ArmInfo. The Armenian government has issued a clarification regarding the introduction of an IMEI registration system for mobile phones in the country amid widespread public outcry.
In a statement on social media, the Armenian government emphasized that the initiative does not involve the collection or storage of citizens' personal data. The Cabinet of Ministers assured that the primary goal of introducing the system is to ensure the legal circulation of mobile phones.
It is stated that the new system will reduce the volume of illegal imports of mobile devices, create a level playing field for official importers, protect consumers from phones with counterfeit or altered IMEI codes, and create a unified mobile device registry.
The Armenian Cabinet emphasized that the registry will not contain users' personal information. The database is planned to store only the 15-digit IMEI code of a device, without linking it to the owner or any other personal information.
The government added that it issued this clarification in response to numerous questions and concerns raised during public discussions of the project.
As a reminder, the Armenian government previously approved a bill to create a state system for registering and monitoring IMEI codes. According to the document, mobile devices imported into the country by individuals will be required to be registered starting January 1, 2027. Failure to register will result in telecom operators refusing to connect them to the network. The introduction of the system will require a state registration fee. For devices manufactured in the current or previous year, the fee will be 3,000 drams, while registration of older phones will be free. At the same time, increased duties are being introduced on the import of several new devices by one person within a year: 100,000 drams for the second and subsequent phones produced in 2026, imported by one person within a year, and 20,000 drams for the second and subsequent phones produced in 2025.
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