Russians do not need a visa to Armenia. To visit the Republic, you only need to have an internal passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation. This state was formerly part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. After the collapse of the USSR, the Republic of Armenia made every effort to remain on good terms with Russia.
Detailed map of Armenia with roads and cities marked
This is confirmed by the visa-free regime.
After the coronavirus, Armenia opened its borders to Russians in 2021.
Rules for entry into Armenia without a passport and visa for Russians in 2021
If you plan to visit Armenia in 2021 for the purpose of tourism, then you do not need a visa. An agreement was concluded between Russia and Armenia back in 2000 regulating a visa-free regime.
You can fly into the country without a passport only to the airports of Yerevan and Gyumri. You cannot enter Armenia by car or train using an internal Russian passport.
A foreign passport is required for children under 14 years of age who have not yet received a regular Russian civil passport.
Russians can enter the Republic of Armenia without registration for 30 days. If you register with local authorities, you are allowed to stay in the country without a visa for 180 days.
The rules for entry into Armenia for Russians in 2021 have not changed due to the coronavirus.
For whom is visa-free entry
Russian citizens can only present a Russian passport for visa-free entry
Official Yerevan has concluded agreements with a number of countries on visa-free border crossings. A list of such states is available on the website of the country's embassy. This list also includes several republics of the former Soviet Union, including the Russian Federation, Belarus and Ukraine.
A visa to Armenia is not required for foreigners who do not plan to work.
Russians can present a general passport for visa-free entry. But this rule only applies when entering the country by air. When planning a trip by land transport, you should take care of obtaining a foreign passport. This is due to the lack of a common border between the Russian Federation and Armenia. You can enter the state through Georgia or Iran, but this cannot be done without a foreign passport.
Despite the fact that you can stay in the country for up to 180 days without a visa, after 30 days of stay in the country you must register with the migration authorities.
Types of visas for long-term stays
To work in Armenia you need to apply for a work visa. If the expected period of stay in the country exceeds six months, then residents of the Russian Federation must contact the diplomatic mission with a request to issue an entry permit. There are several types of visas that can be obtained to enter Armenia. Basic:
- Guest room.
Sample of a guest visa to visit Armenia
- Official.
- Diplomatic.
- Transit.
- Working.
A guest visa can be multiple or single entry. It is issued for one year. It can be issued by Russians who wish to visit Armenia for tourism purposes, for business negotiations, visiting relatives or treatment in medical centers.
An official visa to Armenia is intended for employees of diplomatic and consular missions. It can be issued for a period of one to three years.
The diplomatic visa is for diplomats. It is valid for three months. A transit visa allows you to stay in the Republic of Armenia for no more than three days. To obtain an official or diplomatic visa, you must first contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia
To obtain a visitor or transit visa, the following documents are required:
- Statement.
- Internal passport (copy and original).
- Invitation.
- Receipt of payment of the visa fee.
The visa is issued within three days.
Any visa can be extended already in Armenia. You must apply for an extension strictly on time. If the document is expired, there may be problems with renewal. You will need to pay a fine of 500 drams for each day of delay.
Applying for a visa to Armenia
If you need a visa to Armenia, you can get a 1-year guest visa for single or multiple entries into the country. It is possible to obtain an electronic visa on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.
Contacts
To obtain a visa, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia by phone or email.
- Phone: +37460 620-516
Contacts of official representatives
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
- Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the Russian Federation
- Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Armenia
Crossing the Armenian border
To visit the country in 2021 for tourism purposes, you do not need a visa. But this does not mean that entering Armenia is so easy.
Checkpoint on the Armenian border
Russians will need a package of documents, which will need to be provided at customs control points:
- Passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation.
- Customs declaration for the import of foreign currency.
Customs declaration is optional. It is necessary if a Russian brings currency to Armenia. If a foreigner crosses the border with children, he must provide the child’s valid foreign passport.
After presenting the documents, you need to answer several questions to the service employees. The main ones are: the purpose of the trip and the estimated time of stay in the country.
