Armenia

Armenia’s overall record on accession to relevant international treaties is good, although it has not acceded to the regional statelessness conventions, the European Convention on Nationality and the Convention on the Avoidance of Statelessness in Relation to State Succession. Armenia collects and publishes disaggregated data on stateless people using standardised categories, though no mapping studies have been conducted.

A dedicated statelessness determination procedure (SDP) is in place and generally accessible, with no fees or lawful stay requirements. While flexible in practice, the SDP lacks comprehensive regulation and detailed procedural rules, guidance for decision-makers, and applicants are not provided with free legal aid or accessible information on how to apply, so they mostly rely on NGO support. There are no formal referral mechanisms from the border or asylum procedures, and applicants are not granted the right to stay or any rights pending determination of their statelessness claim, which places them at risk of detention and expulsion (although this is not implemented in practice). Recognition of statelessness grants an indefinite right to reside and access to documentation, along with social security, healthcare, and education in line with nationals. However, stateless people are sometimes excluded from preferential treatments available to refugees, such as the right to access legal aid, family reunification, and work permit exemptions.

Immigration detention is permitted in law but not implemented in practice due to the lack of dedicated facilities, and statelessness is not considered in detention decisions. Adults recognised as stateless have access to facilitated naturalisation and can apply immediately after receiving statelessness status, but there are additional requirements and children cannot apply independently. While strong safeguards exist to prevent children from being born stateless in Armenia, these are all based on the parents’ circumstances and there is no full safeguard to prevent statelessness for all children born in Armenia. Birth registration is universally accessible and has been simplified through hospital-based registration and the removal of time-limits, though documentation requirements may pose practical barriers for some parents. Provisions for the withdrawal of nationality are limited to cases of fraud and amendments entering into force in January 2026 provide that this must not result in statelessness. Critical amendments were also introduced in 2021 to prevent statelessness where Armenians attempt to change their nationality.

Posljednje ažuriranje:

Dec 2025

Stručnjak/ci za zemlju:

Mission Armenia

Dodatni izvori

SREDSTVA PROCJENE

++POZITIVNO

+ DJELOMIČNO POZITIVNO

+-POZITIVNO i NEGATIVNO

- DJELOMIČNO NEGATIVNO

--NEGATIVNO

Dodatne informacije

NORME i DOBRA PRAKSA

Međunarodni i regionalni instrumenti

Assesses whether countries are State party to the relevant international and regional instruments, including whether reservations have an impact on statelessness, and whether instruments are incorporated into domestic law. The four core statelessness treaties (1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons; 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness; European Convention on Nationality; Council of Europe Convention on the Avoidance of Statelessness in Relation to State Succession) carry more weight than other relevant human rights instruments in the assessment.

Armenia is State party to two of the core statelessness conventions, the 1954 Convention and the 1961 Convention, without reservations, and both have direct effect. However, Armenia is not a State party to the two regional instruments on statelessness. Armenia has acceded to nearly all other relevant international instruments, except for the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, which it signed but did not ratify.

Konvencija iz 1954.

Armenia is State party to the 1954 Convention with no reservations. It has direct effect, as international conventions prevail over domestic legislation.

Konvencija iz 1961.

Armenia is State party to the 1961 Convention with no reservations. It has direct effect, as international conventions prevail over domestic legislation.

Ostali instrumenti

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Armenia is not State party to the European Convention on Nationality nor to the Council of Europe Convention on the Avoidance of Statelessness in relation to State Succession.
Armenia is State party to almost all other relevant international treaties without reservations, but only signed and has not yet ratified the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families. It retains a reservation to the European Convention on Human Rights, but it does not have a substantive impact on statelessness.
Armenia is not a Member State of the European Union and is not bound by the EU Return Directive.

Podaci o stanovništvu bez državljanstva

Examines the availability and sources of disaggregated population data on statelessness. Provides recent figures and assesses reliability of measures countries have in place to count stateless persons, including in the census, population registries, and migration databases. Notes whether statelessness has been mapped in the country and whether there are sufficient measures in place to count stateless persons in detention.

