Employment contracts in Armenia will be concluded exclusively electronically starting in 2026

YEREVAN, October 20. /ARKA/. Starting January 1, 2026, employment contracts in Armenia will be required to be concluded electronically, as announced by Zhora Sargsyan, the Head of the Labor and Employment Department at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

"The necessary tools are already available on the file-online.taxservice.am platform, and the initial employment contracts executed in digital format have been issued," Sargsyan remarked during a press conference on Monday, as reported by Armenpress.

He indicated that employers have the option to voluntarily utilize the platform and finalize new employment contracts electronically before the year's end.

"During this period, the functionalities of the current system will be evaluated, and any potential issues will be addressed. Beginning January 1, this process will be obligatory for all employers," Sargsyan stated.

He mentioned that the platform provides a template for an employment contract, which contains specific mandatory fields that the employer is required to complete with the appropriate information.

"Once all fields are filled, the employer will electronically sign the contract. The other party to the contract—the employee—will receive a notification via the self-portal.taxservice.am platform indicating that the employer has prepared an employment contract for them. After reviewing the contract, the employee will have the ability to confirm it with an electronic signature," Sargsyan highlighted.

"Throughout this period, the most common inquiry from employers was regarding electronic signatures, particularly the concern that not everyone possesses one. This is merely a one-time procedure... Additionally, due to the income declaration process, many citizens have already obtained an electronic signature," Sargsyan added.

Concerning employees who have previously signed employment contracts, Sargsyan mentioned that the following solutions are being proposed:

• All employers will have the period from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026, to input the employment contracts of both previously hired and currently employed individuals into the new platform. Employment contracts that were terminated before this date are not mandated to be entered into the system.

• Employee employment contracts will be recorded with the entry date—the precise day they are uploaded to the system—and the employee is required to confirm the contract using an electronic signature. The contract will also specify the actual date of employment, for instance, 2001.

"The anticipated changes will lead to a considerable decrease in paperwork. Additionally, the number of actions required from the employer will be minimized, and the employment contracts established will be entirely compliant with legal standards. Employees will have the ability to view all their employment contracts on a single platform, which will assist in preventing potential issues," Sargsyan concluded.-0-