Citizenship is the legal relationship between a state and an individual. According to this relationship, the state recognizes the rights of citizens and protects them within its borders, while the citizens fulfill their duties by obeying the laws and constitution of the state.

A citizen in the Republic of Armenia is someone who acquires citizenship by birth if their parents are Armenian citizens or if they are born in Armenia to stateless/unknown citizenship parents, or through naturalization, which includes specific provisions for those of Armenian descent, spouses of citizens, and those with Armenian citizen parents or children.

RA citizenship can be acquired on the following grounds:

• By recognition of citizenship
  • For example, someone applying for Armenian citizenship and their grandparents were Armenian citizens who left during the diaspora, and they have the necessary documentation to prove their lineage.
• By birth
  • For example, someone born in Armenia to Armenian parents
• By obtaining citizenship
  • For example, someone who has lived and worked in Armenia for five years demonstrated proficiency in the Armenian language and integrated into the community is applying for Armenian citizenship through naturalization. More information on obtaining Armenian citizenship.
• By restoring citizenship
  • For example, someone renounced their Armenian citizenship to obtain another citizenship but now wishes to return to Armenia permanently.
• By an exceptional procedure
  • For example, someone contributed to Armenian culture and science, and the President of Armenia granted them citizenship through an exceptional procedure.
• On other grounds provided for by law
  • For example, someone married an Armenian citizen and is eligible to apply for citizenship after fulfilling the legal requirements related to the duration of their marriage.

Attention
These were just examples of how someone might acquire Armenian citizenship. More detailed descriptions are available in this guide.

The Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and Armenian embassies/consulates handle the administrative work. However, the final decision to grant citizenship rests with the President of the Republic of Armenia.

An application for RA citizenship is rejected if the person's activities harm state and public security, public order, public health and morals, the rights and freedoms, honor and good reputation of others.

The reason for rejecting an application for RA citizenship is not always disclosed.

The progress of cases related to the acquisition or termination of citizenship can be tracked online by entering the control number provided by the Passport and Visa Department of RA (also known as the OVIR) into the system. This control number is typically sent to the email address or phone number provided in the application form.

If the child's parents are citizens of the Republic of Armenia at the time of his/her birth, he/she obtains Armenian citizenship, regardless of the place of birth.

If one of the child’s parents is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, and the other parent is a stateless person or has an unknown identity, then the child still obtains RA citizenship.

If one of a child's parents is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia at the time of the child's birth, and the other is a citizen of another country, then the child has the right to obtain Armenian citizenship with the written consent of both parents. Moreover, the child may simultaneously hold citizenship in another country.

When the written consent of the parents is absent, the child nevertheless acquires RA citizenship if:

• Was born in the Republic of Armenia
• In the event of not acquiring RA citizenship, he/she will become a stateless person (does not
• have citizenship of another country)
  Resides in the Republic of Armenia, and there is the consent of one of the parents

A child born in the Republic of Armenia acquires RA citizenship if:

• The parents are stateless persons.
• The citizenship of the parents is unknown.
• The parents are citizens of another country(ies), but according to the legislation of that country(ies), they cannot transfer their citizenship to the child.
• One of the parents is a stateless person, and the other is a citizen of another country, and according to the legislation of that country, they cannot transfer their citizenship to the child.
• One of the parents is a stateless person, and the citizenship of the other is unknown.
• The citizenship of one of the parents is unknown, and the other is a citizen of another country, and according to the legislation of that country, they cannot transfer their citizenship to the child.

In the above cases, the child acquires RA citizenship on the basis of an application submitted for an RA citizen’s passport.

If the parents of a child of Armenian descent are not citizens of the Republic of Armenia, the child may still obtain RA citizenship from the moment of registration at an RA address (Place of Residence).

In this case, the child obtains RA citizenship on the basis of an application for an RA citizen's passport, which must also be accompanied by the written consent of the parents.

You can apply for RA citizenship if you are an adult, capable of working, and legally reside in another country or in Armenia. To obtain RA citizenship, you must:

• Have permanently resided in the RA for the past three years.
• Be able to speak Armenian.
• Be familiar with the RA Constitution.

The knowledge of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia of persons applying for RA citizenship is checked through testing.

The test consists of 33 questions; each question has three possible answers, only one of which is definitively correct.

If an applicant for RA citizenship personally completes the application form (provided on site) and answers more than half of the questions on the RA Constitution knowledge test correctly, then the person is considered to be proficient in Armenian.

If you have not permanently resided in the Republic of Armenia for the past 3 years, are not familiar with the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, and do not speak Armenian, you can still apply for Armenian citizenship through a simplified procedure.

To obtain citizenship, you must prove that you are of Armenian descent. Proficiency in Armenian and familiarity with the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia are not required.

To prove your Armenian nationality, you can submit any of the following documents:

• A birth certificate, passport, or other official identification document of any family member that confirms that he or she is Armenian by nationality.
• A baptism certificate issued by a church organization of a diaspora community, certified by the Armenian embassy or consulate in the country in question.

