Rules for entry into Armenia in 2021

Armenia is an amazing country with picturesque nature and rich cultural heritage. It attracts tourists with its architectural monuments, the famous Mount Ararat, national cuisine and hospitality. Anyone who has been here at least once wants to repeat the trip.

Excursion tours to Armenia are in great demand. But many travelers come here on their own. Do you need a visa to Armenia? This is the main question of interest to those who are planning to visit this amazing country for the first time.

Do Russians need a visa to Armenia?

In 2002, Russia and Armenia entered into an agreement on a visa-free regime. To cross the border, it is enough to show a Russian passport or a foreign passport. There are restrictions on the period of residence in the country. You can stay on the territory of the state for no more than 180 days within six months.

If the period of stay in the country exceeds 90 days, the tourist must register with the passport office at the place of residence. To do this, you will need a foreign passport, an application and an internal ID. The Armenian Consulate in Moscow is located at: Armensky Lane, 2.

Documents for crossing the border

When entering Armenia without a visa, border guards will ask you to present the following documents:

1. General Russian passport. Before traveling, you should check to see if it is time to change your document because it has expired. It is prohibited to be on the territory of a foreign state with an invalid identity card. It is advisable to have a foreign passport, but this is not a mandatory requirement.
2. When going to the country on a working visit, you should have the appropriate identification from the place of employment with you. Employees of diplomatic missions or government agencies entering the republic on official business need a diplomatic or service passport.
3. Health insurance policy. It is not included in the list of required documents for Russians in 2021. But without a policy, medical services to residents of other countries are provided on a commercial basis and quite reluctantly, so pre-registering insurance with a reliable company will protect the foreigner from unnecessary problems.
4. Entry into the republic of a child who has his own international passport is carried out using this document. You can go through border control at the airport even if your child does not have a foreign passport. Those who are already 14 years old can present a civil identity card. Entry for younger children is based on a birth certificate. The parent not accompanying the child issues an exit permit at the notary office, which will also be required at border control.

Additional official documents will be required for those entering the country by personal transport.

At the checkpoint you will have to present documents for the car, including a power of attorney to drive it, if the car does not belong to the person entering. The driver's license, which the border guards will also be asked to show, must be of the type that is valid on Armenian territory.

A driver's license will be required when traveling by private vehicle.

When traveling to Armenia by land, Russians must take their international passport with them. The path to the republic runs through Georgia. And you can move around this country only if you have an identity card for foreign travel.

Russian car insurance is not valid in the republic, so you will have to take out another one. There will be no difficulties with this, since insurance services will be offered at the checkpoint. It is also necessary to provide for monetary expenses for the entry of a foreign vehicle into the country. The road toll is charged in the amount of approximately 2000-2750 rubles. for staying in the country from 14 to 30 days.

Visa categories

To enter Armenia for an extended period of time, you must obtain a visitor, official, diplomatic, transit or e-visa. Each of them has its own characteristics. The document gives the right to stay in the country for a period of up to one year for a specific purpose.

Guestbook

The visa is valid for 1 year. The foreigner receives a document for single and multiple entry. You need to submit the necessary documents to the visa center, after which employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia will check the invitation for the tourist. A visitor visa is issued to people who want to visit the Republic of Armenia for the following purposes:

• tourist trip;
• Doing Business;
• visiting relatives and friends living in Armenia;
• short-term accommodation or treatment;
• transportation and other professional purposes.

Official

This is a type of visa for citizens who have official or special passports. Issued in the following cases:

• one-time entry into the country with a period of stay of 12 months for officials who come at the invitation of the Armenian government or foreign diplomatic and international organizations;
• multiple entry for up to 3 years for employees of international organizations and citizens who do not have diplomatic status and international organizations, as well as their families;
• single or multiple entry visa for members of delegations with ordinary passports, valid for 12 months.

Diplomatic

A document allowing long-term residence in the country for holders of diplomatic passports and members of diplomatic missions.

