Ethnic Armenians qualify for citizenship without having to meet any language or residency requirements. You should note, however, that certain formal requirements have to be met to establish Armenian origin. Having an Armenian name or speaking Armenian fluently is not by itself sufficient. You will have to produce a document showing that you are (or your parent or grandparent were) an ethnic Armenian. The most common way to do this is to show a baptism certificate issued by a church organization that confirms the Armenian ethnicity. In certain countries the Armenian ethnicity may also be mentioned in the government-issued documents (e.g. birth certificate, family records etc.). 

An Armenian translation of your birth certificate will also have to be submitted to the Passport Office. It means you will likely have to legalize two documents: the birth certificate and the baptism certificate.

If you are a spouse  of an Armenian citizen you are eligible to apply for Armenian citizenship, provided that you meet the following criteria:

• The marriage has been officially registered for the last two years, and
• You resided in Armenia for at least 365 days during this two-year period.

Having a child (minor or adult) who is an Armenian national is also a separate legal basis to apply for citizenship, irrespective of the marital status. 

In addition, you will have to pass a test on the knowledge of Armenian Constitution before your application is accepted. It is an easy multiple-choice test with 33 questions, and you need to answer correctly to only 17 of them to pass the test. Because you are exempted from the language requirements you can take the test in a foreign language. Normally a licensed translator will be present to translate the questions for you.

You are eligible to apply for Armenian citizenship if you have been permanently residing in the country for the last three years. 

You may become a lawful resident by investing in Armenia, setting up a business, working, or studying in the country. For more information please check the page on residency.

In addition to the three-year residency requirement you will have to pass the test on the knowledge of Armenian Constitution. It is an easy multiple-choice test with 33 questions, and you need to answer correctly to only 17 of them to pass the test. The test shall be administered in Armenian language, and you will be asked to fill out an application-questionnaire (biographic form) in Armenian. Thus, you may have to spend a certain time (probably 1-2 months) to learn basic Armenian. 

In certain cases substantial donations or investments can be considered as “exceptional services” to Armenia for which the President may grant citizenship without any other requirements. Citizenship by exception is granted in an expedited manner (normally, in 2-3 months) as the Prime Minister's office can directly present candidates to the President. Each case is considered on its individual merits and factors that may influence the decision are the size of investment and/or charitable contributions, creation of jobs, payment of taxes, nationality of the applicant, his/her ties to the country, etc. 

Amendments to the Citizenship Law were enacted on July 7, 2022, to provide for the possibility of acquiring Armenian citizenship by means of "making a significant economic contribution" to the country. Armenia now has a law that allows foreigners to acquire Armenian citizenship if they can show they have made a "significant contribution" in the area of economy or culture, athletics, science, education, healthcare, etc. The law specifically exempts such applicants from normally applicable naturalization requirements (knowledge of Constitution or Armenian language, residence in Armenia, etc.). 

The evaluation criteria shall be enacted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Armenia by the end of January 2023. In the meantime, a draft decision was published on October 12, 2022, clarifying the meaning of "significant contribution." In particular, the following criteria are suggested:

1. A donation of $150,000 to a scientific or educational foundation; 
2. Investment of $100,000 in an IT company or a venture fund;
3. Investment of $150,000 in a company and hold the investment for 10 years;
4. Purchase of $150,000 worth of government bonds and hold the investment for 7 years;
5. Purchase of $150,000 worth of real estate and hold the investment for 10 years;
6. Having 20+ years of work experience in a publicly traded IT company;
7. Having 10+ years of work experience in science and authoring 5+ scientific articles;
8. Being engaged in dissemination and preservation of Armenian culture, heritage, and identity;
9. Having a scientific title of docent, professor in the area of healthcare.

After the President of the Republic signs your citizenship decree you may apply for an Armenian passport and an identification card. Currently, you have the option of applying for a regular passport or a biometric passport. If you were issued a regular passport you can later apply for and get a biometric passport and thus have two valid passports. Please note that the biometric passport also shows your "place of residence." If you do not wish your country of residence to appear on your passport it is better to go with the regular passport. 

You may also get an identification document (ID card), which is issued in the form of a plastic card. This document also shows your social security number (public services number).

Before Armenia legalized dual citizenship in 2005 special passports were very common among ethnic Armenians who did not want to renounce their current citizenship. But even now many foreigners prefer to apply for special residency instead of becoming full-fledged citizens (for example, because of concerns about military duty). 

The special residence permit (passport) has a validity of ten years and can be extended indefinitely for 10-year increments. It looks different from temporary/permanent residence permits as it is issued in the form of a passport, not a card. It allows its holder to travel freely to and from Armenia without a visa, to live, work, study, do business and engage in any other lawful activity in Armenia without work permits or other papers. One notable advantage of the special passport is that its holder can own agricultural and other land directly in his/her own name, without the need to establish a legal entity.

In practice special passports are issued to foreigners of Armenian origin, i.e. ethnic Armenians. In exceptional cases special passports can be issued to non-Armenians who are engaged in economic or cultural activities in Armenia. Children under 16 can also get special passports. 

The time required to obtain a special passport is around 60 days. Unlike citizenship applications an application for a special passport can be filed remotely by giving a power of attorney to your representative. 

In addition to the official government fees detailed below you are likely to incur legal fees (if you hire a lawyer), translation and notarization fees, and other expenses that may be specific to your case. Please contact us for an estimate of your budget.

