Armenia to launch biometric passports and ID cards for EU visa-free bid

Armenia will open pre-registration for new biometric passports and identity cards on October 31, with the system due to operate in early November. The rollout, run through a public-private partnership with a firm founded by a consortium including French provider Idemia, meets part of the EU's visa liberalisation requirements, with full reforms targeted for 2029. It shows a non-EU state aligning its identity and border systems with Brussels' standards in exchange for access, extending European regulatory reach and normalising biometric identification as a condition of free movement.