Idemia Smart Identity negotiates with Nepal, nears ID document issuance in Armenia

A pair of deals for Idemia Smart Identity to supply biometric ID documents, one in Nepal and one in Armenia, are being worked out just as the company is being integrated post-acquisition by IN Groupe. A rebrand to IN Smart Identity was announced last week, along with a new corporate structure.

Nepal is in negotiations with Idemia SI to provide passport booklets as a stopgap measure ahead of a change of suppliers.

A contract for Veridos and Mühlbauer to supply Nepal’s biometric passports takes effect in March of 2026, but the country’s stock of is running low. Idemia SI was the incumbent supplier, and has filed a complaint with the Department of Passports (DoP), alleging the tender was improperly conducted. The challenge was dismissed by the country’s Supreme Court in July.

But the DoP has less than 170,000 passports remaining in its possession, prompting it to limit applications to 1,000 per day, compared to its usual 6,000, according to the Kathmandu Post. Authorities are seeking 300,000 passports to keep issuance uninterrupted during the transition.

Nepalese Prime Minister Sushila Karki met with Idemia SI CEO Antoine Grenier around the beginning of November, and the government has also been in talks with Veridos and Mühlbauer. The new passports will be eMRTDs (electronic Machine-Readable Travel Documents) though, meaning the manufacturing process will have to be upgraded before they can be issued.

“Our first priority is to procure additional passports from Idemia as we don’t need technical adjustments for just a few months,” DoP Director General Tirtha Aryal told the Post.

The talks have turned to the number of passports necessary and the price, though the Post reports a tentative deal was reached for Idemia to supply a million passports through “a variation order” at $10.31 each, including pre-enrollment and delivery.

Armenia ID issuance imminent

The production of Armenia’s new biometric national identity cards is expected to begin within days, Arka News reports, ahead of a general launch for the biometric system in the second half of 2026.

Armenia’s Ministry of the Interior has approved the ICAO-compliant design and security features of the country’s national IDs, in a meeting with Haypass CJSC, which is founded by consortium partners Idemia and A.C.I. Technology. The consortium is also working on in the introduction of biometric passports for Armenia.

Haypass currently operates two offices in Armenia’s capital Yerevan, and plans to open more than 20 additional locations around the country with self-service registration kiosks.

The country’s work on updating the legal framework and regulations around ID documents was also discussed, according to the government announcement.

The new national IDs and passports are part of a Visa Liberalization Action Plan agreed on by the country and the EU.

Article Topics

Armenia  |  biometric passport  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  Idemia Smart Identity  |  identity document  |  IN Groupe  |  IN Smart Identity  |  national ID  |  Nepal