If you hold Armenian citizenship your minor children may be granted citizenship immediately upon your request. However, if you do not reside in Armenia the certified consent of the child's other parent may be required. The child's consent is also required if he/she is 14 years of age and above. Passports for children may be issued without your presence to your lawyer or other representative in Armenia to whom you have issued a power of attorney. Starting from 2018 it is possible for an ethnic Armenian child to acquire Armenian citizenship even if none of the parents are Armenian citizens.

Adult sons and daughters generally have to go through a separate procedure of naturalization. 

Your spouse can apply for Armenian citizenship if he/she meets the criteria specified above under "Citizenship by Marriage".

After your citizenship is granted your spouse, parent, son, daughter, brother, sister, grandparent or grandchild can get a temporary (one-year) residence permit. A permanent (five-year) residence permit may also be available after three years of residence in Armenia. In certain cases a special (10-year) residence status may be granted (see above under "Special Residency").

All Armenian citizens must have a registered address․ Registered addresses are mostly used for delivering official notices. 

If a foreign address was specified in your citizenship application it will be automatically registered as your official address. If you want to register a local address (e.g. because you want your passport or your ID card to show "Armenia" as your country of residence) you will need to show proof that you reside in Armenia. It can be a certificate of ownership or lease of a residential property or the owner's consent to the registration. If none of these documents are available you may request the local police to make a factual check (normally takes up to two weeks) and confirm that you actually reside at the address in question. If you are a male under 55 years of age, registering a different address may require you to register with another military office located in the new area of your residence.  

Consular registration is required if you become a resident of a foreign country, i.e. stay there for more than 183 days. 

The military service in Armenia is mandatory for male citizens aged 18 to 27. The service lasts two years, and the conscripts are drafted twice a year: in January and July. Unless you want to serve in the military it is recommended to postpone your citizenship application until you turn 27. If you have a minor son your acquisition of Armenian citizenship will not automatically turn him into an Armenian citizen, unless the other parent of the child also acquires Armenian citizenship. Likewise, if your son is born after you acquire Armenian citizenship he will not automatically become an Armenian citizen, unless the other parent of the child is also an Armenian citizen. 

Citizens aged 27 to 55 are registered in the military reserve and may be called to serve if mobilization is declared (e.g. in times of war). That being said, the likelihood that naturalized citizens who have never served in the Armenian military will be mobilized is extremely low. Military registration, if applicable, may take another 4-5 business days. Military registration may involve a medical check (blood and urine test, ultrasound, electrocardiography, and physical examination).

Male citizens under the age of 55 may be called to participate in military training sessions (normally up to three weeks). In the past, citizens without military experience were not involved in such training. However, the government's defense policy appears to be changing, and in December 2022 there were instances where citizens newly registered with the Military Office were asked to report for military training. Therefore, we urge you to check the current practices of the Military Office before traveling to Armenia to complete the military registration and collect your passport. If you are a male applicant under the age of 55 it may be advisable to complete the military registration at the Armenian embassy/consulate abroad. 

Please note that it is possible for the Military Office to serve notices to Armenian citizens residing abroad through Armenian embassies and consular offices.

Military service evasion is considered a crime and is generally punishable by up to three years of imprisonment (a criminal case may be opened if the citizen in question was registered with the military office, was served a notice and failed to report to start his service). Exemptions from military service are generally available for those who have serious health issues or for humanitarian reasons (e.g. having two or more children, being the sole provider for aged or disabled family members, etc.). Dual citizens are generally exempted from military service if they served in the military of another country for at least 12 months (18 months in case of alternative service).

Please contact us if you need more information about the military service. If you are concerned about military service obligations you may also consider applying for a special passport (see above). 

Because Armenia's tax system is not based on citizenship your acquisition of Armenian nationality should not result in any negative tax consequences. However, if you are a foreign employee (or private entrepreneur) working in Armenia obtaining Armenian citizenship may trigger your obligation to make social and military contributions. 

You normally become a tax resident of Armenia by spending in the country more than 183 days in a year. Armenia normally does not tax capital gains on the sale of securities, gains from the sale of real estate or other assets, irrespective of whether these gains are generated in Armenia or elsewhere. Certain forms of income, such as insurance and pension payments are also exempt from taxes. There are no taxes on gifts and inheritance, net worth tax etc.  

There is no general rule that would exempt a tax resident from taxes on income generated outside of Armenia.  

Obtaining an Armenian passport and establishing stronger ties with Armenia can help you to qualify for a non-resident status in your country of origin or other countries and take advantage of certain tax benefits. You may obtain documents such as proof of registered address in Armenia, social security number, taxpayer identification number, tax residency certificate, etc.

Please contact us if you need more information about tax regulations in Armenia.

If your application for citizenship is rejected you are allowed to reapply after one year. Applicants are normally notified of the rejection by a text message which does not detail the reasons for rejection. The rejection may be appealed in court.  Typically, the only way to learn about the grounds for rejection is to file an appeal with the administrative court. 

You are automatically recognized as a citizen of Armenia if you were a permanent resident of Armenia as of July 13, 1995, provided you were a citizen of the former Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic and did not have any other citizenship. 

Upon your request you may be recognized as an Armenian citizen if you do not have any other citizenship, and 

• You do not reside in Armenia, you are an ethnic Armenian and a former citizen of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, or
• You reside in Armenia and 1) you were a citizen of the former U.S.S.R., or 2) you are an ethnic Armenian.