Armenia from 1 November 2026: what the new law changes

What this law is and when it applies

The law was passed by the National Assembly on 20 January 2026, signed by the president on 12 February, and officially published on 13 February. Its final article begins with a date: the law enters into force on 1 November 2026. On the same date, an electronic unified platform for foreigners is launched, and the subordinate regulations arising from the law must be adopted by the government before it enters into force.

In May, amendments to the law were adopted. They take effect on the tenth day after the authority responsible for migration publishes a notice on its website announcing the launch of the electronic platform — but no later than 1 November 2026. This means some provisions could come into force slightly before November if the platform is announced early.

One exception in the other direction. The provisions on work visas and on permits to stay or reside in Armenia for work purposes take effect only after the new electronic entry visa system is introduced. The law sets no date for that event.

Key point for those who still have time: apply before 1 November

The transitional provisions of the law are brief, and one of them matters more than all the rest: applications for status filed before the law came into force are processed under the rules that were in effect at that time. In plain terms, an application filed on 31 October is assessed under the current rules — without the two-million capital requirement and without quotas.

Two additional transitional provisions protect those who already hold a status. If a foreign national had more than one status and documents confirming lawful residence, they may continue using them until the end of their validity period. Those who obtained a special status retain the rights and obligations attached to it until that status expires.

The law contains no grandfather clause for renewals under the old rules. Only applications submitted before 1 November and documents valid until their expiry date are protected. Everything filed after that date falls under the new rules.

• Applications submitted before 1 November — under the previous rules
• Valid documents remain in force until they expire
• Special status is retained until the end of its term
• Renewals after 1 November already follow the new rules.

Running your own business: two million for a company, one million for a sole trader

The new Article 29.4 sets out in law for the first time the conditions for status through entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurship may serve as a basis for status if the foreign national is a participant, shareholder, or securities holder in a commercial organisation in Armenia and has contributed at least two million drams to its charter capital, or has acquired shares or securities to the value of two million drams.

For a sole trader the condition is different and alternative: the combined balances across the sole trader’s accounts in all currencies must be at least one million drams — or within 60 days before the application there must be business turnover of one million drams or the equivalent in foreign currency.

The application on behalf of the company is submitted not by the foreign national themselves, but by the head of the executive body of the legal entity — through the electronic platform. A sole trader submits it personally after registering on the platform.

A new status on the same grounds is granted if an application is submitted together with platform-sourced information confirming that the business activity is ongoing — or, if that information is unavailable, documents provided by the foreigner themselves.

And two conditions under which the status is lost. The status is deemed to have lapsed if the capital is withdrawn from the company or falls below one million drams, if shares or securities are worth less than one million — or if within 180 days of receiving the status, the State Revenue Committee’s database contains no record of taxes accrued from business activity.

The first rule has two saving exceptions: status is not lost if, at the moment of capital withdrawal, the foreign national already holds an equivalent investment in another active Armenian company — or if within one month of the withdrawal they invest those funds in the share capital of another such company.

Filing through the platform only, 30-day window and quotas

From 1 November, applications for temporary or permanent status are submitted through the unified electronic platform to the authority responsible for migration and citizenship. That same authority issues decisions on granting, refusing and revoking status via the platform.

A decision is made within 30 days of the date of application — subject to the annual quota figures set by the government. The law defines a quota as a limit on the number of statuses the government establishes each year by type, number, and grounds. Among the new grounds for refusal there is an explicit one: the quota set for the current year has been exhausted.

If the foreigner’s legal period of stay expires during the review process, their stay in Armenia is considered lawful until the proceedings are concluded and a decision is reached.

The platform operates more strictly than the standard procedure. Notifications about errors or missing documents are sent through the same platform, and if nothing is done within five days of receiving a notification, the process is automatically suspended. If no steps are taken to resume it within a month, the process is automatically terminated.

After a refusal, you may reapply after one year. For certain grounds, including an exhausted quota, there is no need to wait a year: you may reapply as soon as the circumstances that led to the refusal no longer apply.

