New Opportunities to Get an Armenian Passport Without Learning the Language
Armenian citizenship doesn’t lead to the best second passport in the world. It offers visa free access to only 66 countries. It’s ranked 78th best passport in the world. However, they are keen to attract investors to the country. The passport will likely improve over time. Armenia is introducing several new ways to become a citizen in 2023.
New methods of getting Armenian citizenship:
Donate $150,000 to a Scientific or Educational Foundation
Make an Investment of $100,000 in an IT company of venture fund
Invest $150,000 in any company and hold the investment for 10 years
Purchase $150,000 of Armenian government bonds and hold them for 7 years
Purchase $150,000 of Real Estate and hold it for 10 years
Have More than 20 Years of Experience Working for a Publicly Traded IT Company
Have 10 Years of Experience in Science and Have Authored More Than 5 Scientific Articles
Being Involved in the Preservation of Armenian Culture
Have a Scientific Title Such as Professor in the Field of Healthcare
The draft law, outlining the new methods of obtaining an Armenian passport can be found here.
No Language Requirement for New Categories of Armenian Citizenship
There is no Language requirement with the methods above. There is also no mention of any residency requirement in Armenia. It may therefore be possible to establish a company, buy a property or be an investor in the country and obtain citizenship without spending substantial time in Armenia.
It’s already possible to get residency in Armenia and then apply for citizenship after 3 years. This is, however, subject to passing an Armenian language test. There’s no minimum amount of time that you must stay in Armenia after you become a resident. In theory, at least, you could get a legal residency and then return 3 years later and apply for citizenship. Many citizenship applications, based solely on residency, are turned down. The new criteria offer a more certain path to citizenship.
The new criteria being introduced next year would seem to give more certainty to anyone who wants Armenian citizenship. It may well be an interesting scenario for someone who wants to establish a business and employ people in Armenia. As part of the deal for setting up there you can secure a citizenship.
Armenia are also making a separate provision for large IT companies setting up branch offices in Armenia. If an IT company sets up a branch office in Armenia and has at least 500 employees there the branch manager will be granted Armenian citizenship.
It’s also possible to get Armenian citizenship by descent. If you have Armenian ancestors you’re likely entitled to Armenian citizenship. In this category there’s no language requirement. Therefore if you have Armenian ancestry this will be the best category to apply under. Armenian citizenship by marriage is also a fast way to obtain an Armenian passport.
Conclusion
While Armenian citizenship may not be for everyone, it does have something to offer. If you already have an EU passport or indeed any first world passport you’ll already have visa free access to the EU, the US and New Zealand/Australia. This is what the Armenian passport lacks. However if your main passport is an EU or US/Canadian passport it will not have visa free access to Russia and China.
The Armenian citizenship will fill this gap. An Armenian passport has visa free access to both Russia and China. Anyone who wants to travel frequently to those countries will benefit from an Armenian citizenship. Armenia is a developing country and has many potential investment opportunities. It’s also not part of CRS so, at least for the moment, you can still bank in privacy in Armenia.
In summary, Armenian citizenship is worth considering as a complementary citizenship. It could be a useful addition to your passport portfolio.
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What requirements do I have to meet to qualify for Armenian citizenship?
Thee are many methods. These include ancestry and marriage. The new categories outlined in this article mean that almost anyone can become Armenian.
How fast can I acquire citizenship of Armenia?
It may be possible within a few months with one of the new investment categories. If you have Armenian ancestors you will qualify instantly but there’ll still be a wait to process the paperwork.
