On 2 April, amendments were made to the relevant decisions of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, aimed at making the provision of some consular services available through the use of modern technologies, ie video call. In particular, it will be possible to submit applications for a return certificate of the Republic of Armenia, exchange an ordinary (non-biometric) passport, as well as extend the validity of the passport in foreign countries without personally submitting to the RA Diplomatic Service and sending and receiving documents by mail.

According to the draft, it is planned to form a working group at the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which will provide consular services to the citizens of Armenia anywhere in the world online.

The Republic of Armenia has 55 embassies and consulates operating in 44 countries around the world. The existing consular departments provide significant “consular coverage” for Armenian citizens around the world, but it is obvious that in many countries and territories, consular services are not available to citizens or are difficult to access. Moreover, in large countries such as Russia, Canada, the United States, and other countries where consulates operate, citizens are forced to travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to receive consular services.

The need for a legislative initiative launched by the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2019 is even more emphasized today, when in the case of severe restrictions on the free movement of citizens in almost all countries in the global pandemic situation, creating an alternative to personal demand has become imperative.

The provision of consular services by video call will begin in the near future, after the relevant decisions of the Government of the Republic of Armenia come into force and after the provision of some technical regulations.