Armenia Prepares Biometric Passports and Contactless Border Crossing Systems for Autumn Launch

Armenia is preparing to roll out biometric passports and new national ID cards in autumn of this year, alongside automated contactless border crossing systems designed to meet International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards for machine-readable travel documents.

The new biometric documents are being developed through a public-private partnership between the Ministry of Internal Affairs, French identity technology provider IDEMIA, and Armenian firm A.C.I. Technology. A dedicated entity called HAYPASS CJSC has been established to operate and maintain the biometric ID platform under an 11-year contract, with regulatory authority remaining with the ministry.

The rollout was originally planned for earlier in 2026 but has been postponed to the autumn. The biometric passports will incorporate facial images, fingerprints, and digital security features stored on an embedded chip, replacing Armenia’s current non-biometric travel documents. New national ID cards will also be issued alongside the passports as part of the broader document modernisation programme.

Alongside the document upgrade, Armenia is implementing contactless border crossing infrastructure at its international checkpoints. The automated systems are designed to verify travellers’ biometric data against their passport chip without requiring manual document inspection, reducing processing times and aligning with the automated border control systems used across the European Union and other ICAO-compliant jurisdictions.

The initiative supports Armenia’s broader goals in European integration and visa liberalization. The European Union recently went forward with the official launch of its Entry/Exit System (EES), which requires biometric data collection from all non-EU travellers entering the Schengen Area. Armenia’s new documents are being designed to integrate seamlessly with these systems, potentially easing cross-border travel for Armenian citizens.

Armenia has already begun issuing biometric ID cards for foreign residents and stateless persons, produced by French identity document manufacturer IN Groupe, as an early phase of the modernisation programme. The country approved the legal framework for the biometric passport and ID rollout earlier in 2026, establishing the regulatory basis for the nationwide document transition expected in the autumn. The biometric passport programme is part of a wider pattern of document modernisation across the South Caucasus and Central Asia, where several countries are upgrading their national identification and travel document systems to meet ICAO 9303 standards for machine-readable travel documents with biometric data stored on contactless chips.

Sources: Armenpress, Pravda Armenia

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By Ali Nassar-Smith