How to get an Armenian residence permit

What are the grounds for an Armenian residence permit

Temporary residence goes to those who prove a reason to live in Armenia for a year or longer. The grounds:

• a job with an Armenian employer;
• your own business in Armenia;
• close relatives who are Armenian citizens or residents;
• Armenian origin;
• studies at an Armenian university.

The status is granted for up to a year and renewed for a year at a time. A renewal application is filed at least 30 days before the status expires.

What documents you need for an Armenian residence permit

• Application form and questionnaire.
• Three colour photos, 35 by 45 mm.
• Passport with a notarised Armenian translation.
• Medical certificate.
• Proof of legal entry into Armenia.
• Documents for your ground: employment contract, company papers, family certificates or a university letter.

Appointments at the migration service are booked in advance, separately for each family member. The state fee is paid before the visit; children under 18 are exempt.

What changes in Armenian residence from 1 November 2026

From 1 November 2026 applications are accepted only through the migration service's new online platform. Permanent residence on general grounds is granted only after three years of temporary residence.

• Sole traders and businesses need 1 million drams (about $2,800) in their accounts or the same turnover in the 60 days before filing.
• The residence card becomes biometric and is collected in person.
• The government introduces annual quotas by category.
• The 10-year special status for people of Armenian origin is no longer issued to new applicants.

Applications filed before 1 November are decided under the old rules. More in our article on Armenian residence in 2026.

How long you can stay without a permit

Citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan enter visa-free and may stay in Armenia up to 180 days a year. Remote work for a foreign employer is fine during that time, but such a contract is not itself a ground for residence. If you plan to stay longer, apply in the second or third month, not in the last week.

Armenian residence for Russian citizens: what matters

Russian citizens enter Armenia with an internal passport and work for employers without a work permit: this right comes from the Eurasian Economic Union. So many need a residence permit not for work but for a settled life beyond 180 days a year, banking and long-term rentals.

• Banking. Russian cards do not work in Armenia; a local account is opened with a passport, but banks ask for proof of the source of funds. We help with an Armenian bank account.
• Business. From 1 November 2026 a company or sole proprietorship gives residence only with 1 million drams in accounts or the same turnover. We handle registration on the page company in Armenia.
• Taxes. You become an Armenian resident after 183 days a year; rates are on the page taxes in Armenia.
• Passport. After 3 years with a residence permit you can apply for Armenian citizenship, and dual citizenship with Russia is allowed.

What it costs: fees before and after 1 November 2026

The fee pays for processing, not the card, so it is not refunded on refusal. Children under 18 pay no fee.

Total by ground: timing and cost in dollars

Totals are per adult: the temporary permit fee, a notarised passport translation and a medical certificate. Children under 18 pay no fee. Murblz support is quoted separately in the chat.

Steps and timeline

1. Ground and documents, 1-3 weeks. Work, business, family, origin or study.
2. Passport translation by a notary and a medical certificate.
3. Filing. From 1 November 2026 only through the migration service's new online platform.
4. Decision within 30 days.
5. Residence card, biometric, collected in person.
6. Renewal at least 30 days before expiry.

Business as a ground after the reform

From 1 November 2026 a sole proprietor or company owner gets residence only with AMD 1 million, about $2,800, in the accounts or the same turnover in the 60 days before filing. Registration and paying taxes alone is no longer enough. More on registration and taxes in our guide sole proprietorship in Armenia.

Why applications are refused

• an inaccurate notarised passport translation;
• an incomplete file for the ground: no employment contract, company documents or kinship certificates;
• for business, no AMD 1 million in the accounts or the required turnover;
• the annual category quota is exhausted: above the limit refusal is automatic;
• past overstays.

The absence rule

From 1 November 2026 a permit holder who has spent more than 183 days outside Armenia must notify the migration service within 10 days. If you leave for long, do it at once so as not to lose status and residence time for citizenship.

Family

A spouse and children of a permit holder get their own temporary permits as family members. Each needs a separate appointment; children under 18 pay no fee. Kinship documents need an apostille and a notarised Armenian translation.

From residence to citizenship

Naturalisation currently needs 3 years of lawful residence, basic Armenian and a Constitution test; Armenia allows dual citizenship. A 2026 draft law would raise the period to 5 years from 1 January 2028. More on the Armenian citizenship page.

Taxes

You become an Armenian tax resident after 183 days in the country within 12 months. Salary income tax is 20%; a sole proprietor in services usually pays 10% of turnover; the zero regime for IT is closed. More on the Armenia taxes page.

Comparison with neighbours

Armenia remains one of the fastest options for Russians: visa-free entry on an internal passport, a decision in a month, citizenship after 3 years. But since November 2026 the route is pricier and longer.

Public services number and bank

Even before residence, a foreigner can get a public services number, similar to a social security number. Any migration service office issues it free on the same day against a passport with a notarised Armenian translation. It is needed to register as a sole proprietor, at the bank and at the tax office. On the new residence card the number will be printed on the card itself. Since August 2026 banks check clients more strictly, so prepare income documents in advance.

What we do

We choose the ground, check documents and the passport translation before the appointment, register on the online platform, and support filing, card collection and renewal, watching the quota and the absence rule. We fix our fee in writing after a free consultation. A full guide to life in the country is in Armenia in 2026.

What an Armenian residence permit gives you

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