Foreign Accountant in an Armenian Company in 2026: What the Law Permits

A foreign national can keep accounts for an Armenian company. The Law on Accounting does not tie this work to citizenship. However, a foreigner must have a legal basis to work in Armenia, and for medium and large companies, a Certified Accountant qualification is required.

The issue has three parts: who may keep accounts; whether the person has the right to work in Armenia; and what changes if an expert keeps the accounts from abroad. Each part is addressed below.

What the Law on Accounting Says

The RA Law "On Accounting" sets out who and how may keep accounts in an organization. Articles 8–10 do not require Armenian citizenship. They set out the following:

• Accounting is conducted in four ways: by an accounting service, an employee-accountant, by a legal entity or sole proprietor providing accounting services, or by the director personally (Art. 8(3)).
• Management of the organization is responsible for organizing accounting and submitting financial statements (Art. 8(1)).
• The chief accountant is responsible for bookkeeping and timely preparation of reports (Art. 9(2)). If a third-party organization handles accounting, these functions are performed by its authorized person (Art. 9(1)).
• In public interest entities, large and medium organizations, only a Certified Accountant or Auditor may be chief accountant. If a third-party organization is used, its authorized person must meet this qualification (Art. 10(1)). For banks, insurance, and certain other financial organizations, additional requirements may be set by the Central Bank (Art. 10(3)).

Thus, a foreigner does not need an Armenian passport. But in a medium or large company, a qualification, not just a diploma, is required. For company size criteria, see the article Is an Accountant Required.

How a Foreigner Can Become a Certified Accountant

Qualification is granted by a specialist organization (a professional body of accountants). Its regulations are approved in coordination with the Public Oversight Council (Art. 17(2)–(3)). The conditions are:

Not everyone is admitted to the exam. Those judicially declared incompetent or partially competent, or deprived by court of the right to hold financial-economic positions until a conviction is expunged or overturned, are excluded (Art. 19(2)). The exam program and procedure are set by the specialist organization with Council approval (Art. 17(3)). Experience requirements are established by the specialist body with Council approval (Art. 17(2) point 3); thus, check conditions with them directly.

The Right to Work in Armenia

This is a separate matter, not governed by the accounting law. The Law "On Foreigners" as amended by HO-11-N (20.01.2026) states the following:

• A foreign national is free to choose a profession and engage in any activity not prohibited by law, subject to established restrictions (Art. 22(1)).
• No separate work permit is required for employment or services contracts for foreigners with permanent residence, or with temporary residence on the grounds listed in Art. 23(1)(2), including study, family ties, entrepreneurship, or Armenian origin (Art. 23(1)(1)–(2); Art. 15(1)(a), (d), (e), (z)).
• Other foreigners may work under an employment contract during the validity of their temporary residence permit granted on employment grounds (Art. 15(1)(b)), employment visa or work-stay permit (Art. 27(1)). Provisions for employment visas and work-stay permits take effect only after implementation of a new electronic visa system (Art. 30(7) of law HO-11-N); check with the Migration Service regarding their availability. The employer applies via a unified electronic platform (Art. 22.1(1)).
• An employment contract will be denied if Armenian law requires citizenship for the position, documents are invalid or forged, or the employer repeatedly breached foreign labor rules (Art. 27(2)).

As the law does not require Armenian citizenship for accountants, employers should still confirm this upon application.

For details on hiring foreigners, see Hiring a Foreigner and Work Permit.

Onboarding a Foreign Employee

If the accountant works under an employment contract, the employer must comply with the following:

• For foreigners under Art. 23(1), the employment contract must be executed via the government’s digital system, following the procedure established by the Government (Art. 27(4)).
• The employer must notify the tax authority of a new employee no later than the end of the day preceding the actual start of work. If employment starts the same day, notification must be filed by 14:00 that day (Art. 156(2) Tax Code). This rule does not apply to foreigners without residence status in Armenia.
• The contract should address relocation, social security, insurance, and accommodation for the worker and family (Art. 27(1)).
• Salary taxation and monthly income tax calculation are described in Salary Taxes.

Three Typical Cases

1. Foreigner with permanent or temporary residence permit based on family ties. This person is registered as a regular employee or service provider. No additional work permit is required if the grounds are per Art. 23(1). Qualification requirements depend on company size and public interest status.
2. Foreigner without the right to work in Armenia, living abroad. May provide accounting services under a contract via a foreign company or sole proprietor, but tax implications should be assessed. Expenses for non-resident services not having a permanent establishment in Armenia can be validated with non-settlement documents (Art. 55(13) Tax Code). Income from accounting services rendered to an Armenian entity from abroad is treated as Armenian-sourced income (Art. 107(4)). The withholding rate for a non-resident without a permanent establishment is 20% on other Armenian income (Art. 125(4)(5)). Consult your accountant on application of double tax treaties and withholding.
3. Foreign director of a micro-company maintaining accounts themselves. This is allowed by law (Art. 8(3)(4)). However, legal status to work and residency grounds must be separately verified.

What to Check Before Hiring

• Company size. If the company is medium, large, or a public interest entity, only a Certified Accountant or Auditor can be chief accountant. This is not required for other companies under the accounting law, but for financial organizations, further standards may be set by the Central Bank.
• Legal basis for the foreigner’s stay in Armenia. This determines the type of contract and necessary permits.
• Contract. It must clearly designate who is responsible for accounting: managerial responsibility is not transferred (Art. 8(1)).
• Contract term. The term of a foreigner’s employment contract may not exceed their temporary residence for employment, work visa, or permit period (once available), except in cases under Art. 23(1) (Art. 27(1)).
• Access to reporting. Who signs and submits reports. E-signature rules are described in Electronic Signature.

Common Mistakes

• Contracts exceeding residence, visa, or permit term. The law limits contract duration to that of the legal document, except under Art. 23(1) (Art. 27(1)).
• Relying on outdated rules. The Law on Foreigners was amended by HO-11-N of 20.01.2026: parts 2–5 of Art. 22 have been repealed. Employer application is covered in Art. 22.1.
• Appointing a person without qualification as chief accountant for a medium company. This violates Art. 10(1): a regular accountant reporting to the chief need not be qualified.