Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs on the Driving Rights of Citizens of Armenia with Foreign Licenses

Shirak Torosyan, a member of the Civil Contract faction, raised a question in the National Assembly regarding the changes to the law about foreigners’ driving rights in Armenia. Speaking to Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Armen Ghazaryan, he noted that Armenian citizens coming from abroad are being fined, which is very unfortunate.

In response, Ghazaryan stated, “The bill concerning the driving rights of Armenian citizens with foreign driving licenses will allow for a short period of use, after which they will need to exchange it within three months. This is, at least, what the draft proposes. It has already been approved by the Government and sent to the National Assembly, and thus, it will be discussed in the upcoming session. We also added a provision for urgency so that, as you mentioned, this legislative initiative can be adopted in an expedited manner and will be presented to the parliament in the upcoming session.”

Torosyan asked for clarification on another issue, noting that there were recent media reports stating that Armenian citizens with foreign driving licenses could apply for a local driving license without submitting their foreign license or taking a test. “If this is correct, please state it officially,” the MP said.

Ghazaryan responded that this was a matter of legal regulation. “The law indeed regulates it this way. The Law on Road Traffic Safety provided such an opportunity for dual citizens. The subordinate legal act was not in place, it has now been adopted, and the procedure has been established, thus, yes, such an opportunity currently exists,” explained the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs.