Lost Armenia Residence Card in 2026: Where to Go, Costs, and Wait Times

Current as of 11.11.2026. Lost residence cards are replaced by the Migration and Citizenship Service (MCS) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the RA. Until November 1, 2026, this cost 12,000 AMD and took 5–10 days. From November 1, applications for statuses are submitted through the new electronic platform, and the Law on State Duty was amended. Below, we separate what is confirmed by official sources from what is not yet clarified.

What happens to your status

The card is not your status. Status is granted by MCS decision; the card merely certifies it. In the list of grounds for status loss in Art. 21 of the Law “On Foreigners” (version HO-11-N), loss of the card is not mentioned. The listed grounds include, for example, loss of eligibility, voluntary renunciation, acquiring citizenship, termination of employment without new contract within 15 business days, or failing to notify about travel abroad exceeding 183 days. The list concludes with “other cases provided by law.” Loss of the card is not specifically listed.

Still, do not delay. The card is the document proving your residence right, so you should not be without it.

Procedure under rules until November 1, 2026

These rules are detailed on MCS pages for temporary residence card and permanent residence card; the procedures are identical.

1. Submit an application addressed to the head of MCS, either personally or through a representative.
2. Submit at: Foreigners’ Services Department, MCS, 14 Tairov St., Yerevan.
3. Attach one color photo (35×45 mm).
4. Attach your state duty payment receipt, or a document confirming exemption if you are eligible.
5. If you also changed your passport, include a notarized Armenian translation of the new passport.
6. Collect your new card at the Unified Public Services office, 3 Vazgen Sargsyan St., Monday–Friday, 09:00–18:00, break 14:00–15:00.

The same instructions are given for replacing a damaged card or when a passport is changed. The required documents are identical.

Costs

The state duty was paid to the treasury account listed on the MCS website—by terminal on site, online, or at a bank.

What changed with HO-215-N

Law HO-215-N was adopted on May 11, 2026 and published May 29. It amends Art. 14 as of October 30, 2026. The law fully replaces Art. 14(8) of the Law on State Duty. In the new text:

• Application review for temporary status: 150,000 AMD;
• Application review for permanent status: 250,000 AMD;
• Card issuance for temporary or permanent status: 5,950 AMD;
• Certificate of legal residence: 30,000 AMD for review and 5,950 AMD for issuance.

There is no separate line on lost card replacement in the new text. The law does not clarify what is paid for card replacement now. The current consolidated version of the Law on State Duty at arlis.am contains the new Art. 14(8) and also omits a line for replacement. Please confirm the amount with MCS before payment. The law also grants the Government the right to fully or partially exempt specific groups from the duty (new Art. 26(7)).

Who was eligible for free replacement

By the MCS list (until November 1, 2026), replacement was free for:

• Minors under age 18;
• Close relatives of RA citizens: spouse, child, father, mother, sister, brother;
• Foreign students, faculty and lecturers at Armenian universities;
• Persons providing humanitarian or technical aid;
• Foreign specialists invited by the President, National Assembly, or Government, and their families;
• Diplomatic and consular staff and their families.

Other categories are also included, e.g., ethnic Armenians from countries under a state of emergency. The new Art. 26(7) of the Law on State Duty allows the Government to exempt groups fully or partially from the duty. We did not find Government decrees on group composition.

New electronic platform

MCS announced that as of November 1, 2026, the migration.e-gov.am portal and EarlyOne app are discontinued. Applications are now made through a unified e-platform. Law HO-11-N sets this out in Arts. 14 and 17. On the platform sections we could access, applications are organized by ground: Armenian origin, work, study, entrepreneurship, family, investment. We could not find a separate “replace lost card” service.

Therefore, if your card was lost after November 1:

• Do not try to schedule through the old portal; it is closed;
• Call MCS: 84-22 within Armenia, +374 10 300 159 from abroad, email mcs@gov.am (platform contacts);
• Clarify if the application for replacement must be made via the platform or in person at 14 Tairov St.

We did not find an official description of the replacement procedure after November 1. This is a question for an expert; we do not speculate.

If you lost more than just your card

Loss of a passport from your home country is a separate matter, described in the article Loss of Foreign Passport. Note that the new passport must be translated into Armenian by a notary; see passport translation for residence.

If you have special status and lost your special passport, the RA MFA describes replacement via embassy or consulate: a letter addressed to the ambassador or consul general, copies of passport pages, two photos, a copy of the lost special passport (if available) and 75,000 AMD fee. The new passport cannot exceed the term of the lost one. Special status is no longer issued after November 1, 2026; details are in Special Residence Status.

If your card is about to expire

You should extend your card in advance. According to the RA MFA (old rules), applications for extension were to be submitted at least 30 days before expiry. In the current Law “On Foreigners”, we did not find a set deadline; the procedure is defined by the Government. If you lost your card just before expiry, do not wait for a replacement: apply for an extension and check replacement details with MCS. The extension procedure is fully described in the article Residence Card Extension.

Common mistakes

• Waiting for the card to “turn up,” losing several weeks.
• Submitting the application without a 35×45 mm photo or payment receipt.
• Not including the exemption document despite eligibility.
• Overlooking passport replacement and not preparing translation of the new passport.
• Attempting to apply via the old portal after November 1, 2026.
• Using outdated state duty amounts. Sums differ in the law after November 1.

Step-by-step actions

1. Make a copy or take a photo of the lost card if you have one, and set aside your passport.
2. Check your status expiry date.
3. Call MCS to clarify the current replacement procedure and fee.
4. Prepare a 35×45 mm photo, receipt or exemption document, and, if you changed your passport, a notarized translation.
5. Submit the application and keep proof of submission.
6. Collect the card and check the data inside.