Knowledge base / Living in Armenia

Armenian citizenship: who can apply and how the process works

Updated: October 2026 · 4 min read

Grounds

• Armenian origin. You do not have to live in Armenia or speak Armenian. Origin is proven with documents, for example a baptism certificate from an Armenian church, or a parent's or grandparent's document that records Armenian ethnicity.
• Marriage to an Armenian citizen. According to the Migration and Citizenship Service, you must have been married for the last two years and have lived legally in Armenia for at least 365 days of that period.
• A child who is an Armenian citizen. The residence and language requirements do not apply.
• Standard naturalisation. You must be 18 or older, have lived permanently in Armenia for the last three years, be able to communicate in Armenian and know the Constitution.
• Exceptional services to Armenia. Decided case by case.

Armenia has no citizenship-by-investment programme with a fixed price. A business and a residence permit help you build up residence time, but they do not lead to citizenship by themselves.

Test and language

If you are not of Armenian origin, you take a test on the Armenian Constitution when you apply. This includes applicants by marriage. Standard naturalisation also checks your Armenian. People of Armenian origin usually need neither.

Step by step

1. Get legal status.
   The residence route needs a residence permit. See Residence permits in Armenia.
2. Prepare documents.
   Apostille or consular legalisation first, then an Armenian translation.
3. Pay the fee and submit.
   Since 1 January 2026, applications, document checks and appointments are handled through mcs-citizenship.am.
4. Bring the originals.
   Citizenship Department of the Migration and Citizenship Service, 17/10, 4th District, Davtashen, Yerevan.
5. Wait for the decision.
   The service reviews the application within 90 working days and notifies you by SMS or email. You then receive an Armenian passport.

Dual citizenship

Armenia has allowed dual citizenship since 2007. However, the Armenian state treats you only as an Armenian citizen. You must report acquiring another citizenship within one month. Check your home country's rules too: some countries do not allow dual citizenship, and Russia requires you to notify the authorities. Men of conscription age should look into military service obligations before applying.

Common mistakes

• Filing documents without an apostille, or with a translation made before the apostille.
• Counting residence by entry stamps rather than by legal status.
• Forgetting to tell your other country about the second citizenship.

Once you have the passport, check your tax residency: it decides where you pay tax.

Sources: arlis.am — Law on Citizenship of Armenia, mfa.am — citizenship and fees, migration.mia.gov.am — citizenship by marriage, migration.mia.gov.am — citizenship by Armenian origin