• Applications and decisions are handled exclusively through the electronic platform
• 30 days for a decision, subject to the annual quota
• An exhausted quota is a separate ground for refusal
• 5 days to correct — otherwise suspended, and closed after one month

Which statuses will remain

Special status is being abolished: Article 18 of the law loses force. Those who already hold it retain it until the end of their term.

Temporary status is granted for up to one year. Grounds include study, vocational training, scientific, technical or innovation activities; holding a work visa or permission to stay or reside in Armenia for work purposes; family ties — being the spouse, parent or child of an Armenian citizen or of a foreigner with residence or refugee status; and business activity.

Permanent status is granted for five years and has five grounds. The first is a family member who is an Armenian citizen — a spouse, parent, or child — provided the applicant has housing and financial means and has held temporary status in Armenia for at least three of the last five years. The second is Armenian nationality. The third is entrepreneurial activity, with the same condition: at least three years of temporary status out of the last five. The fourth is investment in the Armenian economy. The fifth is exceptional merit to Armenia; decisions on this ground are made by the Prime Minister.

The law does not specify the conditions for permanent status through investment — they are set by the government, and the status lapses if those conditions cease to be met after it has been granted.

183 days outside Armenia — now with mandatory notification

A holder of temporary or permanent status — other than permanent status obtained through investment or for exceptional merit — who is absent from Armenia for 183 days or more is required to notify the competent authority through the electronic platform no later than ten days after the 183-day threshold is reached.

The consequence is set out in new Article 21: the status is deemed to have lapsed if the foreigner failed to fulfil this obligation. In other words, a missed notification is not a fine — it means losing the status.

The current version of the law required holders of a permanent residence permit to notify the authorities in writing of any absence exceeding six months. The new version extends that obligation to temporary status holders, counts in days, gives ten days to file the notification, and directly links failure to do so with loss of status.

New ways to lose your status

The new Article 21 lists the circumstances under which the status is considered to have lapsed: if the grounds on which it was granted cease to exist; if the foreign national requests it themselves; if they obtain Armenian citizenship or refugee status; if the employment or service contract is terminated before the end of the temporary status period and a new one is not concluded through the digital labour contract system within 15 working days — the same applies to a volunteer work agreement; and if the obligation to notify an absence of 183 days or more is not fulfilled.

Separately — when a status is declared invalid and a foreigner loses it: if it emerges that they provided false information when obtaining it, that their actual purpose for being in Armenia differs from the one declared, or that their presence poses a threat to national security or public order.

Among the grounds for refusal there is a related rule: if status was obtained on an employment basis and no employment or service contract is concluded with the foreign national within 15 working days of that grant.

• The grounds for status have ceased to exist
• The agreement has been terminated and a new one has not been signed within 15 working days
• No notification of absence for 183 days was filed
• False information or a stated purpose of stay that does not match the actual one

Work: work visa and what is not yet in effect

The law introduces a work entry visa — for short-term employment in Armenia or for applying from within the country for temporary status on employment grounds. The right to stay under it is up to 120 days, single or multiple entry; it cannot be extended and is issued only once per calendar year.

However, the provisions on a work visa and on permission to stay or reside in Armenia for the purpose of work take effect only after the new electronic visa system is implemented. So a work visa will not automatically appear on 1 November — its introduction awaits a separate event, the date of which is not specified in the law.

The list of those who may enter into employment contracts without a work permit has been rewritten. It includes holders of permanent status and temporary status on the basis of study, family reunification, or self-employment — for a period not exceeding the duration of their status — as well as employees of international organisations, touring performers, and specialists under international agreements within established limits.

What nobody knows yet

The law sets the framework but leaves several key figures to the government: how many statuses will fall within the 2027 quota and on what grounds; what conditions will apply to permanent status through investment; and exactly how the electronic platform’s procedures and the list of required documents will be structured. The government must adopt all these secondary regulations by 1 November.

We will return to this review after that date and rewrite it from ’what will change’ to ’how it works now.’ Until then, everything said here about the new rules comes directly from the text of the law, with no speculation about how it will be applied.

Frequently asked questions

Verified September 11, 2026. The thresholds and amounts are tied to indicators that are reviewed annually — check the official source for your country before filing.