A residence permit is a document issued by a state that allows foreigners to reside on its territory on a permanent or temporary basis. What is a residence permit for? Due to the fact that a residence permit allows you to legally reside in the territory of a certain state, it is necessary during the period of study, work, for the purpose of family reunification, as well as for other personal purposes.

In the Republic of Armenia, the types of residence permits, the grounds and the process of obtaining them are regulated by the RA Law “On Foreigners”. Foreigners are foreign citizens and stateless persons. 

What residence permits are issued to foreigners in the Republic of Armenia?

According to the RA Law “On Foreigners”, there are three residence permits in Armenia:

1. Temporary,
2. Permanent,
3. Special.

Temporary Residence Permit

A temporary residence permit is issued to any foreigner if he/she has reasonable circumstances to stay in the territory of the Republic of Armenia for a year or more. The following are considered to be justified circumstances:

1. education,
2. having a work permit or, in some cases, engaging in activities that do not require a work permit according to the law (e.g. foreign lecturers, teachers invited to teach in educational institutions operating in the Republic of Armenia, to carry out scientific work (carry out scientific research and scientific-technical activities)),
3. the presence of a spouse, child, parent who is in the Republic of Armenia, who is exempt from the requirement to obtain a work permit by virtue of the relevant international treaties of the Republic of Armenia and has a temporary residence permit in the Republic of Armenia,
4. the presence of a spouse or close relative (parent, child, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother or grandchild) who has a permanent or special residence permit in the Republic of Armenia,
5. engaging in entrepreneurial activity,
6. ethnic affiliation with Armenian nationality.

A temporary residence permit is issued for a period of up to 1 year. At the same time, it is possible to extend it for another 1 year each time. At the same time, an application for an extension must be submitted no later than 30 days before the expiration of the residence permit. It is important to note that the Government of the Republic of Armenia may establish a shorter period for persons who stay in the Republic of Armenia because of education.

Permanent Residence Permit

A permanent residence permit is granted to a foreigner who:

1. can prove the existence of a spouse or close relative (parent, child, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother or grandchild) who is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia or has a special residence permit; At the same time, the person must also be provided with an apartment and means of subsistence in the Republic of Armenia, and before applying for a residence permit, must legally reside in the territory of the Republic of Armenia for at least 3 years,
2. Armenian by nationality,
3. He carries out entrepreneurial activities in the Republic of Armenia.

A permanent residence permit is issued for 5 years. At the same time, it is allowed to extend the submitted residence permit for the same period. This right can be exercised every time the residence permit comes to an end. An application for renewal of a permanent residence permit card must be submitted at least 30 days before the expiry of the permanent residence permit card.

Special Residence Permit

A special residence permit is issued to persons who:

1. are Armenians by nationality,
2. carry out economic or cultural activities in the Republic of Armenia.

A special residence permit is issued for a period of 10 years. At the end of this period, the person can apply for a special residence permit again.

When can a residence permit be refused?

A foreigner may be denied a residence permit if:

1. the person has been deported from the territory of the Republic of Armenia or deprived of a residence permit and 3 years have not passed since the entry into force of these decisions,
2. the person has been convicted of committing grave crimes, crimes of medium or special gravity in the Republic of Armenia provided for by the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, while the conviction of the person has not yet been expunged or extinguished
3. there is reliable information that this person carries out activities/participates in an organization that may cause harm to the state security of the Republic of Armenia, the constitutional system of the Republic of Armenia, as well as the fundamental rights and freedoms of the citizens of the Republic of Armenia,
4. a person suffers from an infectious disease that threatens the health of the population, except for cases when he/she enters the Republic of Armenia for the purpose of treatment of such a disease,
5. there is a serious and justified threat to the state security or public order of the Republic of Armenia;
6. when applying for an entry permit, he/she has provided false information about himself/herself or has not submitted the necessary documents, or there is evidence of other purposes of his/her entry or stay in the Republic of Armenia than declared, or
7. For violation of this Law, he was brought to administrative responsibility, and did not fulfil the obligation imposed on him by an administrative act, except for cases when one year has passed since the date of bringing to administrative responsibility.

How to apply for a residence permit (temporary and permanent)?

An application for a residence permit is submitted to the authorized state body in the field of police (Department of Registration of Visas and Foreign Citizens).

In order to apply, the following documents must be submitted:

• Application;
• Three photographs in colour (35 x 45 mm);
• Passport, a copy of the passport and a notarized translation of the passport into Armenian;
• Documents confirming the circumstances for obtaining the status of residence (extension of the status of residence) in the Republic of Armenia;
• Health certificate;
• Receipt of payment of the state fee.

The state fee for the issuance and extension of a temporary residence permit is 105 thousand drams. Issuance of a permanent residence card costs 140 thousand drams.

Applying for a special residence permit?

In order to submit an application for special residence status, a foreigner must apply to the diplomatic mission or consular office of the Republic of Armenia in the country of residence. If there is no RA embassy or consulate in the country of residence, the applicant can contact the nearest RA mission.

To obtain a special residence permit, you must provide the following documents:

• Application form addressed to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia;
• A letter addressed to the head of the diplomatic mission or consular office of the Republic of Armenia, which must contain the following information:
   a) current and former (if any) citizenship;

            b) reasons for applying for special residence status;

c) profession and work;
            d) previous visits to the Republic of Armenia;
            e) previous status of stay in the Republic of Armenia (if any);
           (e) A criminal record,

• A copy of the national passport with pages of photo, personal data and expiry date;
• A copy of the birth certificate or substitute document;
• 6 photographs in colour on a light background (35 x 45 mm);
• Receipt of payment of the state fee for a special passport.

The state fee for obtaining a special residence permit is 150 thousand drams. Survivors of the Armenian Genocide are granted special status and passports free of charge, in a special manner.

📍For assistance in obtaining a residence permit, please contact the law office of Vardan Khechyan.

☎+374 33 311 00

✉vardan@khechan.com

🏢 0002 Yerevan, Yekmalyan str. 6, floor 2

🔗 https://www.armenianlaw.com/

Tg: @VardanLaw