Armenia collects and publishes data on the stateless population using standardised categories, including disaggregated census data. The authorities maintain updated records on individuals holding statelessness status and a stateless person document. UNHCR has conducted a study on statelessness, but there is no recent mapping to estimate the size and profile of the stateless population, and the State does not record or publish data on stateless people in immigration detention.

Dostupnost i izvori

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Armenia has a standardised category for ‘stateless persons’ in census data, which is disaggregated by sex and age, as well as for specific groups of stateless people.
The latest census was conducted in 2022 and identified 687 stateless people, which included 193 people from Nagorno-Karabakh, 55 from other countries, 14 asylum-seekers, 146 undocumented people, and 279 people with reason ‘unknown’. However, not all those recorded as stateless in the census may indeed be stateless, as the data is based on information collected through oral interviews and self-reporting.
The State Population Register records 307 people with statelessness status in Armenia as of the first quarter of 2025, although only 176 reportedly held a valid certificate of a stateless person (others may not have renewed their certificate or may have acquired another nationality). No data is available on the profiles and causes of statelessness of those officially recognised as stateless.
UNHCR recorded 373 stateless people in Armenia at the end of 2024.
The number of stateless people has been decreasing in recent years, which may be because Armenia addressed a legislative gap to prevent statelessness where Armenians attempt to change their nationality.
UNHCR has published a study on statelessness in Armenia in 2013, although much of the information is now out of date.
According to the Migration and Citizenship Service, 140 people held both refugee status and statelessness status in Armenia in mid-2025.

2. Podaci o osobama bez državljanstva u pritvoru

The State does not record or publish figures on stateless people held in immigration detention.

Utvrđivanje bezdržavljanstva i statusa

Identifies whether countries have a definition of a stateless person in national law that aligns with the 1954 Convention, and whether they have a dedicated statelessness determination procedure (SDP) leading to a dedicated statelessness status. If a procedure to determine statelessness is not in place, it assesses whether there are other procedures in which statelessness can be identified or routes through which stateless people could regularise their stay or access their rights. Countries are subdivided in three groups to enable comparison between those with an SDP leading to protection, those with other procedures, and those with a statelessness status but no clear mechanism to access protection. The existing procedures and rights granted to stateless persons are examined and assessed against international norms and good practice. Assesses whether stateless people fleeing war have access to temporary protection.

Armenia has a dedicated statelessness determination procedure (SDP) established by Government Decree in 2006, assessed centrally by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The SDP is not subject to a lawful stay requirement, time limits, nor application fees, but the person must habitually reside in Armenia and present a birth certificate (although these requirements are applied flexibly in practice). The authorities may initiate the SDP ex officio, although Armenia currently lacks a dedicated mechanism to refer individuals to the SDP from the border or asylum procedure. The SDP lacks comprehensive regulation in law which leads to gaps in its procedural safeguards, lack of guidance for decision-makers on how to determine statelessness and of accessible information for applicants on how to apply, and applicants are not provided with free legal aid. Applicants under the SDP are not granted the right to stay or any rights pending determination of their claim, and are therefore at risk of detention and expulsion, although this is not implemented in practice. Positively, recognition of statelessness status results in a permanent right to reside and stateless people are granted a renewable ‘non-citizenship certificate’ that serves as an identity and travel document. Rights to social security, healthcare, and education are in line with nationals, but stateless people must apply for a work permit and are not entitled to family reunification.

Definicija osobe bez državljanstva

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There are two definitions of a stateless person in national law. The Law on the Nationality of the Republic of Armenia defines a stateless person as ‘a person not holding the nationality of the Republic of Armenia and residing in the Republic of Armenia, who has no evidence of holding the nationality of another State’.
The Law on Foreigners defines a stateless person as someone who does not hold the nationality of any State.
Both definitions do not fully align with the 1954 Convention definition, which specifies ‘under the operation of its law'.

