On 20 January 2026, Armenia adopted amendments to its Law “On Foreigners.” They enter into force on 1 November 2026, roughly five weeks from now. Two routes are new, and they suit very different people. Choosing the wrong one is the most avoidable mistake in this process.
Table of Contents
Route 1: Residence based on entrepreneurial activity (Article 29.4)
This is for people with a real business connection to Armenia. It covers both temporary and permanent residence. To qualify, an applicant needs to meet one of these:
- participate in an Armenian commercial company with at least AMD 2,000,000 in charter capital;
- hold shares or securities worth at least AMD 2,000,000;
- be registered as an individual entrepreneur with at least AMD 1,000,000 equivalent on IE accounts; or
- show at least AMD 1,000,000 in business turnover during the 60 days before applying.
Temporary residence is granted for up to one year. Permanent residence through this route generally requires three years of temporary residence within the previous five.
The catch: registering a company is not enough. The law expects a genuine business, capital or turnover basis backed by real economic activity. There is also a practical requirement to plan for, a 180-day tax footprint, which should be built into the timeline from the start.
Route 2: Permanent residence based on investment (Article 29.6)
This route is independent. Investment is listed as its own ground for permanent residence, and it does not expressly require three prior years of temporary residence. That makes it potentially attractive for investors who want to skip the waiting period.
However, the law does not yet say what counts. The minimum amount, eligible investment types, holding period and source-of-funds rules are to be defined by Government regulation. Until that secondary legislation appears, anything that quotes a firm number for this route is guessing.
The system behind both routes
Applications will move to a unified electronic platform expected to launch on the same date, pulling data from several state databases: company ownership, charter capital, securities, tax records, property and border crossings. In practice, your paperwork has to match what the state already knows. Small discrepancies, such as a share register that differs from the registry extract, can mean delays or refusals.
A quick way to choose
| If you… | Look first at |
|---|---|
| already run or will run a company or IE in Armenia | Article 29.4 |
| want direct permanent residence via capital and can wait for the rules | Article 29.6 |
| are unsure whether your structure is “real” enough | a structuring review before any filing |
Next step
Because the investment criteria are still to come, the smartest preparation right now is structural: the right entity, clean ownership records, tax registration and a realistic timeline. If you’re weighing options for Armenian residency by investment, an experienced firm offering legal services in Armenia can compare routes against your profile and flag compliance risks such as the tax footprint rule before you file.
Disclaimer: General information as of September 2026, not legal or immigration advice. Secondary legislation for Article 29.6 was pending at the time of writing.
