How to prepare documents for Armenian citizenship by origin

Armenian origin is one of the grounds for acquiring citizenship under the Law of the Republic of Armenia "On Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia". Below is a practical preparation sequence based on official sources as of 24 October 2026.

How applications are filed now

Since 1 January 2026, citizenship applications are filed exclusively through the electronic system at mcs-citizenship.am. The application is reviewed by the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and citizenship is granted by decree of the President of Armenia.

According to the official hartak.am portal:

• the preliminary review takes up to 15 working days;
• if corrections are needed, you have 10 working days to make them;
• once approved, you present the original documents in person — appointments for this can currently be booked only in Armenia;
• the decision is notified within 90 days of presenting the originals.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the state duty for acquiring citizenship is AMD 50,000, paid in the system and non-refundable.

The core document set

For all grounds you will usually need:

• a valid passport (for stateless persons, a travel document);
• a birth certificate;
• a 35×45 mm photo;
• a name-change document if your personal details have changed.

How to prove origin

If your birth certificate does not state Armenian nationality, you will need an additional document. According to hartak.am, any one of the following is enough:

• a baptism certificate;
• the birth certificate of a parent, grandparent or sibling;
• the marriage certificate of your parents or grandparents;
• a paternity certificate;
• a document issued by a foreign authority.

Tip: check in advance that surnames across generations can be linked to each other. Spelling differences are a common source of questions.

Apostille and translation: the right order

Foreign documents are legalised first and translated second:

• Step 1. Apostille or consular legalisation — in the country that issued the document.
• Step 2. Translation into Armenian.
• If the translation was made by a sworn translator abroad, according to the MFA that translation must itself be apostilled.

See our guide to apostille and notarised translation for details.

Do you need to take the test?

According to hartak.am, the test on the Constitution of Armenia and the Armenian language is taken by applicants who are not of Armenian origin. There is some legal uncertainty here: the English translation of the law on arlis.am words the exemption differently. If this matters for you, confirm it with a specialist or the Migration Service.

Dual citizenship

Armenia permits dual citizenship. In Armenia, however, a dual citizen is treated only as an Armenian citizen. Whether your other country allows dual citizenship must be checked with its authorities.

Checklist before filing

• All foreign documents are apostilled or legalised.
• Armenian translations are done and certified.
• The details in your application match your documents (name spelling, dates).
• You can travel to attend the originals appointment in person.

This guide is for information only. Before filing, check the official sources: mfa.am, hartak.am, migration.mia.gov.am.