ArmeniaFamily

Residence permit by marriage and family in Armenia

A temporary residence permit in Armenia is granted to foreign nationals who have close family in the country. The ground is marriage to a citizen of Armenia or a family tie: parents, children, brothers and sisters, grandmothers, grandfathers and grandchildren of a citizen of the country or of a foreign national with permanent residence status. The application is filed with the Migration and Citizenship Service in Yerevan, and the decision is taken by the authorised body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The status is tied to the family connection: if the marriage that served as the ground breaks down, the card is declared invalid.

Source: arlis.am — Law of the Republic of Armenia on Foreigners, art. 15

Who is granted this residence permit

The Law on Foreigners names several family situations. All of them lead to the same temporary status.

Spouse of a citizen of Armenia

A foreign national in a registered marriage with a citizen of the Republic of Armenia.
The law sets no income threshold and no accommodation requirement for temporary status: the only compulsory outlay is the state duty.
The marriage certificate and the passport of the spouse who is a citizen.

Close relative of a citizen

A parent, child, brother, sister, grandmother, grandfather or grandchild of a citizen of Armenia or of a foreign national with permanent or special residence status.
There is no need to prove income or accommodation: the law addresses those requirements to permanent status.
Documents on the family tie and the relative's passport or residence card.

Family of a holder of temporary status

The spouse, parent or child of a foreign national who themselves lives in Armenia on temporary status.
There is no separate financial threshold, but the sponsor must hold a valid residence status.
The marriage or birth certificate and the sponsor's temporary residence card.

When this residence permit will not suit you

The ground is strictly tied to the list of relatives in the law — it cannot be widened.

The family tie is beyond the list in the law: cousins, uncles and aunts, nephews and nieces, the spouse's relatives.

Grounds outside the family: study at an Armenian educational institution or business activity in Armenia.

The relative in Armenia themselves lives on temporary status, and you are their brother, sister or grandchild.

Only a spouse, parents and children qualify through such a sponsor. Wait until the relative obtains permanent status, or take a ground of your own.

You need a status for several years ahead, without renewing it every year.

Permanent residence status: the card is issued for a longer period, but you first need a record of living in the country.

Who it suits

Documents

The application form, three colour photographs 35×45 mm, the passport with a notarised translation into Armenian, a certificate of health, proof of lawful entry, the marriage certificate or a document on the family tie, the relative's passport or residence card, and the receipt.

What it costs

The only compulsory payment to the state is the state duty. It is paid before filing, and the receipt forms part of the set of documents.

State duty for temporary residence status and the cardPaid on the first application, before the application is filed.	105 000 AMD
State duty for renewing the status for the next yearThe status is granted for a maximum of a year, so it is paid again for each following year.	105 000 AMD
Rate for citizens of the USAA reduced rate on the principle of reciprocity, applied instead of the general one.	85 000 AMD
Applicant under 18The Law on State Duty exempts minors from the charge for residence status.	0 AMD
Replacement of the residence card if lost or damagedA separate payment if the card has been lost or has become unusable.	+12 000 AMD
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “Replacement of the residence card if lost or damaged” adds 12 000 AMD; the “Rate for citizens of the USA” branch replaces the “State duty for temporary residence status and the card” line — 190 000 AMD; the “Applicant under 18” branch replaces the “State duty for temporary residence status and the card” line — 105 000 AMD. Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	210,000–222 000 AMD

Paid separately

Notarised translation of the passport into Armenian — Compulsory under the list of documents, but the notary's rate is not published in state sources.
Certificate of health — Part of the compulsory set; the agency does not name the cost of the medical examination.
Legalisation and translation of a marriage or birth certificate issued abroad — Needed to prove the ground; the rates are not published in state sources.
Colour photographs in the prescribed format — A requirement of the list of documents; the state does not set the price.

The rates are set by the Law on State Duty as multiples of the base duty, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia repeats them as amounts in drams.

How the process runs

The application is filed from Armenia, while you are in the country on a lawful basis.