Note: Your presence is not required to receive a baptism certificate from the church.

The documents submitted must contain a note stating that you are Armenian by nationality. In addition to the passport, the remaining documents submitted must be certified with an apostille and notarized.

To obtain citizenship of the Republic of Armenia based on nationality, you must submit the following documents:

• Application (provided on site) addressed to the President of the Republic of Armenia.
• Passport and its copy (for a stateless person - his/her ID card and its copy, or travel document and a document confirming the residence status in the Republic of Armenia and its copy).
• 6 photos measuring 35 x 45 mm.
• Birth certificate and its copy.
• Document confirming nationality.
• Document confirming the payment of the state fee (the state fee is 1000 drams; payment is made online through the State Electronic Payments System).

Here you will find a list of church structures whose baptismal certificate is considered a document confirming Armenian ethnicity.

If your parents or one of them was previously a citizen of the Republic of Armenia or was born in the Republic of Armenia, you can apply for RA citizenship within 3 years of turning 18.

When applying for citizenship on the basis of a parent being a citizen of the Republic of Armenia or being born in the Republic of Armenia, the following documents must be submitted:

• Application (provided on site) addressed to the President of the Republic of Armenia.
• Passport and its copy (for a stateless person - his/her ID card and its copy, or travel document and a document confirming the residence status in the Republic of Armenia and its copy).
• 6 photos measuring 35 x 45 mm.
• Birth certificate and its copy.
• Document confirming payment of state duty (state duty is 1000 AMD; payment is made online through the State Payments Electronic System).

The following may apply to be recognized as a citizen of the Republic of Armenia:

• Citizens of the former Armenian SSR (Soviet Armenia) permanently residing in the Republic of Armenia who have not acquired the citizenship of another state before July 5, 1995 (the entry into force of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia) or have renounced it within one year from November 28, 1995 (the entry into force of the RA Law "On Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia").
• Armenians permanently residing in the Republic of Armenia who do not have citizenship if they apply for RA citizenship by December 31, 2026.
• Citizens of the former USSR republics who permanently reside in the Republic of Armenia and are not foreign citizens if they apply for RA citizenship by December 31, 2026.
• Citizens of the former Armenian SSR of Armenian descent residing outside the Republic of Armenia who have not acquired the citizenship of another state.

Persons recognized as citizens of the Republic of Armenia under the above-mentioned points acquire citizenship of the Republic of Armenia if they have applied for and received a document confirming their citizenship of the Republic of Armenia in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law.

To be recognized as a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, you must apply to:

• The Passport and Visa Department of RA (also known as the OVIR), if you are in Armenia
• The embassies and consular offices of the Republic of Armenia, if you are abroad

In case of permanent residence in Armenia as of November 28, 1995, the following documents must be submitted to be recognized as a citizen of the Republic of Armenia:

• Application.
• Passport of a citizen of the former Armenian SSR (if available).
• Documents confirming permanent residence in the Republic of Armenia as of November 28, 1995 (for example, an extract from the parish register of the rural community, a certificate from the condominium, a workbook or a certificate from the place of work, a document confirming the person’s study or work in the Republic of Armenia (a certificate from an educational institution, a corresponding certificate from the place of work, etc.)
• A certificate of not being a citizen of another state.
• In case of being a citizen of another state, a passport of a foreign state, and a certificate on the year of acquiring citizenship of another state.
• Identity documents, and in case of impossibility of submitting them, other documents confirming the person’s identity
• Birth, marriage, birth certificates of children, documents on changes in personal data, parents’ identity documents, etc.

In case of residing in a foreign country as of November 28, 1995, in order to be recognized as a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, it is necessary to submit the following documents:

• Application.
• Passport of a citizen of the former Armenian SSR (if available).
• Documents confirming residence outside the borders of the Republic of Armenia as of November 28, 1995 (for example, residence status issued by a foreign country, a note on being registered in a foreign country, etc.).
• A Certificate of not being a citizen of another country.
• In case of being a citizen of another country, a passport of a foreign country, and a certificate on the date of acquiring citizenship of another country.
• Identification documents, and in case of impossibility of submitting them, other documents confirming the identity of the person.
• Birth, marriage, birth certificates of children, documents on changes in personal data, identity documents of parents, etc.

The President of the Republic of Armenia may grant citizenship of the Republic of Armenia to persons who have provided exceptional services to the Republic of Armenia, for example, have made significant donations or made major investments in Armenia. In this case, citizenship is granted in an accelerated manner within a short period of time.

Yes. Dual-citizen male citizens are considered the Republic of Armenia conscripts and must perform compulsory military service in the Armed Forces of Armenia. In this case, participation in the citizen's military draft and training is also mandatory.

A dual citizen is exempted from the obligation to serve in the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia if:

• Before obtaining RA citizenship, he served in the armed forces of another state for at least 12 months.
• He underwent at least 18 months of alternative service in another state (an RA citizen whose religious beliefs or convictions contradict the carrying, keeping, or using weapons or undergoing military service, in general, may undergo alternative military service).