Ministry of Internal Affairs: Tender winner for  new passports and ID cards to be announced on March 31

ArmInfo. Within the framework of the public-private partnership program, significant efforts have been done to provide citizens of Armenia with biometric passports and ID cards, as stated by the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, Arpine Sargsyan, during the government hour in the National Assembly on March 26.

According to her, a set of tender conditions in line with international standards was developed jointly with service providers based on market research and global practices. The Minister noted that the use of new documents will enhance the travel experience for citizens of Armenia. Currently,  a tender is underway for the production of new biometric passports and ID cards. Three companies (two German companies as part of a consortium and one French company) participated in the competition, meeting the pre-qualification requirements and  submitting their proposals.  Technical requirements, accounting 70% of all criteria, have been evaluated for two companies. The second stage will involve assessing financial aspects. It is anticipated that the issuance of the new passports and ID cards will begin by the middle of following year.