Temporary residence permit for study in Armenia
Temporary residence status in Armenia is granted to those enrolled at a local educational institution. The ground is study, and it is proved by a certificate from the university, college or school. The application is filed in person at the Migration and Citizenship Service in Yerevan, and the decision is confirmed by a residence card. The status is fixed-term: it is renewed for as long as the study continues.
Source: arlis.am — Law of the Republic of Armenia on Foreigners, art. 15
Who is granted this residence permit
Study is a ground for the student themselves. Their immediate family qualify under a neighbouring provision of the same list in the Law on Foreigners.
The student
- A foreign national enrolled at an Armenian university, college or school
- The law sets no income requirement and no required balance for temporary status: only the state duty is paid
- A certificate from the educational institution confirming enrolment or study
The student's spouse, parent or child
- A foreign national whose close relative already lives in Armenia on temporary status
- No separate income is checked: each applicant pays the duty for themselves
- The marriage or birth certificate and the student's residence card
When a study residence permit will not suit you
The ground is narrow: the status rests on the connection with the educational institution and ends together with it.
You are coming to take employment, and enrolment is needed only for the sake of the status
Take the work status: the employer requests a work permit through the workpermit.am portal, and for citizens of EAEU states registration of the employment contract is enough.
The programme is short — language courses or an exchange semester
Visa-free stay or a visa will be enough: there is no need to obtain a residence status.
You need a status that does not have to be reissued every year
Look at permanent residence status or the special status based on Armenian descent.
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, a certificate of enrolment on an educational programme, and the receipt.
What it costs
The main payment is the state duty. It is paid both on first obtaining the status and on each renewal.
| State duty for temporary status and the residence cardArticle 14 of the Law on State Duty sets it as 105 times the base duty, and the base duty is AMD 1,000. | 105 000 AMD |
|---|---|
| Renewal of the status for the following yearThe renewal costs the same as the first issue. | 105 000 AMD |
| State duty for the status for citizens of the USAA reduced rate on the principle of reciprocity, published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia. | 85 000 AMD |
| Renewal of the status for citizens of the USAA reduced rate on the principle of reciprocity, published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia. | 1 000 AMD |
| Replacement of the residence cardPaid if the card has been lost or damaged or the passport has been changed. The law sets the amount as 12 times the base duty. | +12 000 AMD |
| Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “Replacement of the residence card” adds 12 000 AMD; the “State duty for the status for citizens of the USA” branch replaces the “State duty for temporary status and the residence card” line — 190 000 AMD; the “Renewal of the status for citizens of the USA” branch replaces the “Renewal of the status for the following year” line — 106 000 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 — Without it the application is not accepted, but the agencies do not publish the notary's and translator's rates.
- Certificate of health — Part of the compulsory list of documents; the migration service does not name the cost of the examination.
- Photographs for the application — The format is set in the list of documents, but the agency does not publish the price of the photo service.
Certain categories of applicant are exempt from the duty: the concession is noted in the description of the service on the national platform of public services, and the categories should be checked when booking an appointment.
How the process runs
The order of steps is set by the Law on Foreigners and by the government decree on the list of documents and the examination of the application.
- 1
Enrolment at an educational institution
The educational institution issues a certificate of enrolment or of study. That is the document establishing the ground for the status.
- 2
Lawful entry
By the time of filing you are already in Armenia lawfully — under the visa-free regime or on a visa. Proof of lawful stay forms part of the set.
- 3
The medical certificate
You obtain a certificate of health: without it the set of documents is incomplete.
- 4
Notarised translation of the passport
The passport is translated into Armenian and the translation is certified by a notary. A copy of the passport is attached together with the original.
- 5
Paying the state duty
The receipt for payment is attached to the application.
- 6
Filing the application
It is filed in person or through a representative at the office of the Migration and Citizenship Service at 14 Tairov Street in Yerevan. Applications are received by prior appointment only.
- 7
Examination of the application
up to 30 days from the day of filingThe decision is taken by the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
- 8
Receiving the residence card
After a positive decision the temporary residence card is issued — it is what confirms the status.
Timelines and rights
Work
Students are on the list of exceptions in article 23 of the Law on Foreigners: no work permit is needed. The exemption lasts for a further year after graduation.
Who you can bring with you
The law allows temporary status to be given to the spouse, parent and child of a foreign national who already lives in Armenia on temporary status. More distant relatives — brothers, sisters, grandmothers, grandfathers and grandchildren — appear on the list only for relatives of citizens of Armenia and of holders of special status.
A spouse
A child
A parent
Renewal and the grace period
Temporary status is granted for up to one year and renewed each time for a further year. The application for renewal is filed at least 30 days before the card expires. The set of documents for a renewal is the same, the certificate from the educational institution is brought afresh, and the duty is paid at the previous amount.
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.
| Temporary residence permit for study | 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 |
| Grounds | Study at an educational institution in Armenia | Convention grounds | Armenian descent |
| 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 | Students are on the list of exceptions in article 23 of the Law on Foreigners: no work permit is needed | 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 you apply for permanent status: it is granted for 5 years and the duty is AMD 140,000.
Route to citizenship
After 3 years of permanent residence you apply for citizenship: Armenian, knowledge of the Constitution, a duty of AMD 50,000.
Frequently asked questions about Temporary residence permit for study
Do you need a visa to come to study in Armenia?
Can you work while studying?
Where do you file the application and is a prior appointment needed?
What do you do if the residence card is lost or the passport has changed?
Does study give a right to Armenian citizenship?
Can you move to permanent status after your studies?
Other ways to move to Armenia
- Refugee status / political asylumAsylum / refugee status
- Ethnic repatriationRepatriation
- Visa-free entry and stay of up to 180 days a yearVisa-free regime
- Temporary residence permit for businessBusiness
- Temporary residence permit for marriage and close family tiesFamily
- Permanent residence permitPermanent residence
- Special residence statusPermanent residence
- Work by EAEU citizens without a work permitWork
- Armenian citizenship through marriage and through childrenCitizenship
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.