Obuka

In 2023, all staff of the Migration and Citizenship Service received comprehensive training on statelessness, based on a self-study manual developed through an EU and UNHCR co-funded project. UNHCR and IOM are currently working to institutionalise statelessness training within the Ministry’s new Educational Complex.
In 2025, UNHCR and Mission Armenia delivered two specialised trainings for staff of the Migration and Citizenship Service, including a session on the prevention and reduction of statelessness and one on SDPs. They also held four regional trainings to equip staff from social services, municipalities, migration and civil registration agencies, and community social workers to better identify and refer undocumented and stateless people.
Between 2019 and 2022, Mission Armenia, in collaboration with UNHCR and IOM, conducted awareness-raising campaigns on statelessness targeting municipalities.
Border guards, detention staff, police, and other frontline officials do not receive dedicated training on identifying statelessness.
Mission Armenia organises an annual 3-day Refugee Law Autumn School which often includes statelessness, but there are no trainings on statelessness provided specifically to judges and lawyers.

Postojanje posebnog Postupka za utvrđivanje statusa osoba bez državljanstva (SDP)

Armenia has a statelessness determination procedure established by Government Decree which leads to some rights for stateless people, but detailed procedural rules are not set out in law. A draft Law on Stateless Persons with detailed procedural safeguards is currently being discussed.

Access to the procedure

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SDP applications are reviewed by a dedicated centralised authority, the Migration and Citizenship Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is also responsible for the asylum procedure and the issuance of residence permits, among other functions.
There are no clear and accessible instructions on how to make an application under the SDP, but the authorities must provide individuals with clear information regarding their rights and obligations.
According to the Government Decree, submissions must be made in writing in a specific application form, in Armenian, and submission of a birth certificate is mandatory. In practice, applications in other languages and without a birth certificate are usually accepted, as well as applications that do not use the dedicated form.
There is an obligation in law for authorities to consider all applications and issue a final decision. The competent authority is authorised to initiate the SDP ex officio (i.e. at their own initiative), and this happens in practice.
There is no fee for the application nor time limit to access the procedure.
There is no requirement to have lawful stay to access the SDP, but the law specifies that only those who are habitually resident in Armenia or whose vital interests are in Armenia can apply. In practice, these provisions are applied in a liberal manner, and habitual residence does not require a residence permit.
State agencies and local authorities (with the exception of border guards) are obliged to report individuals in difficult life situations within three days to social services for assistance, which includes people lacking identity documents.
Efforts to improve identification and referral have been supported by a working group on statelessness, capacity-building and outreach activities led by Mission Armenia, UNHCR, and the Migration and Citizenship Service.
SDP and asylum procedures are procedurally separate, and it is possible to apply for the SDP without applying first for asylum. Stateless people may be identified during the refugee status determination procedure, however, there are currently no specific guidelines or dedicated referral mechanisms to the SDP, and any such referrals are entirely ad hoc. Asylum decision-makers receive occasional training on statelessness.

Assessment

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As there are no detailed procedural rules for the SDP, general administrative principles apply. The applicant is required to provide evidence supporting favourable circumstances, while the State agency is responsible for proving any unfavourable circumstances, which in practice means that the burden of proof is shared.
The standard of proof in the SDP is not explicitly regulated, but a person's statements are presumed reliable unless proven otherwise by the authority. If there are doubts, the authority must verify the information at its own initiative and expense.
There are no specific guidelines currently in place on how to determine statelessness. Decision-makers are guided by the 1954 Convention and general principles of administrative law. Country of origin information is not routinely used in the SDP, except when applicants have also applied for asylum and enquiries to their former country of habitual residence is not possible.
There is no evidence of significant errors in decision-making.

Procedural safeguards

Applicants are not entitled to free legal aid, but NGOs such as Mission Armenia may provide free legal assistance to SDP applicants.
The rights to an interview and to interpretation are not expressly regulated by the Decree establishing the SDP, but both are usually offered in practice.
Decisions are issued in writing and must be reasoned in accordance with general administrative law.
The decision should be taken within 30 days but may be extended for another 30 days when further inquiries or assistance from other States are needed. In practice, the procedure can last for more than a year when replies to inquires made to other States are delayed.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs established a Quality Assurance Department in 2024, but this does not yet include statelessness-specific components.
UNHCR does not have access to the SDP and no monitoring is currently conducted, though it may receive requests for assistance with country-of-origin information in individual cases.
There is no effective referral mechanism between the asylum procedures and the SDP, although asylum decision-makers receive occasional training on statelessness.

