle with the pre-registration process online from home, they can visit the office. In any case, the collection of biometric data is carried out on-site, where fingerprinting and facial photography is done using new technologies.

We will be implementing a technical solution called 'one-stop shop' in our large and medium-sized offices, which is a single device. We often encounter this device at various international borders and airports, where individuals stand in front of it, and both fingerprinting and photography are conducted on-site. Of course, there will be very accelerated and flexible services, including delivery services. The private sector will announce its pricing policy later, but I believe we will have a dignified model of public services," Davtyan concluded.