Armenian nationality law is regulated by the Constitution of Armenia, as amended; the Citizenship Law of Armenia and its revisions; and various international agreements to which the country is a signatory. These laws determine who is, or is eligible to be, an Armenian national. The legal means to acquire nationality, formal legal membership in a nation, differ from the domestic relationship of rights and obligations between a national and the nation, known as citizenship. Nationality describes the relationship of an individual to the state under international law, whereas citizenship is the domestic relationship of an individual within the nation. Some countries use the terms nationality and citizenship as synonyms, despite their legal distinction and the fact that they are regulated by different governmental administrative bodies. In Armenia, colloquially the term for citizenship, "քաղաքացիություն", refers to both belonging and rights within the nation and the term for nationality, "ազգություն", refers to ethnic identity. Armenian nationality is typically obtained under the principal of jus sanguinis, i.e. by birth to parents with Armenian nationality. It can be granted to persons with an affiliation to the country, or to a permanent resident who has lived in the country for a given period of time through naturalization.
Acquiring Armenian nationality Nationality in Armenia is typically acquired by birth to an Armenian or later in life through naturalization.
By birth Those who can acquire nationality by birth include:
Children born anywhere when both parents are Armenian nationals; Children born to one parent who is Armenian, if the other parent is stateless or unknown; Children born to one parent who is Armenian, but whose other parent has a different nationality, by mutual written agreement of the parents; Children born in the territory of Armenia who would otherwise be stateless; or Foundlings or orphans discovered in Armenia whose parents are unknown.
By naturalization Naturalization in Armenia may be granted to persons who are of the age of majority (18) and have legal capacity. Persons who have established a permanent residency for at least three years, not requiring a permanent residence permit. A test regarding the political system of Armenia, given in the Armenian language is required to confirm an understanding of the constitution and communication skill. To pass the examination half of the answers must be correct. Persons who are of Armenian origin or the spouses, children, or parents of Armenian nationals are not required to take the language test or meet residency requirements. Besides foreigners meeting the criteria, those who can naturalize include:
Minor children upon request when their parents naturalize; Adult children of Armenian nationals; Adoptees of Armenian nationals upon completion of a legal adoption; The spouse of an Armenian national; The parent of an Armenian national; Persons who previously renounced Armenian nationality and who request repatriation; or Persons who have provided exemplary distinguished service to the nation may naturalize without meeting provisions.
Loss of nationality Armenian nationals can renounce their nationality as long as the applicant has no active criminal prosecutions pending or legal judgments requiring enforcement, the request would not pose a risk to national security, or there are no outstanding obligations to the nation. Though the Citizenship Act does not require guarantees against statelessness, Decree No. 1552-N of 29 November 2012, required applicants to provide documentation from another nation to the government of Armenia that they have the potential to acquire other nationality. Persons may be denaturalized only in the event that their nationality was acquired fraudulently or under terms specified in international treaties of which Armenia is a signatory.
Dual nationality Dual nationality has been allowed in Armenia since 2005, as long as the government is notified upon acquisition of additional nationality.
Residency permits The Law on the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens was passed in 1994 and defined temporary, permanent, and special residency statuses for foreigners residing in Armenia. Its provisions were replaced by the Law on Aliens passed in 2006, which became effective on 16 January 2007. Under its terms foreign persons who have valid travel documents, whether those represent other nationality or indicate that the person is stateless, may apply for Armenian residency. Temporary residency status may be granted for one year, which can be extended annually, to persons who are married to or relatives of Armenians, who are studying, or who are working legally in the country. Permanent residency can be granted to foreign persons who have resided in Armenia for at least three years and who are close relatives of an Armenian and can confirm that they have sufficient means to be self-sufficient and house themselves, or to those are engaged in entrepreneurial pursuits. Permanent residency permits carry a term of five years and may be renewed for additional five-year terms.
Foreigners may also receive a 10-year Special Residency Status, if they are of Armenian ancestry or if they have provided significant services to the Armenian state and/or are engaged in economic and cultural activities in Armenia. Applications must be submitted to the police or the Passport and Visa Department if one is residing in Armenia or to the consular services if one is residing abroad, and must be conferred by the President. The permit may be renewed for additional ten-year terms and allow holders to acquire a Special Armenian Passport. With these passports permit holders are no longer required to obtain entry visas for traveling to Armenia. While in Armenia, they enjoy the full protection of the Armenian law, as well as the rights and obligations of Armenian citizens, except for the right to vote and to run for office, enroll in political organizations. They are exempt from military service in the Armed Forces of Armenia and are not required to obtain work permits to engage in economic activities.
Visa requirements
As of January 2022, Armenian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 65 countries and territories, ranking the Armenian passport 78th in terms of travel freedom (tied with Beninese, Kyrgyz and Moroccan passports) according to the Henley visa restrictions index.
