In Armenia, a package of draft laws has been approved that makes ID cards mandatory for citizens from the age of 16. The decision was adopted at a government meeting and includes amendments to the law on identity documents, as well as a number of related acts recognized as urgent.
Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan stated that the new measures will create a single legal framework for launching a modern biometric system. All provisions are planned to be consolidated into one law so that the state can centrally regulate issues of identification and document issuance.
According to the initiative, it will be possible to obtain a biometric passport only if an ID card is available. For children aged 6–16, registration will remain voluntary, and up to the age of 6 the primary document will be a birth certificate. At the same time, travel documents will be brought into line with international ICAO 9303 standards, and exclusively biometric identity documents will be provided for foreigners, refugees, and stateless persons.
