Termination of citizenship of the Republic of Armenia
The Republic of Armenia law provides a special procedure for termination of the RA citizenship. Citizenship may be terminated only by the decree of the President of the Republic of Armenia. The above means that if a citizen applied for the termination of the RA citizenship or acquired citizenship of another state without giving up their RA citizenship, this does not entail the automatic termination of citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.
The process of terminating the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia:
Required documents:
- The application, submitted in person at The Passport and Visa Department of RA Police or to the diplomatic / consular representation of the Republic of Armenia, if the applicant is a foreign country;
- The passport and one copy;
- One photograph in the size 35 × 45mm;
- A marriage certificate and a copy thereof, if the applicant is in a registered marriage;
- The military ID, or registration certificate, if the person has served in the Armed Forces, or if he is in pre-conscription stage and/or is of conscription age;
- The certificate of acquisition of citizenship of another state, if the applicant is going to get the citizenship of another state;
- The receipt of payment of the State duty.
In case of successful application The Passport and Visa department of the Police of the Republic of Armenia, or the diplomatic / consular mission of that country, makes a request to the appropriate authorities within ten working days.
If a citizen of the Republic of Armenia who has not served in the RA Armed Forces, receives a second citizenship, he is not exempt from compulsory military service in the Republic of Armenia regardless of whether he served in the State where he holds another nationality, or not. A foreign national who was granted citizenship of the Republic of Armenia is exempt from compulsory military service on the territory of the Republic of Armenia, if he served in a foreign country, or if for eighteen months he performed alternative military service, or performed twelve months of service in order to obtain citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.
A person who has dual citizenship is not exempt from the mandatory military training and military service. If a citizen of the Republic of Armenia has received a foreign nationality, he must notify The Passport and Visa department of the RA Police, RA territorial division of the Republic of Armenia, or the diplomatic, or consular representation in the foreign country, within one month of obtaining foreign citizenship.
Citizenship of children:
A child whose parents at the moment of his/her birth were/are citizens of the Republic of Armenia, regardless of the place of birth, the child shall acquire the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia. A child where one of the parents at the time of his/her birth is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, and the other is unknown, or is a stateless person shall acquire the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia. In case where one of the parents at the time of birth of the child is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia and the other is a foreign citizen, the child’s citizenship is determined by written agreement between the parents.
In the absence of an agreement the child acquires the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia, if he/she was born in the Republic of Armenia, or in case of not acquiring the citizenship he/she may become stateless, or if the parents are constantly present in the Republic of Armenia.
Citizenship of a child on the acquisition of citizenship of the Republic of Armenia by parents:
A child under the age of 14 (fourteen) years whose parents have acquired the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia acquires the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.
If the nationality of the Republic of Armenia is acquired by one of the parents and the other is a foreign national, or a stateless person, their child under the age of 14 (fourteen) years acquires the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia if there is consent of the parents, or if the child lives in the Republic of Armenia and has the consent of a parent who is a citizen the Republic of Armenia.
Citizenship of a child in case of loss of citizenship of the Republic of Armenia by parents:
A child under the age of 14 (fourteen) years whose parents who have lost the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia will also lose the Republic of Armenia citizenship if he/she acquires the citizenship of another state. If one of the parents has lost their citizenship of the Republic of Armenia and the other is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, their child under the age of 14 (fourteen) years shall also lose his/her citizenship of the Republic of Armenia, if there is consent of the parents, or if the child is living outside of the Republic of Armenia and has the consent of the parent who is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia.
Citizenship of an adopted child:
A child adopted by citizens of the Republic of Armenia acquires the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia. If one of the parents adopting a child is a stateless person, and the other a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, then the child acquires the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.
If one of the adopting parents is a foreign citizen, and the other a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, then the child acquires the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia, when:
- The consent of the adoptive parents is present;
- The child permanently lives in the Republic of Armenia and has the consent of the adoptive parent who is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia;
- The child is stateless, or if he/she is by not acquiring citizenship will become a stateless person.
On keeping the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia upon adoption:
A child who is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia who was adopted by foreign citizens, one of whom is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, and the other a foreign citizen, retains the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia. In such a case the child may change citizenship only at the request of the adoptive parents. A child who is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia who was adopted by a stateless person, or if one of the adopting parents is a stateless person and the other a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, the child retains the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.