What is the Status of Indian Citizens in Armenia?

In Armenia, over 2000 Indian citizens have received residency status within a year. This information was provided by the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia in response to a query from Sputnik Armenia.

“In 2023, a total of 2035 Indian citizens received residency status in Armenia, of which 1994 received temporary residency and 41 received permanent residency. Additionally, two Indian citizens applied for Armenian citizenship in 2023, and one was granted citizenship,” the statement read.

Comparing this to 2022, it should be noted that a total of 2212 individuals received residency status, including 2182 with temporary status and 30 with permanent status. According to data from the Cadastre Committee, among the Indian citizens who obtained temporary residency, 75 joined family members, 1882 did so for education purposes, and 37 for business activities. In 2022, 94 Indian citizens joined family members, 1721 for education, 343 for work, and 23 engaged in business activities; one was of Armenian descent.

Of those obtaining permanent residency, 16 had lived in Armenia for at least three years (the same number as in 2022), 19 were involved in business (12 in 2022), and 6 were of Armenian descent (2 in 2022).

When asked how many Pakistani citizens applied for citizenship or residence in Armenia in 2023, the Migration and Citizenship Service indicated that no applications had been submitted. According to data from the Cadastre Committee, one Pakistani citizen applied for asylum, specifically a female under the age of 17. No Pakistani citizen applied for citizenship, asylum, or residency status in 2022.

It is noteworthy that applications are counted based on the applicant's country of citizenship. Official data shows that from January to December 2023, 8,761 foreign citizens received residency status, including 5,073 with temporary status, 3,274 with permanent status, and 414 with special status. In 2022, 16,157 foreign citizens obtained residency status, of which 12,878 had temporary status and 3,279 had permanent status.

In total, 370 people sought asylum in Armenia in 2023, with the highest number being citizens from Iraq (103 people). The top five also included citizens from Ukraine (91), Iran (57), Egypt (42), and Russia (13). Additionally, 9 citizens from Turkey applied for asylum in Armenia.

Throughout the previous year, a total of 4,764,274 people crossed the Armenian state border, while 4,793,768 exited the country. During the same period in 2022, 3,394,371 people entered Armenia, and 3,355,639 left.

As of December of the previous year, there were 54,582 recorded cases of individuals crossing the border from India into Armenia. It is important to note that Sputnik Armenia has yet to determine the total number of Indian citizens currently residing in Armenia and their residency status.