Armenian citizenship for Russian citizens in 2026
You keep your Russian passport, and ethnic Armenians need neither a move nor an exam: a fee of about $140 and up to 90 working days. Everyone else needs 3 years in the country, Armenian and a Constitution test.
In short
- Dual citizenship has been allowed since 2007: the Russian passport is kept.
- Ethnic Armenians apply with no residence and no language test.
- Everyone else needs 3 years of legal residence, Armenian and a Constitution test.
- The fee is about $140, the review takes up to 90 working days.
- Men under 27 may be called up for military service after naturalisation.
In detail
Armenia is one of the few countries near Russia where a second passport does not require giving up the first: dual citizenship has been allowed here since 2007. If you, a parent or a grandparent are Armenian, you can apply straight away, without living in the country or taking an exam. For everyone else the road is longer: first residence and 3 years of legal stay. All the bases, documents and common refusals are in our full guide to Armenian citizenship.
Who can get Armenian citizenship
| Basis | Conditions | Language and test |
|---|---|---|
| Armenian origin | documents of the applicant, a parent or a grandparent showing Armenian ethnicity | not required |
| Naturalisation | age 18+, 3 years of legal residence on a permit | Armenian and a Constitution test |
| Marriage to a citizen | after 2 years of marriage | Constitution test |
| Child of a citizen | simplified procedure | not required |
Armenia has no citizenship by investment: neither a flat in Yerevan nor a deposit buys a passport. The Constitution test is taken in Armenian, with 33 questions and one hour to answer.
How to get Armenian citizenship step by step
- Identify your basis. Armenian roots shorten the road by years, so family papers come first: old passports, birth certificates, military cards.
- Apply online. Since 1 January 2026 documents are first uploaded to an electronic system for preliminary approval.
- Submit the originals in person after approval, in Yerevan or at a consulate.
- Wait for the decision. The application is reviewed within up to 90 working days, and citizenship is granted by presidential decree.
- Take the oath and collect your passport.
Without Armenian roots you need a residence permit before these steps. A one-year temporary permit costs a fee of about $290, and the three-year count starts with it. Since 1 November 2026 residence through individual entrepreneurship is granted only with turnover or an account balance of about $2,800, so choose a basis that is easy to renew for all three years. Details are in our guide to Armenian residence.
How much Armenian citizenship costs
The state charges about $140 to review a citizenship application. For an ethnic Armenian that is nearly all the state fees. Naturalisation adds the residence permit: about $290 for the first year, so from $430 in state fees in total. The sum excludes notarised translations into Armenian, apostilles on ancestors' documents, archive certificates and residence renewals.
Murblz names the cost of its support after reviewing your documents: it depends on the basis, the size of the family and whether documents have to be found in archives. A detailed calculation is in our article on the cost of Armenian citizenship.
A fee of about $140; a refusal costs more
The law does not stop you from applying for Armenian citizenship on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fee: proof of origin where an ancestor's ethnicity is not stated outright, a break in residence on a permit, errors in translated names and dates, a failed Constitution test. We check documents on your roots before filing, find missing certificates in archives, prepare notarised translations, book the test and handle the case through to the oath and the passport. We guarantee professional work and a transparent process, and in most cases a result on the first application.
The cost of our support depends on the basis and family size; a manager will calculate it in the chat.
Dual citizenship, the army and notifying the Interior Ministry
- The Russian passport is kept. Armenia does not require you to renounce your former citizenship, and Russia does not prohibit a second one.
- The Russian Interior Ministry must be notified within 60 days of receiving the Armenian passport, or within 60 days of entering Russia if you are abroad. Failure to notify is a criminal offence with a fine of up to $2,400.
- The army. Men under 27 may be called up for conscript service after receiving citizenship. An exemption is possible if you have already served in another country's army.
- Taxes. A passport alone does not make you an Armenian tax resident: days in the country and your centre of vital interests matter. Income tax is 20%; more in our guide to taxes in Armenia.
All the rules on holding both passports are in our article on Armenia and Russia dual citizenship.
What will change and why not to wait
In September 2026 Armenia's Interior Ministry put amendments to the citizenship law up for discussion. Under the draft, from 1 January 2028 naturalisation would require 5 years of residence instead of 3, ethnic Armenians would need 2 years of legal residence, and the fee would rise to about $690. If you already have a basis, it pays to apply under the current rules.
How we help
The law does not stop you from applying on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fee: indirect proof of origin where an ancestor's ethnicity is not stated outright, a break in the residence period, errors in translated names and dates, a failed Constitution test. We check documents on your roots before filing, find missing certificates in archives, prepare translations, book the test and handle the case through to the oath.
Armenian citizenship
All bases, documents and common refusals.
Learn more →Armenian residence
The first step to naturalisation without Armenian roots.
Learn more →Armenia: all programmes
Moving, taxes, housing and daily life.
Learn more →A guide to the capital is on the Yerevan page.
FAQ
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