Purchase of an Apartment by a Foreigner in Armenia in 2026: Eligibility, Procedure, Fees

Valid as of 11.11.2026. Provisions of the Civil Code are as published on arlis.am with amendments up to 09.06.2022. Fee amounts are checked according to versions of laws on arlis.am (state duty as of 15.06.2022, registration law with amendments up to 30.06.2021). Verify current amounts with the Cadastre Committee before your transaction.

Yes, a foreigner can purchase an apartment in Armenia. According to the clarification of the Cadastre Committee, the only restriction for foreign nationals concerns land plots; there are no prohibitions on other immovable property. The sale and purchase agreement must be certified by a notary, and ownership is acquired after state registration with the Cadastre Committee (Civil Code RA, Articles 562 and 563). Registration is completed on the 4th business day; fees amount to 45,000 AMD. Purchase of an apartment does not grant residence status.

What can be purchased

The clarification is dated 05.10.2022. The current text of the Land Code was not reviewed here; for plots, refer to the separate article: Land for Foreigners.

Article 60 of the Land Code defines categories of land that cannot be transferred to anyone, neither citizens of RA nor foreigners. These include, for example, sites of historical and cultural value, public use land within settlements, and land for special purposes.

Does purchase grant residence status

No. Purchasing real estate is not grounds for temporary residence (Article 15 of the Law “On Foreigners”, RA MFA). Law HO-11-N, effective from 1 November 2026, introduces permanent residence (PR) on the basis of "investment" (Art. 16, 29.6), but the Government will determine the requirements and thresholds. We did not find a governmental decision approving these criteria. For current grounds, see the article Grounds for Residence Status.

Housing is relevant in one case: for PR based on family grounds, you must confirm that you have adequate housing and means of subsistence (Art. 16 Part 1 Point “a”).

Purchase procedure

1. Find a property and verify both the apartment and the seller. Detailed steps are in the article Apartment Due Diligence.
2. Order information about the property from the Cadastre Committee: it will show rights and restrictions. Anyone may order it, not only the owner (cadastre.am).
3. Sign the sale and purchase agreement at a notary (Art. 562).
4. Submit the registration application to any Cadastre Committee office, regardless of the property's location, or online at e-cadastre.am using an electronic signature. The transaction process is described in the article Transaction at Notary.
5. Receive the ownership registration certificate. You become the owner from the moment of registration (Art. 563 Civil Code, cadastre.am).

Required elements in the contract

• Details allowing for precise identification of the apartment. Without this, the condition is considered unagreed and the contract unenforceable (Art. 566).
• Price. If the price is not agreed in writing, the contract is unenforceable (Art. 567).
• List of individuals who, prior to the contract, have usage rights to the dwelling. This is an essential condition of an apartment sale contract (Art. 570).
• Transfer via transfer act or another handover document (Art. 568).

If you buy in an unfinished building, prepayment may be made only to a special developer account in a bank, to the treasury, or to a notary deposit (Art. 570.1 Part 4). Details: New Building.

Registration fee

Registration of ownership incurs a service fee and a state duty (Cadastre Committee). The first state registration of ownership is free. When purchasing from an owner whose title is already registered, you pay according to the table below.

Notarial expenses and taxes are not included in the table. Analysis provided here: Purchase Expenses.

Registration timelines and expedited service

Ownership registration is performed on the 4th business day following application (Art. 74 Part 1). If you need it faster, service fees are multiplied as follows:

The multiplier applies to fees under the registration law. For the 25,000 AMD fee, this results in 50,000 AMD for the 3rd day, 75,000 AMD for the 2nd, and 150,000 AMD for 2 business hours. The state duty is calculated separately. Confirm final amounts with the Cadastre Committee before application.

Timelines are counted in business days from the date of application (cadastre.am). For reference: rights termination is registered on the 2nd business day, and property information is provided on the 3rd (Art. 74 Parts 3 and 8).

Land beneath the building and apartment quality

• If you purchase a building or structure, the ownership right to the land beneath is transferred with it (Art. 564 Part 1). When selling part of a building, the relevant portion of the plot—previously allocated and registered—is transferred to the buyer. For apartment buildings and subdivided houses, this rule regarding plot share does not apply (Art. 564 Part 4).
• The seller transfers the apartment via a transfer act. If you accept an apartment that does not conform to the contract—even with such exceptions noted—the seller remains liable for non-compliance (Art. 568 Part 4).
• If the apartment's quality does not meet the contract, you may demand remedies under Art. 491 of the Civil Code, except for replacement of the good (Art. 569). "Apartment replacement" is not an option.

How to verify the ownership certificate

After registration, you are issued an ownership certificate. Since July 1, 2019, a new sample form is in use. You can verify the authenticity and validity of the certificate on the e-cadastre.am website by certificate number and password in the "Document Viewing" section (Cadastre Committee). Rights and restrictions are considered registered from the moment an entry is made in the registry and approved by the registrar.

Applications and documents submitted online must be confirmed with an electronic signature. The applicant is responsible for the authenticity of the documents submitted.

Typical mistakes

• Signing a preliminary agreement without checking property rights and restrictions.
• Failing to verify registered residents. The list is an essential condition of the sale agreement (Art. 570).
• Not matching the owner's details in the cadastre with the seller's documents.
• Making payment before registration without agreeing the settlement procedure. Fulfilling the contract prior to registration does not affect relations with third parties (Art. 563 Part 2).
• Expecting automatic residence status through purchase.

What to consider

• Check rights and restrictions before signing the contract. Fulfilling the contract prior to registration does not affect relations with third parties (Art. 563 Part 2).
• If you pay from abroad or complete the transaction via a representative, discuss this with a lawyer beforehand.
• After purchase, you are subject to real estate tax, described in the article Real Estate Tax.
• Mortgage options for foreigners are explained in Mortgage for Foreigners.