Residence Permit via Business in Armenia in 2026: 2,000,000 Dram Investment, Application, Fee

Current as of 11.11.2026.

From November 1, 2026, a residence permit through business is issued for up to one year if you are a member, shareholder, or securities holder of a commercial organization in Armenia and have contributed at least 2,000,000 drams to its charter capital. Purchasing shares or securities for 2,000,000 drams also qualifies. This provision is from Art. 29.4 of the Law on Foreigners, edition HO-11-N. The application is submitted by the company executive via the unified electronic platform. State fee: 155,950 drams. A decision is made within 30 days.

Law HO-11-N was adopted on 20.01.2026 and comes into effect on November 1, 2026. A general overview of changes: New Rules 2026.

Conditions

The monetary requirement is directed at the foreigner personally: it is you who must invest 2,000,000 drams. If there are several members in the company, the law does not specify how to count the investment. For safety, each applicant should ensure an investment of 2,000,000 drams.

The law does not require you to be the director, does not specify business activity, and does not restrict ownership share. For details on company formation and charter requirements, see LLC Registration and Charter and Capital.

Who Applies and How

The application for the company is submitted by the head of the executive body. This follows from Art. 29.4 Part 2. Submission is via the Migration and Citizenship Service's unified electronic platform. If you are both a member and the director, you may apply yourself. If another person is the director, that person must apply on your behalf.

The procedure is as follows:

1. The company executive registers on the platform and fills out the application.
2. Required documents are attached; their list and the procedure are set by the Government (Art. 17 Part 3).
3. The state fee is paid—this may be done online.
4. The platform itself queries data from the legal entities’ registry: address, executive, charter capital, and members. It also checks databases of the SRC, population registry and others (Art. 42.2).
5. The decision is made within 30 days from submission, considering the annual quota (Art. 17 Part 4).

Documents

Before November 1, the migration portal required the following documents for a temporary residence permit:

• Application form;
• Three color photos (35x45 mm);
• Passport, a copy, and a notarized Armenian translation;
• Health certificate;
• Confirmation of legal stay in Armenia;
• Supporting documents (for business, documents confirming entrepreneurial activity);
• Payment receipt for the state fee.

A new document list will be approved by the Government by bylaw. As of 11.11.2026, the text was not found. Check the platform for the current list before submitting.

The law states you must have “contributed” the investment. What documents confirm this (such as an extract from the registry, payment proof, or valuation report) will be determined by the Government procedure.

What to Prepare Before Applying

1. Register a company or join an existing one as a member, shareholder, or securities holder.
2. Invest at least 2,000,000 drams in charter capital or purchase shares or securities for this amount. Retain documents confirming the investment.
3. Find out who the company’s executive is—the application is submitted by this person. If the executive is a foreigner, see Foreigner as Director.
4. Prepare your passport with a notarized Armenian translation and a health certificate.
5. Ensure you are legally residing in Armenia. Proof of legal stay was previously required on the migration portal.
6. Plan your company’s tax reporting for the first 180 days after status is obtained.

If your term of legal stay expires while your application is under review, your stay is considered legal until the decision is made (Art. 17 Part 4, para. 2). Visa-free nationals may not stay in Armenia for more than 180 days per year, unless otherwise specified by international treaties (Art. 7 Part 1 of the Law on Foreigners). Details: 180 days without residence permit.

Costs

Fees in the Law on State Duty are based on a “base duty” of 1,000 drams (Art. 8 of the Law).

Until November 1, 2026, the fee was 105,000 drams, including the card. As of 11.11.2026 the MFA RA website still listed previous amounts, 105,000 and 140,000 drams. The law applies. Law HO-215-N enters into force no later than November 1, 2026, and as of 30.10.2026 is in effect on arlis.

There is no separate fee specified for renewal in the law’s new edition. Check the fee for renewal on the platform before applying. The fee is a service fee for review, so in case of refusal it is not refundable.

How to Avoid Losing Status

Article 29.4 Part 5 lists cases where the status will be revoked:

• The invested capital is withdrawn from the company;
• The capital falls below 1,000,000 drams;
• The value of shares or securities drops below 1,000,000 drams;
• For 180 days after status is issued, there are no tax records for your activity in the SRC database.

Because of the last point, the company must start operating and submit reports immediately after registration. The law does not clarify which specific taxes count as confirmation. For information on tax regimes and reporting, see Turnover Tax and LLC Regimes.

Status will be preserved after capital withdrawal in two cases:

1. At the moment of withdrawal, you already have an equivalent investment in another Armenian commercial organization.
2. Within one month after withdrawal, you invest the withdrawn sum in the capital of another Armenian company.

Another obligation: if you are absent from Armenia for 183 days or more, you must notify the service via the platform within 10 days after that period (Art. 17 Part 8). Exceptions exist only for investors and those with special permanent residence status for distinguished service.

Extension and Permanent Residency

The current law text does not specify a deadline for a renewal application (the MFA website previously stated “no later than 30 days before expiration”). Apply in advance. For a new status on the “business” basis, an application and platform data confirming ongoing business activity are required. If such data do not exist, you submit documents yourself (Art. 29.4 Part 4).

Permanent residency based on entrepreneurial activity is possible if during the last 5 years you have held temporary status for at least 3 years (Art. 16 Part 1, point "v"). Permanent residency is granted for 5 years; state fee per new regulations is 250,000 drams for consideration, plus 5,950 for the card. Details: Permanent residence and special permit.

Notes

• You may hold only one residence status (Art. 14 Part 2.2). Previously issued multiple statuses remain valid until expiry (Art. 30 Part 5).
• Applications submitted before November 1, 2026 are processed under the old rules (Art. 30 Part 4).
• Quota figures as of 11.11.2026 had not been published in available sources. Exhaustion of quota is grounds for refusal (Art. 19 Part 1, point 13).
• Upon refusal, you may reapply after a year (Art. 20 Part 4). If the reason for refusal is eliminated (such as quota exhaustion), you may reapply earlier. Reasons and procedures: Residence permit refusal.