Yerevan and Ankara to Grant Visa-Free Entry to Diplomats

YEREVAN — The Armenian government has circulated a draft decision proposing that, starting January 1, 2026, a zero visa fee be applied on a reciprocal basis for holders of Turkish diplomatic, service, and special passports entering Armenia. The draft was included in the agenda of the government’s written vote on December 29.

According to the justification prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, the agreement reached by the two sides will enable eligible passport holders from both countries to obtain free entry visas through the E-Visa system. Under current regulations, fees apply both to Armenian holders of diplomatic passports and to Turkish holders of service and special passports; the new decision would equalize these conditions.

Under the proposed regulation, Turkish citizens holding special and service passports would be granted free entry visas for visits of up to 21 days to the Republic of Armenia, with the applicable fee set at zero drams in accordance with the Law on State Fees.

The document notes that the initiative aims to ensure equal conditions for both countries and does not stem from any separate strategic document. The government assesses that adopting the decision will not result in significant changes to state budget revenues or expenditures, given the limited number of beneficiaries and the application of the reciprocity principle between Armenia and Turkey.