Protection during the procedure

Applicants for statelessness status do not receive the right to stay in the country for the duration of the procedure and are not provided with documentation. As a result, there is a risk of detention or expulsion during the SDP. However, the Migration and Citizenship Service reports that the laws on detention for the purpose of removal are not currently enforced, and in practice there is no risk that applicants are detained or removed pending examination of their claim.
Applicants do not have permission to work nor have access to assistance to meet their basic needs pending determination of their claim.

Appeals

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Applicants for the SDP have an automatic right of appeal if their application is rejected.
A fee of AMD 10,000 (approx. EUR 22) must be paid for applications to the first-instance Administrative Court, AMD 20,000 (approx. EUR 45) to the Administrative Court of Appeals, and AMD 30,000 (approx. EUR 67) to the Court of Cassation.
Legal aid is not available for appeals, but legal assistance may be provided by civil society organisations.

Statelessness status

Recognition of statelessness results in automatic permission to stay and an indefinite right to reside. Recognised stateless people are automatically issued a ‘non-citizenship certificate’ which must be renewed every five years, but the authorisation itself is permanent.
The ‘non-citizenship certificate’ serves as both an identity document and a travel document. However, the certificate is not fully aligned with the model travel document recommended by the 1954 Convention. A person holding a non-citizenship certificate may access consular protection abroad and has the right to return to Armenia.
People recognised as stateless under the SDP do not have a right to family reunification.
According to the law, people granted statelessness status must apply for a work permit to be allowed to work (unlike refugees and asylum seekers who are exempt from this requirement). Although it is reported that in practice people with statelessness status are able to access employment without a work permit, this does not seem to be guaranteed under the law. They have access to primary, secondary, and higher education. However, unlike refugees, stateless people may be subject to higher tuition fees, and they may not be able to receive a completion certificate if they do not hold an identity document.
People granted statelessness status have access to social security and healthcare on the same level as nationals.
Recognised stateless people have the right to vote in local self-government elections if they are over 18 years of age and have been registered in their community for at least one year at the time of elections.
The grounds to revoke statelessness status are not established in law, and a proportionality assessment will not usually be conducted.

Privremena zaštita za ljude koji bježe od rata

Access to the territory of Armenia is typically permitted for all people seeking international protection, including people fleeing war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian nationals and stateless people with former habitual residence in Ukraine may apply for and be granted refugee status, however there is no report of stateless applicants from Ukraine. There is no other protection mechanism currently in place for stateless people or people with undetermined nationality fleeing war in Ukraine.

Zadržavanje

Analyses law, policy and practice relating to immigration detention generally, but focusing on protections in place to prevent the arbitrary detention of stateless people during removal and deportation procedures. Subthemes examine areas such as the identification of statelessness and assessment of whether there is a reasonable prospect of removal, procedural safeguards such as time limits, judicial oversight, and effective remedies, as well as the rights granted to stateless people upon release from detention and protection against re-detention.

Although Armenian law provides for immigration detention for the purpose of removal, it is not implemented in practice due to the absence of dedicated detention facilities. Asylum seekers may, however, be held at border crossing points for up to 72 hours in designated facilities pending referral to the competent authorities. People without valid travel documents, those denied a visa at a border crossing point, and those denied entry by border authorities may also be held in designated facilities at border crossing points, pending removal. Despite the lack of enforcement, several legal gaps remain: there is no requirement to consider alternatives to detention, no obligation to identify a country of removal prior to detention, and no clear duty to release individuals when removal is not reasonably foreseeable. Statelessness is not considered as a juridically relevant factor in detention decisions. Some procedural safeguards do exist, including a maximum detention period of 90 days, mandatory court authorisation, written notification of court decisions, and the right to appeal. However, the removal of individuals who lack legal grounds to enter the territory is not classified as expulsion under national law, meaning certain procedural guarantees, such as access to legal aid, do not apply. Individuals held at designated facilities at border crossing points and released from detention may be granted temporary residence and limited rights.

