How to Become a Citizen of Armenia?
Congratulations on making the move to Armenia, you are a true repat and we’re proud of you, but you wanted to take it a step further and become a citizen of the Republic of Armenia.
Repat Armenia is here to help.
We put together an article where you will find all the information you need to become an Armenian citizen and you will find that it’s easier than you think.
Overview of the Armenian Citizenship Process
How to become a citizen?
There are two ways of obtaining citizenship as a repat, naturalization or descent.
Birthright Citizenship
For those of you who have at least one parent that is or has been an Armenian citizen in the past, you can automatically become a citizen. If you have the necessary documentation such as a birth certificate, Christening certificate, or other official documents proving family lineage, you can qualify.
Naturalization Citizenship
Yet not all repats have immediate family members who are, or have been Armenian citizens. For those who don’t have a parent who was once an RA citizen you can get your citizenship by naturalization.
This process can involve more bureaucracy and a longer wait time but it is still very straightforward. If you wish to become a citizen by naturalization you have to have lived in Armenia for at least 3 years to apply for citizenship. In order for this to qualify you have to have lived in Armenia legally with a residence permit, simply tourist visas won’t work. There are some requirements as far as tests and documentations go, which we will describe in detail below.
If you still need to get Armenian residency don’t worry, that process is just as easy and we have a great article on Repat Armenia that will tell you all you need to know.
Marriage Citizenship
For those of you who have neither spent enough time in Armenia and also don’t have a parent who was an Armenian citizen, there is one other way to become an Armenian citizen and that is through marriage.
All you need to do is be married to a citizen of Armenia at least two years and have spent one year in Armenia or have a child who is a citizen, which would automatically happen if the child is born in Armenia.
Required Documentation for Armenian Citizenship
After you have met all the prerequisites for becoming a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, you have to apply with the following documents.
1. Application form
2. A valid passport from your parent country
3. Six color photographs (35 x 45 mm)
4. Your birth certificate
5. Your residence certificate proving your Armenian residency
2. A valid passport from your parent country
3. Six color photographs (35 x 45 mm)
4. Your birth certificate
5. Your residence certificate proving your Armenian residency
6. A document proving payment of the state fee
At minimum, you will need these documents if you are neither of Armenian descent or naturalization by marriage.
If you are becoming a citizen by descent you will need the following documents:
1. Application form
2. A valid passport from your parent country
3. Six color photographs (35 x 45 mm)
4. Your birth certificate
5. Documents confirming Armenian ethnicity, such as:
a. Baptism records from an Armenian Apostolic Church.
b. Document from an authority of another country indicating Armenian ethnicity, apostilled or with consular certification
c. Birth certificate or another identification document of a parent, grandparent, or sibling with a note of Armenian ethnicity
6. And a document proving payment of the state fee.
2. A valid passport from your parent country
3. Six color photographs (35 x 45 mm)
4. Your birth certificate
5. Documents confirming Armenian ethnicity, such as:
a. Baptism records from an Armenian Apostolic Church.
b. Document from an authority of another country indicating Armenian ethnicity, apostilled or with consular certification
c. Birth certificate or another identification document of a parent, grandparent, or sibling with a note of Armenian ethnicity
6. And a document proving payment of the state fee.
If you are becoming a citizen by marriage, you will need the following documents:
1. Application form
2. A valid passport from your parent country
3. Six color photographs (35 x 45 mm)
4. Your birth certificate
5. Your residence certificate proving your Armenian residency
6. Marriage certificate and a copy
7. Spouse’s passport and a copy if there has been a change in last name.
8. Birth certificate of child and a copy, Armenian passport of the child or parent and a copy, or any other proof of Armenian citizenship.
9. And a document proving payment of the state fee.
2. A valid passport from your parent country
3. Six color photographs (35 x 45 mm)
4. Your birth certificate
5. Your residence certificate proving your Armenian residency
6. Marriage certificate and a copy
7. Spouse’s passport and a copy if there has been a change in last name.
8. Birth certificate of child and a copy, Armenian passport of the child or parent and a copy, or any other proof of Armenian citizenship.
9. And a document proving payment of the state fee.
Where to Apply for Armenian Citizenship
The beauty of applying for Armenian citizenship is that you don’t even need to be in Armenia to do it.
You can submit your application for Armenian citizenship from Armenia or from the embassy in your parent country.
If you decide to submit your paperwork in Armenia, you can do so at The Passport and Visa Department of the RA Police, which is located at 17/10 Building, 4th District, Davtashen, Yerevan 00544. Click here to book an appointment.
Additional Tips for a Successful Application
As with anything else involving government paperwork, these things may take some time, but the Armenian tradition of being welcoming stretches into the state level. The whole process takes about 90 days so if everything is in order you can become a citizen by next season.
Officially the current fee for becoming a citizen of Armenia only costs about 1000 AMD however the government has just approved the price to increase to 50,000 AMD.
The best piece of advice we can offer is to make sure all of your paperwork is complete and properly made with all of the necessary documents. Feel free to consult with Repat Armenia to check the completeness of your documents.
Congratulations! You have completed your repatriation
You are now a repat through and through with the ability to live, vote, and travel as an Armenian citizen. Being a permanent part of Armenia’s population will always benefit Armenia, and while this was the final step in your repatriation process, it is only the beginning of this adventure of being an Armenian local.
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