Ethnic Armenians Can Obtain Citizenship Through Simplified Procedure

Recently, there has been an influx of our compatriots from the diaspora, particularly from Lebanon, into Armenia. Among various government agencies, the police are also conducting relevant work in this direction.

The police's public relations and media department, in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, has started a series of informational initiatives. Regular updates are provided regarding the police's territorial divisions, their locations, and contact details.

Our compatriots arriving from the diaspora may also interact with the police's passport and visa department. Here, they primarily apply for citizenship or residence permits.

The procedure for obtaining Armenian citizenship is defined by the Republic of Armenia's law on citizenship and relevant sub-legislative acts. Ethnic Armenians can obtain citizenship through a simplified procedure, specifically without the requirements of having resided legally in Armenia for the past three years, passing a constitutional test, or demonstrating proficiency in the Armenian language.

Ethnic Armenians apply for citizenship through the State Migration Service or at Armenian diplomatic representations or consular offices abroad, submitting the following documents: a standard application, a completed application form in Armenian, their passport and a notarized translation of it, six color photos, a birth certificate and its notarized translation, and if applicable, documents proving Armenian ethnicity as defined by the relevant normative resolution, along with a receipt for the state fee of 1,000 AMD. Applications for citizenship must be submitted in person, except for those who have been declared incapacitated, in which case the application is submitted by a guardian. Applications are reviewed within a six-month period, and citizenship issues are resolved by a decree of the President of the Republic of Armenia,” stated Irina Mkrtchyan, head of the legal department of the police’s passport and visa department.

Our compatriots arriving from the diaspora, particularly from Lebanon, may also face issues related to obtaining driver's licenses in Armenia.

“According to the Lebanese authorities, Lebanese national driver's licenses are not valid for driving in the territory of the Republic of Armenia. This applies not only to our compatriots but to any citizen since Lebanon has not joined the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic,” noted Samvel Nersisyan, the deputy head of the Traffic Police Department.

To drive in Armenia, our compatriots must pass the relevant examination to obtain a driver's license.

“The process of granting driver's licenses in Armenia is regulated by a relevant decision of the Armenian government established in 2008. According to this, applicants for a driver's license must pass a theoretical exam and, upon a positive result, a practical exam. Currently, the theoretical test can only be taken in Armenian or Russian. Other languages such as Arabic, Persian, and English will be added soon,” added Samvel Nersisyan.

Due to the pandemic, the registration and examination units of the traffic police work by prior online appointment. This means that applications must be sent via email in advance to obtain the date and time for the examination. The electronic addresses of the traffic police registration and examination units can be found on the police.am website.