Types of diplomatic visas:

• single entry for 120 days if a tourist comes to the country for personal business;
• single or multiple for a period of 1 year for officials and their families;
• multiple for 3 years for employees of foreign diplomatic missions and international organizations, as well as their families.

E-visa

E-visa - permission for short-term residence in the country. You must submit an application online on the official website to obtain the document no later than 3 days before arriving in the country. The maximum period of stay in the country is 120 days. It is possible to obtain permission to enter for the purpose of recreation, treatment and other purposes.

Unlike a regular visa, no prior registration is required. The permit is issued upon arrival at the airport. It is a mark that is placed immediately after arriving at the airport. For a visa, the passport of a Russian citizen in Armenia indicates the period during which he can legally stay in the country.

Conditions for entry into Armenia in 2021

The conditions for visiting the country are very flexible - you just need to take a coronavirus test. To travel to Armenia you do not need a visa. You can also fly into the country using a Russian passport.

To cross the border, the passenger must provide a negative coronavirus test. The test must be expired no more than 72 hours before entering the country. A certificate with the result of a COVID-19 test can be made in any language: Russian, English.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that if a tourist did not have time to take the test before traveling, it will be possible to take it at the airport in Armenia. But at the same time, until waiting for the results, the tourist must remain in self-isolation.

We do not recommend flying without a test if the rules require it, since some airlines do not allow passengers on board without certificates of absence of COVID-19.

Cost and processing time

To obtain a visa, you need to contact the Armenian representation in Russia. The processing of documents may take up to 90 days. The cost of registration depends on the type of visa and the length of stay in the host country. A 1-year multi-entry visitor visa costs about $83.

Whether Russians need to pay for a diplomatic visa to Armenia is an equally important question. The permit is issued free of charge, and the Russian citizen does not need to pay a consular fee.

What can you import to Armenia?

When traveling, you should follow the rules of entry into Armenia for Russians.

There are no restrictions on the export and import of foreign currency, but it is mandatory to fill out a special declaration, which is issued at customs. This document must be kept with you during the entire trip.

It is prohibited to transport cash in excess of $10,000 within the country. The national currency of Armenia is not prohibited for import or export.

See also: What can you carry in luggage on a plane 2021 in Russia

It is not allowed to transport items belonging to antiques and other valuables without special notification.

It is important to know! Experienced tourists recommend declaring an amount of $2,000, since customs officers may have additional questions when entering with such an amount. If the cash equivalent is declared, such problems will not arise.

Refusal of a visa

You may be denied entry into the country in the following cases:

• providing false documents;
• indication of false data in the application form;
• suspicion of participation in terrorist groups and other illegal activities;
• being on a blacklist of persons who cannot travel abroad;
• the citizen was expelled from Armenia or the right to stay in the country expired within the last three years;
• the presence of a foreigner poses a danger to public order, the well-being of the population, and state security;
• the person has violated the Law on Foreigners in the Republic of Armenia in previous years.

If there are inaccuracies in the application, the foreign citizen will be denied a visa. In this case, he can submit the application again. Other situations are considered on an individual basis. The response to the request will indicate the reason for the refusal without comment.

Crossing the border of Armenia

When crossing the Armenian border, Russians can present any of the following documents:

• passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation;
• international passport;
• special or official passport;
• seaman's certificate with ship's extract.

A health insurance policy is required to enter some countries. The set of documents required for entry into Armenia does not include a policy. But most tourists prefer to take out a policy when traveling abroad. This is necessary to receive emergency medical care for health problems that arise in a foreign country. When booking tourist tours through an agency, the policy is included in the package. When traveling independently, you need to buy a policy from an insurance company or through an intermediary.

Traveling by car

You can enter the territory of Armenia only from Georgia. Travel through Turkey and Azerbaijan is not provided. At the checkpoint you need to present a number of documents:

• driver's license valid abroad;
• a document confirming the official registration of the vehicle;
• a notarized power of attorney to use a car if the driver is not its owner;
• foreign passport - needed to travel through Georgia.

