Immigration Law in Armenia governs how foreign nationals obtain residence status, work authorisation and citizenship. An immigration lawyer in Armenia assesses which status you qualify for and handles the application from start to finish. MB Legal advises individuals, families and employers, and acts before the 1 November 2026 reform changes the rules.
That date matters more than most applicants realise. Immigration decisions are based on paperwork, and Armenia has undergone its most significant overhaul of its immigration framework in years. For many applicants, filing before or after 1 November 2026 will determine which rules and fees apply to the application.
We assess which status you qualify for, prepare and file the application, handle work authorisation for foreign staff, guide clients toward permanent residence and citizenship, and challenge refusals where a decision is wrong. If you are planning a move, our guide on how to obtain a residence permit in Armenia is a useful starting point.
Assessing the strongest basis for your case, preparing the file and submitting it to the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Advising employers hiring foreign nationals and individuals taking up employment. See our note on how foreigners can get a work permit in Armenia and our Labor Law practice.
Residence based on company ownership or entrepreneurial activity, coordinated with our Relocation and Commercial Law teams.
Long-term planning through to citizenship, with our Citizenship and Residency practice.
Bringing a spouse, parent or child to Armenia.
Challenging negative decisions through our Public and Administrative Law practice.
Which status to pursue is rarely obvious from the outside. The fastest route to a card is not always the fastest route to permanent residence or citizenship, and choosing the wrong basis at the start can cost years later.
Armenia currently issues three residence statuses, as confirmed on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs residency page:
1
Temporary residence card - valid for up to one year. This is the usual entry point for most applicants, including entrepreneurs and employees.
2
Permanent residence card - valid for five years. It generally requires a qualifying connection to Armenia and, in defined cases, a period of prior lawful residence.
3
Special residence status, issued as a special passport - valid for ten years and historically available to persons of Armenian descent and certain others. This status is being abolished under the 2026 reform.
Amendments to the RA Law “On Foreigners” were adopted by Parliament on 20 January 2026 and enter into force on 1 November 2026. The reform digitalises residence procedures, strengthens monitoring of foreign nationals and closes gaps in the existing law. The primary source is the amending law itself, published on arlis.am.
The changes reported to date include:
A online application process, replacing the current platform
Abolition of the special residence status, on the basis that its grounds overlap with permanent residence
Introduction of annual quotas, which may limit how many foreigners can obtain each status
A new visa category and changes to permit exemptions for employers
New requirements for permanent residence based on entrepreneurial activity
Increased state fees, applied in one step tied to the launch of the new platform.
Employers hiring foreign nationals need to align two things: the employee’s right to reside and their right to work. Under the reform a new visa category is introduced and certain employer exemptions are removed, so arrangements that worked previously may not survive the transition. We advise employers on compliant hiring and mobility, and employees on their own status, working alongside our Labor Law team.
Most clients who stay in Armenia eventually ask the same question: what does this lead to? Permanent residence and, in due course, citizenship both depend on the basis on which you first obtained status and on your actual presence in the country. Because the reform ties status more closely to genuine residence and economic activity, a plan that looked workable under the old rules may need revisiting. Our Citizenship and Residency practice handles this long-term planning.
A refusal is not necessarily the end of the matter. Administrative decisions can generally be challenged before the authority that issued them and before the Administrative Court, and case information is published on the judicial portal. Appeal deadlines are short, so the practical advice is simple: if you receive a negative decision, have it reviewed immediately rather than at the end of the month. See our Public and Administrative Law practice.
Not every application requires one. A lawyer earns their fee when the basis of the application is unclear, when a previous application was refused, when an employer is moving staff, or, as now, when the law is changing and the filing date affects which rules apply.
Temporary for up to one year, permanent for five years, and special for ten years. The special status is being abolished under the 2026 reform. Sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and EY Armenia.
The amendments to the Law “On Foreigners” were adopted on 20 January 2026 and enter into force on 1 November 2026.
An application submitted before the new rules take effect is decided under the rules in force at the time of submission. If you are eligible now, filing now is worth considering.
Yes. Refusals can be challenged before the authority and the Administrative Court, but the deadlines are short.
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