Residence Permit Under New Rules: Key Provisions of the Law

The Government of the Republic of Armenia approved a package of draft laws "On Amendments and Additions to the Law on Foreigners" and related laws. The changes will come into force on August 1, 2026.

What has changed?

1. Applications for all forms of residence permit will be submitted online. The Migration Service will be required to make a decision on the submitted case within 30 days.

2. State fees will increase to 150,000 AMD for a one-year residence permit and to 250,000 AMD for a five-year permanent residence permit. At the same time, fees will no longer be refunded in case of refusal: payment will be for consideration, not for the fact of granting the status.

3. To apply for a five-year permanent residence permit, you will need to live for three years in the country with temporary forms of residence permit.

4. Each type of residence permit will be limited by quota. The limit will be set by the Government of the Republic of Armenia on an annual basis.

5. To obtain a resident card based on entrepreneurial activity, you need:

— either turnover of 1 million AMD for the 60 days preceding the application;

— or a balance on individual entrepreneur accounts of 1 million AMD for the entire duration of the residence permit status.

6. If absent from the country for more than 183 days or if business activity is terminated within 180 days, the residence permit will be revoked.