Traveling with children
On September 25, 2000, the agreement on a visa-free regime between the Republic of Armenia and the Russian Federation came into force. According to it, Russian and Armenian residents can cross the borders of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia without a pre-issued visa. Residents of the Russian Federation can enter Armenia using valid foreign passports or internal passports of Russian citizens.
The rule also applies to children. Children under 14 years of age can only cross the border with their own passport. A child can travel to the Republic of Armenia with a Russian passport only if he is over 14 years old.
You cannot cross the border with a birth certificate. It is possible to take a child out of the Russian Federation using a birth certificate. But when leaving Armenia back to Russia, Armenian border guards will require the child’s international passport. Such measures are taken by Armenian customs officers to verify the identity of the minor and his family ties with the persons accompanying him.
In the absence of a child’s foreign passport, parents at the border control will need to prove that they are transporting their own child, and not someone else’s, using their own documents. This situation is dangerous because the child will simply not be released from Armenia until family ties with the persons accompanying him are proven.
A child can cross the border using his parent’s foreign passport, if he is included in it. If the child is over 6 years old, his or her photo must be included in the passport of the accompanying parent.
If a minor leaves the Russian Federation not with his parents, but with a third party, consent to export will be required. The permit is issued by a notary. It indicates the country where the child is sent and the period of his stay there. The permit is presented only at the Russian border. Usually this document is not required at the Armenian border. The permission can be signed by one or both parents.
If a child is sent to Armenia with only one of the parents, consent for export is not required. This rule is spelled out in Article 20 of the Federal Law of August 15, 1996 “On the procedure for leaving the Russian Federation and entering the Russian Federation” https://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LAW_11376/.
In addition to the international passport, parents need to take the child’s birth certificate with a mark on Russian citizenship. This document may not be required at the border, but it’s better to be safe. If the parents are not officially married or have different surnames, they will be asked to present a birth certificate at the Russian and Armenian border.
Documents for crossing the border of Armenia
Russians only need to have a foreign passport with them.
Foreigners will also have to present a visa, invitation or other document proving their special residence status, unless agreements or laws issued by the Republic provide otherwise.
When crossing the border with children, you will need to provide the following documentation:
- To cross the border, Russians only need to have a foreign passport with them.
Birth certificate.
- Internal citizen ID (child over 14 years old) or child’s international passport (it is allowed, if the child is under 14 years old, to provide an internal ID card of the parent, which indicates the child).
When crossing the border with only one of the parents or a person who is not a guardian, you will need to provide a notarized power of attorney from the representatives (the other parent) authorizing the transportation of the child.
If a foreign citizen arrives in Armenia without a passport or without a visa, or if his request for a visa at the border checkpoint is not satisfied, then he does not have the right to enter the territory of the Republic of Armenia and must be returned to the country of registration or to the state from which he was traveling to Armenia .
The rule does not apply if the purpose of the trip is to obtain political protection or refugee status.
Customs regulations
When entering the country, you need to remember about the import and export customs rules that apply in 2021.
How much money can you import?
When traveling to Armenia in 2021, Russians do not have to worry that they will not be able to import the amount of money they need to stay in the Armenian Republic. There are no restrictions for Russians on the import of foreign currency.
If the amount of foreign currency translated into US dollars exceeds the amount of $10,000, then these funds can only be imported into Armenia by transfer of banking organizations.
The declaration must be carried with you at all times. She confirms that the money is her own. According to the acts of the Customs Code, it is possible not to declare financial assets if their amount is less than two thousand dollars.
But customs officials still recommend filling out a declaration in order to avoid problems when leaving the Republic.
It is prohibited to import and export the national currency of Armenia.
Import of personal belongings
Armenia allows Russians to import personal belongings and products. But their cost should not exceed 500 US dollars. If the total cost of items exceeds $500, then the foreigner will need to pay customs duty.
There are some restrictions on the import of alcohol and tobacco products. You can import without paying duties:
- 500 cigarettes.
- Two liters of alcohol.
Even hunting rifles and cartridges are allowed to be imported. To transport weapons, Russians must present a permit to own a weapon. The document is issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia.
