Armenia delays mandatory digital work contracts

Armenia’s government has postponed the introduction of mandatory electronic employment contracts, originally set to take effect on 1 January 2026.

 

Labour and Social Affairs Minister Arsen Torosyan told lawmakers on Friday that many citizens had not yet obtained new ID cards or activated electronic signatures, leaving them unable to formalise their employment rights under the planned system.

 

The law, passed last year, required all contracts to be signed and terminated digitally from 2026, with existing agreements digitised by the end of that year. Torosyan said the measure would now be delayed by 18 months, until 1 July 2027, to align with the rollout of new identification cards.

 

Opposition MP Arman Ghazaryan criticised the move, blaming the Interior Ministry for long delays in issuing ID cards, with waiting times reportedly stretching to six months. Torosyan rejected claims that he was faulting citizens for the backlog.

 

The ruling Civil Contract party MPs passed the bill in its first reading, with a second vote scheduled later on Friday.