Imigracijsko zadržavanje

Immigration detention for the purposes of removal is provided for in law but is not enforced due to the absence of a dedicated immigration detention facility.
Asylum seekers may be held at designated facilities at border crossing points for up to 72 hours without a court order in order to facilitate handover to competent authorities.
People without valid travel documents, those denied a visa at a border crossing point, and those denied entry by border authorities may also be held in designated facilities at border crossing points, pending removal.
There is no requirement in law to identify a country of removal prior to detention, nor to consider alternatives to detention.
There is no clear obligation on authorities to release a person when there is no reasonable prospect of removal.

Identifikacija bezdržavljanstva

Statelessness is not considered to be juridically relevant in decisions to detain under national law, and the referral of people held at border crossings to the SDP does not occur in practice.
There is no definition of vulnerability in the law governing immigration detention, and no requirement to make such assessments before a decision to detain.
There is currently no information concerning whether stateless people are detained at border crossing points in practice.

Proceduralne zaštitne mjere

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In practice, immigration detention for the purposes of removal does not occur in Armenia.
According to the law, detention for the purposes of removal must be authorised by a court order and has a maximum period of 90 days. If removal remains unfeasible for people detained at border crossing points, a temporary residence permission of up to one year may be issued by the competent authority.
Decisions to detain must be provided in writing and are subject to appeal. Detainees should also be provided with the reasons for their detention in a language they understand or through the help of an interpreter.
Free legal aid is not provided to appeal detention decisions, but it may be provided for people subject to removal proceedings. However, removal in cases where an individual lacked legal grounds to enter the territory is not classified as expulsion under national law and does not trigger certain procedural guarantees, including the right to free legal aid.
Detainees have the right to be visited by a lawyer and should be informed of this and other rights.
There is no automatic periodic review of the detention decision, but the individual may request such a review.
The process of redocumentation and ascertaining entitlement to nationality for the purpose of removal is implemented in practice without any relevant guidelines.

Mjere zaštite nakon puštanja na slobodu

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Detainees may apply for statelessness status or another residence status from detention.
If return of people detained at border crossing points remains unfeasible after the 90-day period, a temporary residence permission of up to one year may be issued by the competent authority, which enables the person to enjoy the same rights as other lawfully staying foreign nationals.

Sporazumi o vraćanju i ponovnom prihvatu

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The readmission of stateless people is provided for in several of the readmission agreements that Armenia has entered into with other States. There are no reported cases of stateless people being returned to Armenia from another State under a readmission agreement, or vice versa.
Any return decision involving a child should be made in accordance with the child’s best interests, however, in the absence of specific guidance, the right to a nationality will not necessarily be a relevant consideration.

Sprječavanje i smanjenje pojave bezdržavljanstva

Assesses the adequacy of safeguards in nationality laws to prevent and reduce statelessness, including facilitated routes to naturalisation for stateless people, and protections for otherwise stateless children born on the territory or to nationals abroad, foundlings and adopted children. Examines law, policy, and practice on birth registration, including access to late birth registration, and reduction measures taken by States to prevent and reduce in situ statelessness. Analyses provisions on deprivation of nationality and whether there are safeguards related to renunciation and deprivation of nationality to prevent statelessness from occurring.

Armenia offers a facilitated route to naturalisation for recognised stateless adults, who may apply immediately after being granted statelessness status and are exempt from language requirements and fees. However, there are additional requirements to apply, and children are not permitted to naturalise independently. While Armenia’s nationality law includes safeguards to prevent statelessness at birth, it lacks a comprehensive provision to grant nationality to any child born on the territory who would otherwise be stateless, posing risks particularly for children of refugee parents. Foundlings acquire Armenian nationality without limitation, and adoption-related safeguards effectively prevent statelessness. Birth registration is universally accessible, with certificates issued regardless of parents’ migration or residence status. Although parents are expected to register births within one month, there is no statutory deadline, and registration is permitted throughout an individual's life. The process has been simplified through hospital-based registration and an online portal. Nationality is determined only upon application for an Armenian passport, and delays may occur for children whose nationality is unclear or who are stateless. Withdrawal of nationality is limited to cases of fraud and amendments entering into force in January 2026 provide that this must not result in statelessness. Amendments in 2021 introduced critical protections requiring proof of acquisition of another nationality before Armenian nationality can be renounced, addressing a previous gap that had led to statelessness. Armenian law also includes safeguards against derivative loss of nationality.

