The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has issued a clarification for citizens planning trips to Schengen Zone countries. According to the press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry, the reason for this clarification is the growing number of cases where Armenian citizens are being denied entry.
The key advice from the MFA is to provide accurate information about the planned trip when applying for a visa. Particular attention is given to situations where an applicant indicates one destination country but actually plans to visit another. For example, if a visa application states a 10-day stay in Bulgaria, but in reality, the plan is to spend only 3 days there and then travel to Italy, this could be grounds for entry denial.
The MFA emphasizes that in countries with a high risk of illegal immigration, border services may conduct additional checks. These may include verifying financial solvency, checking hotel reservations, and confirming return tickets.
It is recommended to apply for a visa at the embassy of the country where the majority of the trip will be spent. Any significant changes to the travel plan after obtaining the visa could lead to entry denial and visa cancellation.
The Ministry urges citizens to carefully study the immigration rules of the destination country before traveling and to consider the possible consequences of violating them. For reliable information, only official sources should be used: the websites of the MFA, embassies, and the immigration services of the respective countries.
On July 17, the European Union, at the level of ambassadors from all member states, approved the European Commission's proposal to start negotiations with Armenia on visa liberalization.
This decision comes in the wake of recent negotiations between Yerevan and Brussels. Last October, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in the European Parliament that Armenia is ready to be as close to the European Union as the EU deems possible. A few months later, Pashinyan expressed doubts about whether the EU is ready to accept Armenia as a full member.
