New Residence Permit Rules in Armenia 2026: What Changed from November 1

From November 1, 2026, Law HO-11-N is in force in Armenia. Residence permit applications are accepted only online, you can only hold one status, special status is abolished, annual quotas introduced. The fee has increased to 150,000 drams for temporary and 250,000 drams for permanent status. The consideration period remains unchanged at 30 days. Data verified as of 11.11.2026 based on law texts on arlis.am.

Key Dates

The law required adopting bylaws by November 1 (Art. 30, part 2). As of now, we have not found such acts covering documents list, quotas, or investments; see details below.

What Changed: Before and After

The previous procedure is on the MFA RA page and Migration Service.

Online Submission Only

Applications for temporary or permanent status are submitted via the electronic platform (Art. 17, part 1). If not all information is provided, the platform sends a notification. You have 5 days to respond, otherwise the review is suspended. If you do not resume your case within a month, the platform closes it automatically.

Card and identity document are issued in person: fingerprints and electronic signature sample are required (Migration Service). Persons of Armenian origin must first register on the platform and undergo a preliminary check, then set an appointment for in-person application (Art. 29.5, part 2).

Applications submitted before November 1 are considered under the old rules (Art. 30, part 4).

Single Status and Quotas

• Foreign nationals can hold only one status confirming legal residence (Art. 14, part 2.2). Previously granted multiple statuses remain valid until expiry (Art. 30, part 5).
• The government sets annual quotas by status type, number and grounds. If quota is exhausted, your application may be refused (Art. 19, part 1, item 13).
• As of 2026, quota sizes have not been published.

Grounds and Thresholds

• Temporary status: study, work, family (spouse, parent, child), entrepreneurship, Armenian origin, volunteering (Art. 15).
• Permanent status: family or business after 3 years with temporary status in the last 5 years, Armenian origin, investments, special merits (Art. 16).
• Business: Sole trader must prove 1 mln drams on account or 1 mln turnover within 60 days before applying; company member must invest at least 2 mln drams (Art. 29.4 HO-11-N). Status is revoked if capital drops below 1 mln drams or if no taxes accrue within 180 days of issuance.
• Investments: criteria set by the government; not yet published.

Work

A work visa is issued for up to 120 days once per calendar year, not renewable (Art. 10). If an employment contract is terminated, you have 15 working days to conclude a new one. Otherwise, status is revoked (Art. 21, part 1, item 5). These rules take effect after e-visa system launch.

Foreigners entitled to work under international treaties (e.g. EAEU citizens) must obtain a permit for legal residence immediately after concluding the employment contract (Art. 7, part 3). Fee: 30,000 drams for review and 5,950 drams for issuance.

Absence from the Country for 183 Days

Temporary or permanent status holders must notify the service through the platform if absent for 183 days or more, within 10 days of reaching this period (Art. 17, part 8). This requirement does not apply to permanent residents by investment or by special merit. Failure to notify is grounds for status revocation (Art. 21, part 1, item 7). This rule is unrelated to tax residency, which is determined by the Tax Code.

Fees

Fees are set by Law HO-215-N, not HO-11-N. Temporary status review costs 150,000 drams, permanent status 250,000 drams, card issuance 5,950 drams. For details and exemptions, see How much does a Residence Permit cost and how long to wait.

Refusal and Revocation

• Refusal grounds expanded (Art. 19). These include: expulsion or revocation of status less than three years ago, unserved conviction for a medium, grave or especially grave crime, false statements, no employment contract within 15 working days, quota exhausted.
• You may reapply after one year, but not in all cases (Art. 20, part 4).
• Refusals can be appealed in court. While litigation is pending, the service issues a permit for temporary residence (Art. 20, part 2).

If You Already Have a Card

• Cards issued before November 1 remain valid until expiry. Renewal will be under the new rules: via the platform and subject to quotas.
• If you held more than one status, your documents remain valid until expiry, but you cannot obtain another new status (Art. 30, part 5).
• If you have a special passport, you keep the rights and obligations until its expiry (Art. 30, part 6). New special passports are not issued; persons of Armenian origin now receive temporary or permanent status under the procedure of Art. 29.5.
• If your application was submitted before November 1, it is considered by the previous rules, including the old fee.

Data and Platform

The law restricts government agencies' access to your data. An agency only receives information necessary for its functions. Once review is complete, the migration service blocks other agencies from accessing your information and details of those involved in your case (Art. 42.1 of the Law “On Foreigners”). Use of the data for other purposes is forbidden.

During review, the platform requests information from state registers: population, legal entities, tax authority, civil register, cadastre, border, police and others (Art. 42.2). Therefore, documents already in state databases are not collected again, while discrepancies must be explained.

What Remains Unclear

As of 11.11.2026 the following are not available from open sources:

• approved online application documents list;
• quota size for 2026;
• conditions for permanent residence by investment;
• renewal procedure for temporary status and the renewal fee.

The law delegates these rules to the government. Follow updates at arlis.am and on the Migration Service website.

What To Do

1. Check your card’s expiry date and renewal plan: after November 1, renewals must be through the platform.
2. For permanent residence, count 3 years of temporary status within the last 5 years.
3. For business status via sole trader, ensure taxes are accrued in the first 180 days.
4. Submit notification if you are absent from Armenia for 183 days or more.

Period of stay without residence permit is covered in 180 Days Without a Residence Permit.