Cooperation between Armenia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is developing with dynamism in virtually all domains.
The UAE is the first trade partner of Armenia in the region. Tourism between them is developing considerably. There are about 30 weekly flights between Yerevan and various cities of the UAE. Direct air connections with UAE cities serve also as a transit route for Armenian citizens to travel to various destinations in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Accordingly, there is a need to change the visa and respective fee requirements between the two countries.
The protocol to amend the memorandum of understanding signed in 2009 between the governments of Armenia and the UAE on the exemption from the requirement to obtain an entry visa for persons holding diplomatic passports was signed on September 7, 2023. Vahan Kostanyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, on Friday presented in the National Assembly the draft to ratify the agreement on amending it.
"As a result of the ratification of the protocol, citizens of the two countries with passports with a validity period of not less than six months can enter, exit, and move through the territories of their respective countries without a visa or fee. Passports exempt from the requirement to obtain an entry visa are considered the valid, diplomatic, special, official, and ordinary passports of both countries. Citizens holding the said passport are allowed to stay in the territory of the other country for a maximum period of 90 days," said Kostanyan.
According to the deputy minister of foreign affairs of Armenia, the memorandum of understanding signed in 2009 is valid from January 14, 2021. This protocol has already completed its domestic process on the Emirati side and will enter into full force 30 days after the completion of domestic procedures envisioned for its entry into force.
"If the parliament approves the given document today, it will not come into effect automatically, immediately, and our citizens will have to be a little more patient, wait for us to finish the domestic procedure. That is, it will be signed, and we will inform the Emirati side about it, after which the [Armenian] MFA will also publicly announce when our citizens will be able to travel to the UAE without a visa," said the deputy foreign minister of Armenia.
