The European Union has submitted a visa liberalization action plan to Armenia, detailing 74 benchmarks divided into four key sectors: document security (including biometric systems), integrated border and migration management, public order and safety (focusing on organized crime, trafficking, drugs, and corruption), and external relations and fundamental rights.
The evaluation will take place in two phases: first, assessing legal and political frameworks, and then implementation and enforcement.
Priority areas in the action plan include:
- Establishing a robust document security system, including next-generation biometric passports and improved identification mechanisms.
- Revising Armenia’s citizenship legislation.
In border management, key components involve:
- Enhancing border check and control methods.
- Strengthening interagency cooperation and data exchange.
- Introducing new risk analysis tools.
- Improving the capacity of border personnel.
The return and reintegration systems will be strengthened through:
- Improved readmission and reintegration procedures.
- Systems for efficiently returning irregular migrants from third countries.
For internal security:
- Adopting and implementing a crime prevention and combat strategy.
- Boosting the performance of law enforcement bodies.
Anti-corruption is identified as a core focus, emphasizing:
- Mechanisms for effectively applying the anti-corruption strategy.
- Expanding preventive and investigative tools.
Legislative improvements in anti-discrimination aim to ensure equality. Personal data protection systems will be aligned with EU standards.
Armenia also plans to enhance information exchange and cooperation with EU bodies, including Europol and Frontex.
The public awareness campaign will:
- Inform citizens about the visa liberalization process, obligations, and limits.
- Counter misinformation.
Human rights priorities include:
- Safeguarding refugee and asylum seeker rights.
- Strengthening protection for vulnerable groups.
If Armenia receives a positive assessment, citizens will be eligible for visa-free travel to EU countries. This regime would allow entry into the Schengen area for short visits—up to 90 days in any 180-day period—using a biometric passport. It governs stays under the C-type short-term Schengen visa.
Visa liberalization talks between Armenia and the EU began on September 9, 2024. In 2025, two EU expert missions visited Armenia, whose findings informed the European Commission's action plan, now submitted to member states. The final document, incorporating their feedback, was officially handed over to the Armenian side. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia coordinated the program with relevant government bodies. On November 5, 2025, Johannes Luchner, Deputy Director-General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission, formally delivered the Armenia-EU visa liberalization action plan during his visit to Yerevan.
