Starting from January 1, 2024, travelers from Armenia will no longer require an exit stamp in their passports when leaving the country. In today's session on September 22, the government officially invalidated the requirement for exit stamps in the passports of the old model, as previously mandated by the Republic of Armenia's government decision. This change will eliminate the need for citizens to visit the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs every time they leave Armenia to obtain an exit stamp in their passports. This, in turn, will help alleviate queues at passport service centers.
The rationale behind this modification is that it represents a medium-term solution. Passports issued under this decision will remain in effect until the full implementation of the biometric system.
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Arpine Sargsyan, noted that in 2021 alone, there were approximately 500,000 transactions related to the requirement of exit stamps. This change is expected to streamline passport procedures significantly.
However, it's essential to note that this change impacts international travel, so a three-month notification period has been set for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This ensures that foreign countries are informed of Armenia's withdrawal of this requirement, preventing any potential issues for our citizens at foreign border crossings. Consequently, the project is slated to come into effect on January 1, 2024.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed his satisfaction with addressing this long-standing issue and emphasized the importance of simplifying various aspects of people's lives, concluding that government officials should continuously seek practical solutions to such problems.
