The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia proposes to set the state fee for obtaining Armenian citizenship at 250,000 drams instead of the current 50,000 drams, and for terminating Armenian citizenship at 1,500,000 drams instead of the current 150,000 drams. The ministry submitted the respective draft for public discussion on Tuesday.

The explanation for the draft states that according to statistics, the number of applications for obtaining Armenian citizenship is increasing year by year.

From January 1, 2021 to August 31, 2026, a total of 110,219 people received Armenian citizenship, and 108,002 people received an Armenian passport with the “099” code. Numerical analyses of the last 15 years show that about 250,000 people have received Armenian citizenship annually, most of whom, however, have never established permanent residence in Armenia, the explanation adds.

This circumstance reduces the substantive significance of the institution of citizenship and requires a review of legislative approaches, since citizenship is not only a privilege or an opportunity to obtain a passport of a citizen of Armenia, but also implies acceptance of the constitutional values of the state, rights, and obligations towards the state, the explanation also states.

Therefore, it is natural that a person wishing to receive Armenian citizenship should live in Armenia for a certain period of time, get familiarized with the country, form social ties, and actually participate in the country’s public life, the explanation notes.