Armenia rolls out biometric ID from IN Groupe for stateless and foreign residents

New biometric ID card designs are being produced for Armenia by IN Groupe for issuance to foreigners, stateless individuals and permanent residents.

The cards were recently reviewed during a visit by Nelly Davtyan, Armenia’s head of the Migration and Citizenship Service, at IN Groupe’s Ostrava production facility in the Czech Republic.

Davtyan met with production managers, biometric system designers and printing experts as Armenia moves into the critical documentation approval phase. The initiative is overseen by the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Stateless persons and refugees in Armenia will gain access to standardized identity documents, enabling them to confirm their identity domestically without relying on passports or border-crossing travel documents.

A separate, polycarbonate-based ID will be issued to foreign nationals serving in diplomatic missions, designed to meet international security standards.

The biometric system rollout stems from an August 2024 government decision to introduce new format ID cards and passports for Armenian citizens. The infrastructure is being built by the French consortium Idemia Identity Security France and A.C.I. Technology S.à.r.l., which established the joint venture CJSC HAYPASS in Armenia.

In April 2025, HAYPASS signed an agreement to directly implement the biometric passport and ID card system. The approved designs include ICAO-compliant background graphics, security features, and data fields, with issuance scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026.

The biometric program is a cornerstone of Armenia’s Visa Liberalization Action Plan with the EU, with the Ministry of Internal Affairs stressing that a “viable and modernized biometric system” is a prerequisite for advancing visa-free travel.

Production of national biometric IDs began in November 2025, ahead of the broader system launch. HAYPASS currently operates two offices in Yerevan and plans to expand to more than 20 locations nationwide, equipped with self-service registration kiosks.

The introduction of biometric passports has raised costs from 1,000 drams (US$2.57) to 25,000 drams (US$64.19). IN Groupe has strengthened its position in the ID-producing sector following its 2025 acquisition of Idemia Smart Identity, which it restructured under the brand IN Smart Identity.

Article Topics

Armenia  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital ID infrastructure  |  e-ID  |  Idemia Smart Identity  |  identity document  |  IN Groupe  |  IN Smart Identity