Armenian passport

Armenian passport
The front cover of a contemporary Armenian Biometric Passport.
Issued by	Armenia
Type of document	Passport
Purpose	Identification & International Travel
Eligibility requirements	Armenian citizenship

Armenian Passports are issued to Armenian citizens to travel outside Armenia. They are also used as proof of identity within the country.

An ordinary Armenian passport is dark blue, with the Armenian coat of arms emblazoned in gold in the center of the front cover. The words (Armenian: Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն) "Republic of Armenia" and (Armenian: Անձնագիր) "Passport" on Armenian and English languages also appear on the front cover. The passport is valid for 10 years from the time of issue, with the further possibility of extending validity for an additional 5 years. It contains 32 pages for special notes and visas, and information about its holder in both the Armenian and English languages. Since 1 June 2012, two new ID-documents are introduced, which will replace the ordinary passports of Armenian citizens. One of the documents – the ID card — will be used locally within the country, and the second document – the biometric passport — will be used for traveling abroad. An electronic chip on the passport will contain digital images of fingerprints and photo of passport holder. Both biometric passports and eID cards are produced by Polish Security Printing Works (Polska Wytwornia Papierow Wartosciowych).[1] [2] [3][4][5]

Armenia abolished the visa requirement for citizens of the Schengen states From 1 January 2013 Armenia will drop the requirement of an entry visa for the 27 EU countries and 4 additional countries, fulfilling the requirements of the Schengen Agreement (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland). By unilateral abolition of the visa regime, Armenia seeks to accelerate negotiations with the EU on visa facilitation. According to the planned agreement with the EU, the procedure for obtaining Schengen visas for citizens of Armenia would be facilitated. The simplified procedure is provided for members of official delegations, researchers, students, journalists, those in sports and the arts, and for close relatives of citizens legally residing in the EU. It is also intended to reduce visa costs by 35 euros to free for these categories, as well as for children and pensioners. For more info see at E-visa system.