History Prior to the rise of the Kingdom of Urartu, tribal people resided in the region known as Nairi, now Armenia. These tribal people had by the eleventh century BC organized governance in the Armenian Highlands in a confederation. By the ninth century BC, became Urartu had emerged as the central authority. With the uniting of the kingdom into a single administrative unit, the kingdom was able to protect the territory from incursion by Assyria and other rivals for two centuries. By the seventh century BC, the kingdom had begun to weaken and invasions by Persian Medes and Scythians allowed Armenian-speaking people to become the dominant group in the region. By 525 BC the highlands had become incorporated into the Achaemenid Empire as the Satrapy of Armenia. In ancient Persia the king had absolute authority as the administrator of his subjects and armies, the giver of law, and the supreme judge of the empire. The centralized government of the empire was divided into satrapies, or provinces, for ease of management and taxation. Local satraps (governors) had no control over the military forces in their region to prevent them diluting the power of the ruler, but they managed the civilian administration over the areas for which they governed. Ethnic groups had legal autonomy to regulate their own internal conflicts. Rulers were responsible for security in the realm and management of the economy. In exchange for protection, Persian subjects paid taxes and owed loyalty to the king and his leadership. Marriage in the period was cum manu meaning the wife was legally incapacitated and under the control of her husband.
The Achaemenid Empire collapsed in around 330 BC, giving rise to the Kingdom of Armenia. The territory it governed stretched from the Black Sea in the west to the Caspian Sea in the east and as far north as Turkey and the Caucasus Mountains to Lebanon in the south. The kingdom was ruled by custom and tradition linked through kinship groups. Allegiance was to the local authority, rather than a centralized administration. This would gradually change and by the first century BC, centralized rule created both efficiency and growth which allowed the kingdom to expand by subduing neighboring states. Their expansion was eventually curtailed by the might of the Roman Empire. Though both the Parthian and Roman Empires occupied the kingdom at various times, none were able to establish a stronghold in the territory until the third century AD. At that time the Kingdom of Armenia became a suzerainty of the Sasanian Empire with its rise to dominance. By 387 AD, Armenia was partitioned into a western area governed by Rome and an eastern area governed by Persia. In 395, the Byzantine Empire emerged as the successor to Rome in the east when the Roman Empire was divided upon the death of Theodosius I. The Kingdom of Armenia survived as a vassal state until 428 AD when the monarchy was abolished. In the absence of the monarchy, the Sasanian and Byzantine Empires, maintained control over Armenia by elevating nakharar, Armenian noble houses, to rule with autonomy in their territory.
From the fifth to the ninth century, Armenia remained under foreign control, with the Arab Rashidun Caliphate gaining superiority from the middle of the seventh century. The Rashidun Caliphate was followed by the Umayyad Caliphate in 661 and its successor, the Abbasid Caliphate in 750 AD. Under Arab rule, Ostikans replaced satraps as regional authorities and were responsible for its defense, economy, and administration. Though Arab direct rule was much more centralized and the nakharar had less autonomy, caliphates maintained the nobles, elevating the Bagratuni dynasty to a level akin to princes of Armenia. In 884, the Bagratid Kingdom was given sovereignty over the northern and eastern portions of the territory and the Arab caliphates relinquished their control. In the tenth century, the Artsruni dynasty, another nakharar established a kingdom in southern Armenia and the two kingdoms competed for supremacy. Though free of Muslim rule, various emirates and Byzantine leaders posed a constant threat to the kingdoms. By the middle of the eleventh Century, Byzantium had reabsorbed most of Armenia. In 1071, the Turko-Persian Seljuk Empire invaded Armenia, defeated the Byzantines and took control of the region. Uninterested in direct rule, the Seljuk Empire left control of the area to its vassals.
Allying themselves with the Kingdom of Georgia, Armeno-Georgian forces were able to restore northern and eastern Armenia to their control. Zakarid Armenia became a vassal state of the Georgian sovereigns, who allowed the Zakarids, also known as Mkhargrdzeli, to rule autonomously. Other Armenians became migrants, fleeing the invaders and moving west. They settled in the Byzantine region of Cilicia near Tarsus, joining prior Armenian migrants who had fled there during previous invasions. Over time, they became governors and eventually established a principality governed by the Rubenid dynasty as a vassal state to the Byzantine Empire. In 1198, having gained the support of Pope Celestine III, the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia was established and recognized by Byzantium. In around 1220, the Mongol Empire conquered Georgia and brought Armenia under their rule. The Mongols were subsequently attacked by the Egyptian Mamluk Sultanate and the kingdom in Cilicia fell in 1375. Thereafter, Armenians became a diasporic population settling in foreign lands.