Naturalizacija

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Recognised stateless adults in Armenia may apply for naturalisation immediately after being granted statelessness status. This is a facilitated route compared to other foreign nationals, who need to prove three years of continuous lawful residence and proficiency in Armenian language. However, only people who hold a birth certificate and have acquired statelessness status through the SDP may access facilitated naturalisation, which can be a barrier.
Stateless people must also demonstrate familiarity with the Constitution, in line with the general requirements. The test is in Armenian, but applicants may use a translator or another support person. As of 1 September 2025, stateless people are exempt from naturalisation fees (approx. 110 EUR).
The law does not explicitly reference ‘good character’ or criminal conviction requirements but allows for rejection of naturalisation requests based on risks to public or state interests, and refusals may be unsubstantiated and rely on undisclosed evidence.
Children are unable to apply for naturalisation in Armenia, but may acquire nationality based on the naturalisation of their parents. Stateless children not born in Armenia whose parents are unable to naturalise would need to wait to reach the age of 18 to submit a naturalisation application. Ethnic Armenian children, regardless of birthplace, may acquire nationality upon establishing residence in Armenia.
Some provisions in Armenian law may disadvantage people with disabilities, such as the mandatory constitutional test, and people who lack legal capacity can only apply for naturalisation if their guardian holds Armenian nationality.

Osoba bez državljanstva rođena na području države

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Armenian law has a safeguard to prevent statelessness for most children born in Armenian territory. The law sets out specific circumstances under which a child born in the territory acquires nationality, including cases where parents are stateless or unable to transmit their nationality. These provisions help prevent statelessness in most situations and are not dependent on the parents’ migration or residence status, but it is not a full safeguard for all otherwise stateless children born on the territory as the focus is not on assessing the nationality or statelessness status of the child.
While the law applies automatically, parents or legal representatives must take reasonable steps to evidence the child’s statelessness. In practice, the burden of proof is shared.
Information about nationality rights and relevant procedures is not routinely shared with parents but may be available upon request.
There is no requirement to fulfil a period of residence by the child or the parents, no age limit for acquiring nationality, and the process is free of charge.
There are no specific provisions to protect the right to a nationality of children born to refugees in Armenia. Such children may be at particular risk of statelessness in cases where their parents cannot approach authorities of the country of origin, due to the lack of a full safeguard to prevent statelessness under the relevant law and their inability to access naturalisation until they turn 18.

Djeca nađena na teritoriju

Foundlings are granted Armenian nationality automatically by law. No age limit is established neither by law, nor in practice.
The law states that nationality of the child may be changed in accordance with the law if a parent or guardian is later found. It is presumed that any such change would not result in statelessness.

Usvajanje

Where a child who is an Armenian national is adopted by foreign parent(s), the child shall not lose Armenian nationality unless a new nationality is acquired. Loss of nationality is not automatic but only if the parents request it.
A foreign child adopted by Armenian nationals, or by an Armenian national and a stateless person, automatically acquires Armenian nationality. The law also includes a specific safeguard to prevent statelessness in cases where one adoptive parent is a foreign national and the other is Armenian.

Ius sanguinis

Children born to nationals abroad acquire Armenian nationality by descent, and there are no discriminatory conditions.

