Armenia Amends Law on Foreigners: Key Changes Effective 1 November 2026

A set of amendments to the Law of the Republic of Armenia "On Foreigners" substantially revises the rules governing residence status, the employment of foreign nationals, entry visas and migration procedures. The amendments enter into force on 1 November 2026, together with the Unified Electronic Platform through which residence procedures will be conducted. The provisions concerning the work entry visa and the permission to stay or reside for the purpose of employment take effect only after the new electronic entry visa system has been introduced.

Fewer exemptions from the employment permission

The most immediate change for employers is the narrowing of the exemption list. An employment or services contract may be concluded with a foreign national only where a permission to stay or reside in Armenia for the purpose of employment has been issued as an electronic confirmation on the platform, unless the person falls within an exhaustive statutory list. The following categories may work without a permission today, are not included in the new list, and will therefore require one from 1 November 2026:

• founders and heads of the executive body of Armenian companies with majority foreign capital;
• employees of foreign companies engaged in their Armenian branches or representative offices;
• specialists arriving to install or commission equipment and to train local personnel;
• lecturers, teaching staff and senior administrative staff of Armenian educational institutions;
• highly qualified specialists meeting criteria established by the Government;
• professional athletes, and graduates of Armenian institutions during the year following graduation.

Foreign nationals entitled to work by virtue of Armenia's international treaties, including nationals of EAEU member states, remain exempt. They must, however, apply for a certificate confirming the legality of their residence immediately upon conclusion of the contract, against payment of a state duty. At present this obligation arises only where the stay exceeds 180 days.

Annual quotas for residence statuses

The amendments introduce the concept of quotas, under which the Government will establish annual limits on residence statuses according to their type, number and grounds. The relevant quota indicators will be taken into account when deciding whether to grant temporary or permanent residence status, and exhaustion of the annual quota constitutes a ground for refusal.

New work entry visa

A new work entry visa allows a foreign national to enter Armenia for short-term employment, to apply from within Armenia for temporary residence status on employment grounds, and to collect the document confirming a status already granted on those grounds. It confers a right of stay of up to 120 days, may be issued for single or multiple entry, cannot be extended, and may be issued only once during a calendar year.

Two new grounds for refusal reinforce this route. An application for employment-based temporary residence status will be refused where the foreign national entered Armenia on a visitor, official, diplomatic or transit visa without changing the type of visa, or entered visa free without having obtained the employment permission.

Electronic procedure and shorter temporary residence

Applications for temporary and permanent residence status are submitted and examined exclusively through the Unified Electronic Platform, and a decision is issued within 30 days. The foreign national's presence in Armenia remains lawful pending the decision. Where a notification from the platform goes unanswered for five days, the proceedings are suspended automatically and are terminated if not resumed within one month.

Temporary residence status is granted for up to one year, and the statutory extension mechanism has been removed, so that continuation requires a new application. A foreign national may hold only one status confirming legal residence, and must notify any absence from Armenia of 183 days or more within 10 days.

Termination of employment and residence status

The amendments strengthen the connection between employment and temporary residence status. If an employment or services agreement is terminated before the expiry of the status, the foreign national has 15 working days to conclude a new agreement through the digital system for the conclusion of employment contracts. If no new agreement is concluded within this period, the status ceases to have effect by decision of the authorised state administration body in the field of migration and citizenship.

New and tightened grounds for permanent residence

Permanent residence status is granted for five years on one of five grounds: family ties with an Armenian citizen, Armenian ethnicity, entrepreneurial activity in Armenia, investment in Armenia, or exceptional services rendered to Armenia. The family and entrepreneurial grounds now additionally require that the applicant has held temporary residence status for at least three years within the preceding five years. The detailed requirements for permanent residence based on investment will be established by the Government.

Entrepreneurial activity may serve as a basis for residence where a foreign national:

• has invested at least AMD 2,000,000 in the charter capital of an Armenian commercial organisation or acquired shares or securities worth at least AMD 2,000,000;
• is a sole entrepreneur with at least AMD 1,000,000 in funds in their business accounts; or
• has generated business turnover of at least AMD 1,000,000 during the 60 days preceding the application.

Residence status based on entrepreneurial activity may cease if the invested capital is withdrawn, if it or the value of the shares or securities falls below AMD 1,000,000, or if no tax information related to business activity is recorded within 180 days after the status is obtained. Certain exceptions apply where the investment is maintained or transferred to another Armenian commercial organisation.

Special residence status discontinued

The special residence status and the associated ten-year special passport are abolished. Foreign nationals who obtained the status before the amendments take effect retain the corresponding rights and obligations until it expires. Ethnic Armenians will instead qualify for permanent residence status.

Reapplication after refusal

The general rule allowing a foreign national to reapply for residence status one year after a refusal remains, subject to exceptions for certain refusal grounds. Where the refusal is based on those grounds, a new application may be submitted once the circumstances giving rise to the refusal have ceased.

Transitional provisions

Applications submitted before the amendments enter into force will continue to be processed under the existing rules, and documents confirming residence status that are valid on that date remain valid until expiry. The implementing regulations of the Government are to be adopted before the amendments take effect.

Source: Law HO-11-N of 20 January 2026 amending the Law of the Republic of Armenia "On Foreigners", as amended by Laws HO-212-N of 29 May 2026 and HO-214-N of 11 May 2026.