The Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs proposes increasing the state fees for obtaining and renouncing citizenship

ArmInfo. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Armenia has presented a package of draft laws that propose changes to the procedure for obtaining and restoring citizenship, as well as increasing the corresponding state fees.

According to the draft law, published on the Unified Website for the Publication of Legal Acts (e-draft), individuals wishing to obtain citizenship must have resided in Armenia for the past five years and have resided in the country for at least 915 days during this period. Spouses of Armenian citizens, individuals with Armenian children or parents, former citizens of Armenia, refugees, and stateless persons will be offered a simplified path to citizenship: three years of legal residence and a minimum of 549 days in Armenia. Ethnic Armenians will be able to obtain citizenship after two years of legal residence and a minimum of 366 days of actual residence in the Republic.

The draft law also proposes changing the application process, specifically moving it to an electronic system. "If a person has lost Armenian citizenship, it will be possible to regain it under the new procedure no sooner than five years after the citizenship termination decree comes into force," the bill states.

Another draft proposes increasing the relevant state fees. Specifically, from 50 times the base fee to 250 times (i.e., the fee is proposed to be increased from 50,000 drams to 250,000 drams); and from 150 times to 1,500 times (i.e., the fee is proposed to be increased from 150,000 drams to 1,500,000 drams). According to the source, the bill, if adopted, is expected to enter into force on January 1, 2028.

It is worth noting that back in 2024, the Armenian government approved a package of bills raising the state fee for obtaining citizenship to 50,000 drams and for its termination to 150,000 drams. These rates officially came into effect on January 1, 2026.