No visa-free EU travel date yet as Armenia told to meet all 74 reform benchmarks

The European Commission submitted its first progress report on Armenia's Visa Liberalization Action Plan to the Armenian authorities on 5 May 2026. The report records what it describes as clear political commitment by Armenia to the reforms required for visa liberalization with the European Union, but it sets no date for visa-free travel to the Schengen area.

Key facts

• First progress report submitted on 5 May 2026
• Visa liberalization dialogue launched in September 2024; Action Plan handed to Armenia in November 2025
• Action Plan contains 74 benchmarks, to be completed in two phases
• This report covers only the first phase: the legislative and policy framework
• Schengen visas issued to Armenian citizens rose from 51,000 in 2019 to 86,300 in 2024

What is being assessed?

The Armenia-EU visa liberalization dialogue was officially launched in September 2024, and the Action Plan was submitted to Armenia in November 2025. It sets out 74 benchmarks divided into two phases: first, putting the necessary legislation and policy framework in place, and second, ensuring those rules are actually implemented and enforced.

The first report looks only at the first set of benchmarks, covering the legislative and policy framework in areas including document security, border management, migration and asylum, public order and security, and external relations and fundamental rights. The Commission noted that although the Action Plan was submitted only recently, the Armenian government has already begun or planned a significant share of the required legal and policy changes.

What progress has Armenia made?

On document security, Armenia adopted a law on the State Population Register in July 2025 to create a unified, secure electronic register, and signed a public-private partnership agreement to modernize the national biometric identification system so that future passports and identity documents meet International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.

On border, migration and asylum management, Armenia is developing an Integrated Border Management Strategy for 2026-2029. An electronic system for citizenship cases has been running since January 2026, and the digitalization of work and residence permit procedures for foreign citizens is under way. Armenia is also strengthening readmission cooperation and developing an electronic asylum case management system.

On public order and security, the report cites Armenia's anti-corruption framework, its "Crime Prevention Strategy 2026-2033", and a new Crime Statistics and Research Center within the Ministry of Internal Affairs. A new Action Plan on Combating Trafficking is due to be adopted in 2026. On fundamental rights, Armenia is drafting a law on prevention and combating discrimination and adopted new children's rights legislation in 2025.

What does the Commission say is still required?

The Commission stressed that progress is judged on results and depends on the effective and consistent implementation of every benchmark. It issued recommendations to help Armenia close identified gaps and said the dialogue will continue for as long as needed to complete all benchmarks. Further assessment missions in Armenia are planned in the near future, and the EU said it will keep providing technical and financial support, including under the Resilience and Growth Program for Armenia.

What this means for travellers

Nothing changes for travellers yet: Armenian citizens still need Schengen visas, and no visa-free start date has been announced. The report does note that Schengen visas issued to Armenian citizens rose from 51,000 in 2019 to 86,300 in 2024, that multiple-entry visas now account for 43.5% of them, and that the visa refusal rate has been trending down.

The Commission will continue monitoring the benchmarks and organising assessment missions in Armenia. Any move toward visa-free travel would follow only once all 74 benchmarks are fully implemented.