EU Delivers Visa Liberalization Roadmap to Armenia

The European Union has officially handed Armenia a comprehensive roadmap for visa liberalization, marking a major milestone in the country’s pursuit of visa-free travel within the EU. The document, received more than a year after formal negotiations began, sets out the reforms Armenia must carry out to meet EU criteria.

On Wednesday, Armenia’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Arpine Sargsian, met in Yerevan with Johannes Luchner, Deputy Director-General for Migration and Home Affairs at the European Commission, who presented the plan to the Armenian authorities. Sargsian said the roadmap provides a “strategic foundation for reforms” in areas of citizen mobility and public security, calling it a vital step in strengthening mutual trust and cooperation with the EU.

During their discussions, both sides reviewed the plan’s key objectives, with the EU official commending Armenia’s steady progress toward meeting the standards for visa liberalization.

This development follows the official launch of negotiations between Armenia and the EU in September 2024, when both parties agreed to focus on essential policy areas such as border management, document security, anti-corruption measures, combating organized crime, and human rights protections. EU representatives have reiterated that all benchmarks must be fully achieved before the Council of the EU and the European Parliament can make a final decision on visa-free travel.

Earlier this year, Armenia’s parliament adopted the EU Integration Act, directing the government to initiate the process of applying for EU membership. The law, signed by the president in April 2025, formally integrates the goal of EU accession into Armenia’s national legislation.

Recent public opinion data suggest that support for closer ties with Europe continues to rise. According to the 2025 Annual Survey of Opinion in Armenia, 69% of respondents said they trust the European Union — an increase of seven percentage points compared with last year. Nearly four in five Armenians (79%) believe relations between Armenia and the EU are positive. Meanwhile, 47% of those surveyed hold a favorable view of the EU, 38% are neutral, and only 9% view it negatively.

When asked about potential EU membership, 45% said they would support Armenia applying to join the Union, while in a hypothetical referendum, 49% indicated they would vote in favor of joining, compared with just 14% opposed.