Foreign citizenship in the Republic of Armenia
According to the RA law “On foreigners”, foreign nationals have the same rights, freedoms and obligations as the citizens of the Republic of Armenia on the territory of the Republic of Armenia, unless otherwise provided by the Constitution, laws and international treaties.
The Constitution of the Republic of Armenia states that a foreign citizen has the right to:
- Has a right to own and/or rent property on the territory of the Republic of Armenia;
- Has a right to work;
- Has a right to engage in business activities on the territory of the Republic of Armenia.
The Constitution of the Republic of Armenia states that a foreign citizen is obliged to:
- Pay taxes;
- Pay State duties;
- Perform other mandatory payments specified by law;
- Respect the RA Constitution, laws and other regulations.
A foreign citizen has no right to:
- To enter the territory of the Republic of Armenia without a visa;
- To be selected in the state bodies and local self-government of the Republic of Armenia;
- To participate in the referendum;
- To work in the public services;
- To create a party and be a member of the party;
- To land ownership.
When defending their rights, foreign citizen enjoys all rights set for the RA citizens’ safeguards. A foreigner also retains the legal relationship and enjoys the diplomatic protection of the country where he/she is a national. On the territory of the Republic of Armenia, foreigners have equal responsibility with the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, except for cases stipulated by international treaties of the RA.
Status of persons with foreign citizenship who are Armenian nationals in the Republic of Armenia:
Individuals of Armenian origin with foreign citizenship, have the following privileges:
- They may be granted the status of temporary, permanent and special residence;
- They may receive citizenship of the Republic of Armenia via a simplified procedure. Foreign nationals who have received the status of a particular type of residence will get a passport with duration of ten years, which will allow them to enter the territory of the Republic of Armenia without a visa and to enjoy the right to own land in the Republic of Armenia.
The order of stay and residence of foreign nationals on the territory of the Republic of Armenia:
According to the RA law on ‘the stay and residence of foreigners in the Republic of Armenia’, there are three types of residence permit:
- The temporary permit where one gets issued with a temporary residence card;
- The permanent permit where one gets issued with a permanent residence card;
- The special residence status where one gets issued a special passport.
Temporary residence permit in the Republic of Armenia are granted to any foreigner if they prove the reason(s) of their residence in the territory of the Republic of Armenia within one year or longer:
These reasons may be:
- Training;
- A work permit;
- A marriage to a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, or when legally residing in the territory of Armenia;
- A kinship with the Republic of Armenia citizen, or a foreigner with a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Armenia, such as a parent, brother, sister, spouse, son, grandmother, grandfather, grandson of the foreigner;
- When they are involved with business activities;
- Have Armenian nationality and/or origin.
A permanent residence permit in the Republic of Armenia is granted to a foreign citizen when:
- Proved the existence of a close relative, such as a parent, spouse, brother, sister, children, grandmother, grandfather, a grandson who are residing in the territory of the Republic of Armenia;
- Are provided with an apartment and means of subsistence in the Republic of Armenia;
- Have resided in the Republic of Armenia for at least three years prior to submitting an application for a permanent residence permit;
- Are engaged in entrepreneurial activity on the territory of the Republic of Armenia;
- Are Armenian by nationality and/or origin.