Moving from Russia to Armenia
Moving from Russia to Armenia: Russia passport holders get visa-free (180 days) for short stays and need a residence permit to settle. Armenia costs about $900/month for one person. Citizenship takes about 3 years of residence.
Last updated August 2026 · How we calculate this
Visa & entry
Visa-free (180 days) for short visits. To settle you'll need a residence route:
- Citizenship by descent — Armenian ancestry or ethnic-Armenian origin — a fast track to citizenship and residence.
Documents & apostille
Single apostille each end. Both countries are in the Hague Apostille Convention — one apostille from Russia makes your documents valid in Armenia.
Where in Russia: apostille issued by several bodies depending on document type — Ministry of Justice (via territorial offices) for notarial/court docs, Rosobrnadzor for education documents, regional ZAGS (civil-registry) offices for civil-status docs, and regional State Archives
↳ Armenia: Since 26 April 2021 Armenian apostilles are issued exclusively as electronic apostilles by the Ministry of Justice (Armenian + English)
Check each document →Cost, tax & salary
Cost of living in Armenia: around $900/mo for one person.
Citizenship & residency
3 yrs residence; Constitution exam in Armenian doubles as language test. Ethnic Armenians exempt from residence/language.
Your path to a passport →Arrival checklist
- Register your address: Hashvarum (հաշվառում) — registration of place of residence
- Get a tax number: TIN/HVHH (tax number) + Public Services Number (social card)
- Residence permit: Residence card — temporary (1yr), permanent (5yr) or special (10yr) status
- Healthcare: Basic state healthcare (free basic package); no universal mandatory insurance
Book appointment (migration.e-gov.am), get residence status/card -> then PSN/TIN, bank, address reg. Process moves fully digital to permits.am on 1 Nov 2026.
Your move, step by step →Driving
Vienna Convention 1968 parties exchange without test (most of Europe/CIS/Asia incl. RU, GE, UK, TR, IR, UAE); Canada, Lebanon, USA and other non-1968 countries must retake full exams; US: no exchange (retest)
Non-1968-Convention licences (incl. US, Canada, Lebanon) get no exchange — full theory+practical retest required; residents must convert within ~3 months. Fee ~12,300 AMD; exchange booked online at roadpolice.am.
Exchange your licence →Pets
- Microchip: Recommended/effectively required; ISO 11784/11785, implant before rabies vaccine; number recorded on all documents.
- Rabies: Required; given 21+ days and within ~11-12 months before entry. Pet must be old enough (dogs 6+ months per some sources).
- Quarantine: None if compliant. Import permit + quarantine only for >2 animals/person, unaccompanied, or commercial.
Armenia — quick facts
Start your move from Russia to Armenia
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