1
Preparing the documents
The passport is translated into Armenian and the translation is certified by a notary, a medical examination is taken and a certificate of health obtained, and photographs are made. A marriage or birth certificate issued abroad is legalised.
2
Paying the state duty
The duty is paid before filing: the receipt forms part of the set of documents.
3
Filing the application
The foreign national files the application in person or through a person they authorise at the Department for Determining the Legal Status of Foreigners of the Migration and Citizenship Service at 14 Tairov Street in Yerevan. The appointment is booked online in advance.
4
Examination and clearance
up to 30 days from filing the application
The authorised body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs checks the documents and clears the application with the National Security Service.
5
Receiving the temporary residence card
After a positive decision the temporary residence card is issued. It may be collected by the foreign national or by a person they authorise.

Timelines and rights

Work

Temporary status permits work. Article 22 of the Law on Foreigners requires a work permit unless the person falls within the list of exceptions in article 23.

Who you can bring with you

A holder of temporary status becomes a ground for their own relatives, but the circle is narrower than for a citizen of Armenia.

A spouse

Applies for their own temporary status as the spouse of a foreign national who holds temporary residence status in Armenia.

Parents

The father and mother of the status holder qualify under the same provision of the law and receive separate cards.

Children

The status holder's child receives their own card; for a minor the documents are filed by the legal representative.

Brothers, sisters, grandmothers, grandfathers and grandchildren

They do not qualify through a holder of temporary status. Such a family tie gives a ground only if the relative is a citizen of Armenia or a foreign national with permanent or special status.

Trips, renewal and the grace period

The law sets no threshold of days for temporary status. The status is terminated if the marriage is dissolved or declared invalid — article 21.

Temporary status is granted for up to a year and renewed each time for a further year. The application for renewal is filed in advance, at least a month before the current card expires, with the same set of documents and the same duty. State sources name no separate grace period after the card expires. If the marriage that served as the ground for the status is dissolved or declared invalid, the status is declared invalid. The exception is a spouse who was married and has lived in Armenia for at least a year: they may renew the temporary status.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Residence permit by marriage and family	Asylum in Armenia	Ethnic repatriation
Visa term	Up to 1 year, renewed each time for 1 year	The refugee identity card is usually valid for 10 years, with an indefinite right of residence	Citizenship is granted straight away; the passport is indefinite
Money	The duty is AMD 105,000 for the status and the card, and the same amount for a renewal	No state duty is charged; housing, allowances and social support from the state and UNHCR	The state duty is nominal (about EUR 2), plus legalisation of documents and translations
Work	Temporary status permits work	An automatic right to work without a permit, on the same footing as citizens	A full right to work, to run a business and to hold public office
Residence	The law sets no threshold of days for temporary status	You have to live in the country in fact; travel to the country of citizenship leads to loss of the status	No prior residence is required

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

After 3 years of residence in Armenia, where there are close family ties with a citizen or a resident, you apply for permanent status for 5 years.

Route to citizenship

Where the marriage has lasted 2 years or more and there has been lawful residence of at least 365 days during those 2 years — simplified acquisition of citizenship

Frequently asked questions about Residence permit by marriage and family

Do you need a work permit with a residence permit based on marriage or family ties?

No. Article 23 of the Law on Foreigners exempts from the work permit those who have obtained temporary status as the spouse or close relative of a citizen of Armenia or of a foreign national with permanent status. The exemption lasts as long as the status itself.

How long after the wedding can you apply for Armenian citizenship?

The simplified procedure opens if, by the time of filing, the marriage to a citizen of Armenia has been registered for at least two years and during those two years you have lawfully lived in the country for at least 365 days.

When can you move to permanent residence status?

After three years of residence in Armenia, if you have a spouse or close relatives who are citizens of the country, as well as accommodation and means of subsistence. The permanent residence card is issued for five years and renewed each time for the same period.

Is there a requirement to spend a certain number of days in Armenia?

For temporary status the law sets no threshold of days. The presence requirement is addressed to permanent status: it is terminated if the person has been absent from Armenia for more than six months or has left for good without giving notice.

Do the documents have to be filed in person?

The application is filed by the foreign national themselves or by a person they authorise. Applications are received at the Department for Determining the Legal Status of Foreigners at 14 Tairov Street in Yerevan, and the visit is booked online in advance.

On what grounds other than divorce can the status be revoked?

The status is declared invalid if the person gave false information when filing the application or if their stay threatens state security and public order. A foreign national deprived of the status or refused a renewal must leave Armenia within the period stated in the decision.

Other ways to move to Armenia

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Armenia.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.