Knowledge base / Living in Armenia

Buying an apartment in Armenia as a foreigner

Updated: October 2026 · 3 min read

What you can and cannot buy

How the deal works

1. Check the apartment
   Order an extract from the Cadastre. It shows the owner, the area and any encumbrances: mortgage, arrest, ban on sale. A bank pledge must be released before the deal.
2. Check the seller
   The passport must match the data in the extract. If a company is selling, you need its documents and proof of the signatory's authority.
3. Sign the contract
   In practice most deals go through a notary, who can also file the documents with the Cadastre. If you are not in Armenia, a power of attorney works. A power of attorney issued abroad needs an apostille and a certified Armenian translation.
4. Pay by bank transfer
   Under the law on non-cash payments, payments over 500,000 AMD in deals subject to state registration must go through a bank. The proof of payment is attached to the Cadastre application.
5. Register the right
   Apply at any Cadastre Committee office or online at e-cadastre.am. According to the state portal hartak.am, the state duty is 1,000 AMD, the registration fee is 25,000 AMD and the standard term is 4 working days. Faster processing costs extra. The certificate arrives by email.

To move a large sum you will need an account with an Armenian bank. The bank may ask where the money comes from, so keep statements and contracts at hand. More on this in our guides to a personal bank account and money transfers to Armenia.

Property tax and mortgages

Property tax goes to the local community budget (in Yerevan, to the city). The base is the cadastral value, which is set close to market value. The rate is progressive: for low-value apartments it starts at 0.05% a year and rises with the value. From 2026 the tax is charged at the full rate, with no reduction factor. The community sends the amount, and it is due by 1 December. You can estimate it in the Cadastre Committee's calculator; check the exact rates there too.

Banks do lend to non-residents, but not under every program. According to Repat Armenia, the down payment is usually 20–30% or more, and AMD rates in 2025 were around 14–15% a year. The bank will ask for a TIN, an Armenian account and proof of income. A residence permit is usually not required for a mortgage. New-build apartments bought with a mortgage are registered only after the building's completion certificate is issued.

Property and residence

The list of grounds for temporary residence on hartak.am does not include owning real estate. The grounds are work, study, business, family and Armenian origin. New rules for foreigners take effect on 1 November 2026, and they too link residence to work, study, family or business. An apartment is useful as a home, but you will need another ground for status. See the options in Residence permit in Armenia.

Common mistakes

• Paying before checking the Cadastre extract. A pledge or arrest shows up too late.
• Paying in cash. The Cadastre will ask for proof of a non-cash payment.
• Buying a new build without checking the developer: building permit, deadlines, track record. Ownership appears only after the building is completed.
• Buying a house with a plot in your own name without solving the land issue.
• Assuming that an apartment automatically gives you residence.

Sources: Constitution of Armenia — Article 60; Hartak — registration of home ownership and residence grounds; MB Legal — non-cash payment requirement; PwC — immovable property tax; Armenian Lawyer — property tax rates and buying as a foreigner; Repat Armenia — mortgages for non-residents.