Turkiye, Armenia to ease visa procedures

Ankara: Armenia on Monday announced a reciprocal easing of visa procedures from January 1, 2026, as part of normalising relations between the two coun...

Ankara: Armenia on Monday announced a reciprocal easing of visa procedures from January 1, 2026, as part of normalising relations between the two countries, both foreign ministries said.

The two nations have never established formal diplomatic ties but have in recent years been attempting to improve relations.

Identical but separate statements from Ankara and Yerevan on Monday said the reciprocal easing of visa procedures "reaffirmed their commitment to continue the normalisation process between the two countries with the aim of achieving full normalisation without any preconditions".

"Holders of diplomatic, special and service passports from both countries will be able to obtain an electronic visa free of charge starting January 1, 2026," they stated. Serdar Kilic, Turkiye's special envoy for dialogue with Armenia, said on X that he hoped the move would be "beneficial" for the normalisation of ties.

Turkiye closed its border with Armenia in 1993 following the first Karabakh war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.