Upis u matičnu knjigu rođenih

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Armenian law guarantees birth registration for all children born on its territory, with no statutory deadline.
Although parents are obliged to register the birth within one month, failing to meet this deadline does not preclude birth registration later, and registration is permitted at any time throughout the individual’s life.
Children aged 16 and above can apply for birth registration independently if their parents or legal representatives fail to do so.
All children receive birth certificates upon registration, regardless the status of their parents or family members. However, there are documentation requirements, such as the parents’ identity documents and civil status certificates, which may hinder registration in practice. When these documents are missing, the facts of birth must be established through a court procedure or by a notary, which can be lengthy and costly, and notaries are reportedly reluctant to act. Free legal aid is not available for such procedures.
The nationality of the child is not determined or recorded on the birth certificate, but the parents’ nationality is recorded. The child’s nationality is assessed later when parents or legal representatives apply for the child to obtain an Armenian passport. This process may be delayed if inquiries are needed to establish the child’s nationality or statelessness, and there is no time limit to determine the child’s nationality.
There are no mandatory reporting requirements that would deter undocumented parents from registering their children’s births. Data protection laws require the consent of the person to share any personal data, including information about irregular migration status.
The birth registration process has been simplified in recent years, including the removal of deadlines and the granting of competency to hospitals to conduct birth registration. An online portal has also been created which allows for the electronic submission of birth registration requests.

Smanjenje in situ bezdržavljanstva

The Government has taken steps to facilitate birth registration by removing deadlines, allowing hospitals to carry out birth registration, and creating an online portal for the electronic submission of birth registration requests.
While the Government records and shares data on persons recognised as stateless, no information is available on their profiles or the causes of their statelessness, which hinders the development and delivery of specific measures to reduce statelessness amongst the groups most affected by it. There is also no data available on the number of stateless people acquiring or reacquiring Armenian nationality.
A 2015 Government Decree requires state agencies and local authorities to refer all undocumented persons to social services for assistance. However, some authorities may be unaware of this requirement.
Since 2018, Mission Armenia has led several projects aimed at identifying people affected by statelessness, with support from Armenian authorities.
In 2025, the Migration and Citizenship Service introduced mobile services to facilitate outreach to remote areas and more vulnerable groups.
While no other State-led initiatives are known, there is an established cooperation between the competent authority, the Migration and Citizenship Service, and Mission Armenia to address documentation issues affecting stateless and undocumented individuals.

Lišavanje državljanstva

The law provides that an Armenian national cannot be deprived of their nationality, although nationality may be withdrawn in cases where it was acquired through fraud. Amendments entering into force in January 2026 provide that this must not result in statelessness, and that withdrawal can only occur within ten years of being granted Armenian nationality.
Withdrawal of nationality follows a formal process involving notification of the affected individual, review by the Interagency Commission on Citizenship, and final decision by the President of Armenia. All due process safeguards apply, including a right of appeal before the courts, but the person is not entitled to legal aid.
If someone renounces Armenian nationality but does not yet hold another nationality, renunciation is only allowed upon submission of official confirmation from a foreign State that they are eligible to acquire its nationality. Amendments introduced in 2021 added a safeguard requiring that the loss of Armenian nationality only enters into force upon submission of proof that the individual acquired another nationality. This addressed previous gaps that led to statelessness among former Armenian nationals who had renounced their nationality to acquire another.
A person who terminated their Armenian nationality to acquire another nationality but failed to acquire it, may reacquire Armenian nationality.
These recent reforms may have contributed to a reduced number of stateless people over recent years, but there is no data available on the number of stateless people who reacquired Armenian nationality.
Armenian law does not permit deprivation of nationality on national security grounds.
Safeguards exist to prevent derivative loss of nationality for children, and a change in nationality by one spouse does not affect the nationality of the other spouse.

Izvori

Library of resources, legal instruments, publications and training materials on statelessness, specifically relevant to this country. More regional and international materials, as well as resources from other countries, are available on the Resources library. Domestic case law can be consulted in the Statelessness Case Law Database (with summaries available in English).

Please note that we are in the process of adding new resources, so check back soon.

Publications

UNHCR - Questions of Nationality and Statelessness in Armenia (Mar 2013)

European Network on Statelessness - Thematic briefing: Statelessness Determination and Protection in Europe (Oct 2025)

Armenia

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