Customs officers check documents and issue entry permission. When crossing the border you will need to pay a toll. To travel a passenger car for 15 days you need to pay about 14,000 drams (1,843 rubles), for 30 days - 20,000 drams (2,631 rubles).

Armenia does not participate in the Green Card auto insurance system, therefore the Russian OSAGO policy is not valid in the country. You need to take out local insurance at the checkpoint. The price of the policy depends on the power of the car engine, as well as the period for obtaining insurance. The average amount you will need to pay is from 4 to 6 thousand drams (from 526 to 790 rubles).

Entry to Armenia for Russians: do you need a foreign passport, procedure and duration of stay?

To cross the border of Armenia, a Russian will need a foreign passport when entering by land. If traveling by plane, it is enough to have a Russian passport.

Do you need a foreign passport to Armenia from Russia?

The list of documents required for traveling to Armenia depends on the following circumstances:

• purpose of visiting the republic;
• transport used to cross the border;
• duration of stay in the country.

According to the document signed by Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan in 2021, persons crossing the border by plane are not required to have a foreign passport to Armenia - it is enough to present a Russian passport.

Important! This entry procedure applies only to Shirak airports in Gyumri and Zvartnots airports in Yerevan.

• However, the republic puts forward the following condition: the validity of the passport must exceed the period of residence in Armenia by at least 3 months.
• If arriving by car or bus, a Russian must have a foreign passport.
• Thus, to enter Armenia you can use the following documents:

• Russian passport (for traveling by air);
• international passport (for entry by car or bus);
• diplomat's passport;
• seaman's passport.

Do I need a visa to visit Armenia?

The need to obtain a permit depends on the length of residence in the republic.

Visa-free regime

You can only live in Armenia for 6 months without a visa. To do this, after 30 days of stay, you must obtain registration from the local authorities.

If you plan to stay longer than 180 days, you will need to obtain permission in advance.

Types of visa for Armenia

The Republic issues the following types of permits to cross its border.

Table 1. Types of visa for Armenia

Features of visiting the country

Armenia, like Belarus, does not require its guests to have health insurance. However, if a Russian citizen needs medical care, it will be useful.

Traveling with children

Children under 14 years of age must have a birth certificate to visit the republic; other persons must have a foreign passport.

If a child travels with third parties (without parents), written consent of the parents to take the child out of the country, certified by a notary, will be required. It is also necessary if a child goes on a trip with one parent - the second must obtain a notarized consent.

Material on the topic: Features of crossing the Ukrainian border with children.

Traveling by car

When traveling to Armenia, it is important to remember that entry is only possible from Georgia. Entry from Turkey and Azerbaijan is prohibited.

Citizens entering the republic by car must present the following documents:

• a driver's license that is valid abroad;
• vehicle registration documents;
• power of attorney (in the absence of the owner of the car).

In addition, a Russian must pay customs duty: as of 2021, the fee for entry of a passenger car with Russian license plates for 15 days is about 14,000 drams, for 30 days - 20,000 drams.

It should also be remembered that Armenia is not included in the list of countries participating in the Green Card system. Russian compulsory motor liability insurance does not apply there either.

Upon entry, customs officers will offer to take out Armenian MTPL insurance, the cost of which depends on the power of the vehicle and the length of stay on the territory of the republic - on average from 4 to 6 thousand drams.

Border crossing rules

The following items and items can be transported across the border without additional charges:

1. personal belongings – weighing up to 50 kg and worth up to 500 USD;
2. alcohol-containing drinks – up to 2 l;
3. tobacco products – 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars;
4. medicines for personal use;
5. cash – up to 2,000 USD (if you have money worth more than the limit, it is necessary to draw up a customs declaration);
6. hunting rifle and cartridges (with permission from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia).

Important! It is prohibited to import cash worth more than 10,000 USD. In this case, you must use bank transfer.

Denial of entry is possible for the following reasons:

1. absence or expired passport for travelers by land transport;
2. the Russian is on the blacklist of those entering the republic;
3. a Russian smuggles prohibited items and items across the border.

Important! It is strictly prohibited to import narcotic and explosive substances, as well as weapons or ammunition.