What is prohibited to import
According to the rules of the Customs Code, it is prohibited to import local currency into the Republic of Armenia.
New Armenian dramas
You cannot import drugs, explosives or toxic substances.
Export ban
It is prohibited to export jewelry, antiques and various works of art, and local currency. If you need to export any of this, you must first contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs and obtain permission.
Table: customs rules of Armenia
| Import | |
| Permitted for import | Prohibited for import |
|
|
| Export | |
| Allowed to export | It is prohibited to export |
|
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Traveling by car
You can enter Armenia in different ways: by car, by train or by plane.
Ropeway in the mountains of Armenia
Depending on the vehicle used to cross the border, the entry rules change slightly. If you travel by car and your stay does not exceed 180 days, you do not need to apply for a visa.
When entering Armenia by car, Russians are required to have a foreign passport.
After crossing the border of Armenia, the car owner pays a duty fee for using Armenian roads and takes out an insurance policy for the car. Insurance is issued at the border.
The Republic of Armenia is not among the countries where Green Card insurance and the Russian OSAGO insurance are supported and recognized. Insurance (Armenian “OSAGO”) is issued at the border control point. The cost of the policy depends on the capacity of the vehicle and the validity period of the insurance policy. The minimum validity period is 3 months, the maximum is 1 year.
The cost of insurance depending on the engine size of the car:
- up to 80 l/c – 2,500 Armenian drams (about 5 euros);
- from 81 to 140 l/s – 3,200 Armenian drams (about 6 euros);
- from 141 to 230 l/c – 4,100 Armenian drams (about 8 euros);
- from 231 l/s – 4,600 Armenian drams (about 9 euros).
In addition to insurance and a foreign passport, the car owner is required to provide a technical passport for the vehicle. At the Armenian border checkpoint, a Russian resident is required to pay a customs fee of 2,000 drams. When leaving the Republic of Armenia by car, you also need to pay 2,000 drams. It is worth keeping the receipt for payment of customs duty upon entry. It will be required to be presented to border guards when leaving the country.
Documents for crossing the Armenian border by car:
- international passport;
- driver license;
- documents for the vehicle;
- insurance policy.
If goods that are subject to declaration are being transported, the list of documents includes a customs declaration, which must be kept until leaving Armenia.
You can enter the Republic of Armenia by car only through Georgia or Iran. The land border with the Republic of Azerbaijan and Turkey is closed. You can enter Armenia from Georgia through the following checkpoints:
- Bavra;
- Gogovan;
- Privolnoe;
- Bagratashen.
People enter Armenia from Iran through the Agarak checkpoint.
Entry to Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh is a separate unrecognized Republic that has declared itself an independent state. Officially part of Azerbaijan. To visit this territory in 2021, Russians do not need to apply for a visa. You can enter Nagorno-Karabakh by car. To enter the Republic, first cross the Armenian border.
Do not be surprised if, when visiting Nagorno-Karabakh in 2021, customs officers do not put a stamp in a Russian’s foreign passport. This is done so that a resident of the Russian Federation does not have problems visiting Azerbaijan in the future.
Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh are at enmity. This is due to the fact that the Azerbaijani government believes that the territories of Karabakh were unfairly appropriated by the Armenians. If, when crossing the Azerbaijani border, customs control officers notice a stamp allowing you to visit Nagorno-Karabakh, then entry into Azerbaijan may be denied.
To visit Nagorno-Karabakh in 2021, foreigners must register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is a mandatory rule for all foreigners.
Sample visa to visit Nagorno-Karabakh
This is necessary in order to determine the expected length of stay, because an entry stamp is not placed at the border. The Customs Service of the Republic will be able to control the rules of the visa regime. If a Russian has not registered with the Ministry, then he is subject to mandatory deportation. At the same time, all video and photographic materials made in the Republic will be confiscated from him.
Subtleties of visiting Nagorno-Karabakh
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was recognized only by Armenia, through which citizens of the Russian Federation can get here. Entry from Azerbaijan is closed and prohibited.
