The issuance of biometric documents in Armenia will begin in the fall, acting head of the Migration and Citizenship Service, Nelli Davtyan, announced at a press conference Friday.

This concerns not only passports, but also identification (ID) cards and a number of other documents.

In the first phase, it is planned to open 14 private offices. In general, there is an intention to set a new, high standard and break the stereotype about the low level of services in Armenia, Davtyan said.

Since the new documents are competitive in the world and meet EU requirements, they will cost several times more. Accordingly, the issuance of a passport for a citizen of Armenia will cost 28,650 drams, and an ID card will cost 2,950 drams. At the same time, a passport will be issued for a period of 10 years, while an ID card—for 5 years. Persons up to 16 years of age can receive an ID card, and, according to the new law, being issued an ID card from the age of 16 will become mandatory in Armenia. And the prerequisite for obtaining an Armenian passport will be the presence of an ID card.

According to Davtyan, a person can be issued new documents without waiting for the expiration of the old ones. However, old documents will no longer be printed from the fall; that is, if a person loses his Armenian passport or ID card, he will have to be issued a new document at the above-mentioned rates.

The issuance of an Armenian passport is planned within a standard 14-day period, but there will also be an accelerated issuance for an additional fee.

An attempt was already made in Armenia to introduce biometric passports. The process,  however, was stopped also because their issuance fees were too expensive for most Armenian citizens.