Residence Permit for Employment in Armenia in 2026: Work Permit, Contract, Fee

Relevant as of 11.11.2026.

A residence permit for employment is issued for up to 1 year. Basis: work visa or work permit (Art. 15, part 1, point “b” of the Law “On Foreigners”). A work permit is an electronic confirmation entered by the migration service into the electronic platform. It allows obtaining a work visa or temporary status or working during the period of legal stay (Art. 3). The application is completed by the employer. The fee from November 1, 2026 is 155,950 dram. The decision is made within 30 days.

Law HO-11-N, which introduced these rules, is effective from November 1, 2026. However, Art. 30, part 7 of HO-11-N states that the provisions regarding work visas and work permits come into force after the launch of the new electronic visa system. The current version of the law on arlis already includes these provisions. We did not find the e-visa system launch date in the primary sources. Before applying, clarify with your employer and on the platform how your case should be processed.

How it Works: Step by Step

1. The employer fills out an application on the unified electronic platform (Art. 22.1, part 1). The application form is set by the Government.
2. The migration service reviews the application and issues the work permit. Previous labor market checks (position open for Armenian citizens, refusal if it can be filled by RA citizens) have been removed from the law: Art. 22, parts 2–5, Art. 24, and Art. 25 of the former version have been repealed.
3. You are granted temporary status. The decision is made within 30 days from application, considering the annual status quota (Art. 17, part 4).
4. An employment or service contract is signed for a period no longer than the status, work visa, or work permit (Art. 27, part 1).
5. The contract must address issues of relocation, social security, insurance, housing, registration at place of residence, and return for you and your family members (Art. 27, part 1).

The platform automatically verifies data in state databases, including with the SRC: whether you are registered there as an employee (Art. 42.2).

Main Provisions

Quotas as of 11.11.2026 are not published in the sources available to us.

How Much Does It Cost

Fees are calculated using the basic state fee of 1,000 dram (Art. 8 of the Law “On State Fees”). New rates are set by Law HO-215-N.

Until November 1, 2026, the fee was 105,000 dram. The MFA RA website as of 11.11.2026 still shows the previous amounts, refer to the law. Law HO-215-N enters into force no later than November 1, 2026, and is listed on arlis as effective from 30.10.2026.

There is no separate fee in the law for the “work permit” document itself: Art. 14.2 of the Law “On State Fees” was repealed on 27.05.2021 (version as of 15.06.2022). Whether the employer or employee pays for platform services is not stated in the primary sources. The fee is referred to as payment for considering the application, so assume it is non-refundable if refused.

If the Contract is Terminated

• If the contract is terminated before the status expires, you have 15 business days to sign a new one (Art. 27, part 1). Otherwise, the status is considered void (Art. 21, part 1, point 5 as amended by HO-11-N).
• An employment contract with a foreigner will be refused if the job requires Armenian citizenship, if documents or information are false, or if the employer previously violated requirements for hiring foreigners (Art. 27, part 2).

Who Does Not Need a Work Permit

The right to sign an employment or other contract without a work permit applies, in particular (Art. 23, part 1):

• Persons with permanent residence, for the validity of their status;
• Persons with temporary status on the basis of study, family, entrepreneurship, or Armenian origin, for the validity of their status;
• Persons granted such a right by an international treaty of Armenia.

If your citizenship falls under an international treaty, you do not receive a residence permit but a certificate of legal residence. You apply for it immediately after signing the employment contract (Art. 7, part 3). The fee is 30,000 dram for consideration and 5,950 dram for issuance, totaling 35,950 dram (HO-215-N). Check if your country is covered by such a treaty. A marriage-based residence permit also grants the right to work without a permit; see the article Residence Permit by Marriage.

If Your Legal Stay is Expiring

While the service reviews your status application, your stay in Armenia is considered legal even if your entry term or previous status has expired (Art. 17, part 4, paragraph 2). Without a visa, citizens of visa-free countries may stay in Armenia for no more than 180 days in a year, unless otherwise prescribed by international agreements (Art. 7, part 1). For details: 180 days without residence permit.

Key Points to Note

• A work visa up to 120 days allows for short-term employment, to apply for employed status from Armenia, and receive the status document (Art. 10, part 1, point “e”).
• If you entered with another visa or visa-free and immediately apply for employed status without changing your purpose of entry or obtaining a permit, you may be refused (Art. 19, part 1, points 10 and 11).
• You may have only one residence status (Art. 14, part 2.2).
• If you are absent from Armenia for 183 days or more, notify the service through the platform within 10 days after this period (Art. 17, part 8).
• The law does not specify a deadline for applying for extension. The MFA website previously indicated "no later than 30 days before the end of the term" until November 1. Apply in advance.
• Applications submitted before November 1, 2026 are considered under the previous rules (Art. 30, part 4 HO-11-N).
• After refusal, you may reapply in one year. If the reason has been removed, for example, refusal due to quota or the contract not being signed, you may reapply earlier (Art. 20, part 4).

How to draw up the contract is described in the article Employment Contract. Employer rules: Work Permit.