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The rules for obtaining Armenian citizenship may be changed. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has proposed extending the mandatory period of residence in the country, introducing additional requirements for ethnic Armenians and spouses of Armenian citizens, and increasing the state fee fivefold. The draft law has been published on the legal acts portal and is open for public discussion until September 23.
How to Get an Armenian Passport: New Requirements
General procedure. Foreign nationals can currently obtain Armenian citizenship after three years of permanent residence in the country. The Ministry of Internal Affairs proposes extending this period to five years and introducing an additional requirement for actual physical presence in Armenia — at least 915 days during that period. Knowledge of the Armenian language and the Constitution will remain mandatory.
Ethnic Armenians and persons of Armenian origin. At present, residence in Armenia is not a mandatory condition for this group. The draft law would require at least two years of legal residence in the country and a minimum of 366 days of actual physical presence during that period. Armenian origin would be verified by a special commission of the Ministry of Internal Affairs based on documents, archival records and other evidence.
Spouses of Armenian citizens. The requirement to have been legally married for at least two years would remain unchanged. However, applicants would also need to have legally resided in Armenia for three years and to have been physically present in the country for at least 549 days. Currently, two years of marriage and at least 365 days of residence in Armenia are sufficient.
Other categories of applicants. A requirement of three years of legal residence and at least 549 days of physical presence is also proposed for people whose child or parent is an Armenian citizen, as well as for those whose parents previously held Armenian citizenship. The same periods would apply to recognized refugees and stateless persons residing in Armenia.
Restoration of citizenship. People who previously lost Armenian citizenship would be able to apply for its restoration no earlier than five years after their citizenship was terminated. Before applying, they would need to have legally resided in the country for two years and spent at least 366 days there.
Application procedure. Documents would first have to be submitted through an electronic system. After a preliminary review, the applicant would be scheduled for an in-person submission. Following a presidential decree granting citizenship, the oath would have to be taken within one year, and the ceremony would be held only in Armenia.
State fee. The Ministry of Internal Affairs proposes increasing the state fee for obtaining citizenship fivefold, from 50,000 to 250,000 drams ($136–687).
Reasons for the Changes in Armenia
New requirements for applicants seeking Armenian citizenship were included in the country’s migration strategy for the first time. Work on the reform began even before negotiations with the EU on visa liberalization, while the relevant measures were later incorporated into the action plan for that process.
Another factor has been the growing number of applications from ethnic Armenians from Russia. Acting Deputy Interior Minister Armen Ghazaryan noted that the number of such applications increased noticeably after hostilities began in Ukraine and travel restrictions were imposed on Russian citizens. In some cases, an Armenian passport is obtained primarily for foreign travel. Under the current rules, ethnic Armenians can apply for citizenship without being required to reside in the country.
Overall interest in Armenian citizenship has risen sharply in recent years. More than 32,000 applications were submitted in 2025, the highest figure on record. In each of the previous two years, the number exceeded 20,000, compared with an earlier annual average of around 7,000–8,000. The Ministry of Internal Affairs also proposes changing the procedure for restoring citizenship after voluntary renunciation: under the current rules, a person can reapply for an Armenian passport almost immediately.
Armenia’s Migration Policy
Public discussion of the draft law will continue until September 23, 2026. After that, the document will have to go through further approval and legislative procedures. If the amendments are adopted in their current form, the new rules will take effect on January 1, 2028. A transition period is planned: electronic applications and requests for the acquisition or termination of citizenship submitted before that date will be considered under the rules in force at the time of application.
International Investment analysts note that the proposed citizenship changes continue Armenia’s broader migration policy reform. New rules for obtaining temporary and permanent residence permits will take effect in November 2026, while a revision of naturalization requirements could become the next stage. Overall, the authorities are tightening requirements for the legal residence of foreigners and making actual physical presence in the country one of the key criteria.
If the draft law is adopted, obtaining an Armenian passport without spending a significant amount of time in the country will become considerably more difficult. This will primarily affect members of the diaspora and other applicants who qualify under preferential grounds but permanently live outside Armenia. Further changes to migration legislation are also possible, as the country has chosen a course toward closer integration with the EU, which includes changes to the visa regime.