Among the basic rules for Russians visiting Nagorno-Karabakh, it is worth noting:
- There is no need to open a visa.
- You can enter the unrecognized republic only with a foreign passport.
- It is necessary to register at the consulate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nagorno-Karabakh. There, Russian citizens report the duration of their stay in the country, routes, and residential address. If you ignore registration, you will have to pay a fine; the last resort is deportation. In addition, all photographic and video materials taken will be confiscated from you.
- Russians do not pay entry fees.
Border guards try not to put border crossing stamps on Russian tourists’ passports. If there is such a mark in the passport, then Russians who want to enter Azerbaijan will constantly have troubles.
Unseen circumstances
If a Russian has lost his identity document in Armenia, he can leave the country without it. It is enough to present a certificate of entry. It is filled in at the border.
You can now enter Armenia without a passport
If the purpose of the trip is an official visit, the Russian must present a diplomatic passport.
In 2015, Armenia joined the Customs Union. This greatly simplified the rules for crossing the border.
From Abkhazia to Chile
The visa-free list from Abkhazia to Jamaica includes many countries that are exotic for us, such as, for example, Vanuatu or Djibouti. But among them are Argentina, Armenia, Brazil, Venezuela, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Georgia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Israel, India, Maldives, Mexico, Seychelles, Serbia, Turkey, Philippines, Montenegro, Chile and other countries.
Russia ranks 48th in the international passport index. “The Russian passport occupied the best position in the index - 39th line - in 2014. While, for example, in 2006 we were in 62nd place,” said the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR). But, despite the fact that the current positions are formally lower than five years ago, the dynamics are better, experts say.
Over the past year, nine countries have been added to the visa-free list for Russia. “More and more countries are mutually facilitating the visa regime with Russia. This indicates the expansion of business ties, which tourism is also joining,” said Yuri Barzykin, vice-president of the Russian Union of Tourism Industry (RST), in a conversation with Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
Just last year, Brunei, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Hainan Island in China became visa-free for travelers from Russia. At the same time, the Dominican Republic and Hainan are in good demand among Russians; the tourist flow there is not as large as to Turkey, but nevertheless they are popular holiday destinations. Macedonia has also once again extended the visa-free regime for Russians. Taiwan has canceled visas until July 31, 2021, Albania from April 1 to October 31.
Visa-free regimes for Russians operate in all parts of the world, simplified entry is possible to almost all countries of Asia and Latin America
Cuba and Jamaica made significant concessions for Russians, increasing the period of visa-free stay from 30 to 90 days. The United Arab Emirates has also canceled visas for Russians.
Visa-free regimes for Russians operate in all parts of the world, notes Maya Lomidze, executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR). Simplified entry is possible to almost all countries of Latin America and Asia. True, not all destinations are tourist destinations, since they are too far from Russia, and the flight is expensive, she adds.
The introduction of a visa-free regime contributes to the growth of tourist traffic, but the most promising destinations are still those with direct flights, the expert clarifies. Citizens of 40 countries can enter Russia without a visa, and many more countries have opened visa-free entry for Russians.
It is interesting that the USA and Great Britain have moved down in the international rankings, experts say. “The closed door policy has led to a significant reduction in the positions of Great Britain and the United States. If in 2015 these countries were leaders, then at the beginning of 2021 they occupy only sixth place in the Passport Index,” notes ATOR.
In the first quarter of 2021, Japan became the leader of the index, whose citizens can visit 190 countries around the world without a visa. A year ago, Germany ranked first with 177 countries. But at the beginning of 2019, Germany shares third place with France. In second place are South Korea and Singapore. The TOP 5 countries with the largest number of visa-free destinations also include Denmark, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Spain and Luxembourg. “Iraq and Afghanistan still remain in last place in the index: citizens of these states have access to only 30 countries with visa-free visits,” said ATOR.
Where can Russians go without a visa in 2021?
- Azerbaijan
- Albania
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Bahamas
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Bahrain
- Belarus
- Benin
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- East Timor
- Vietnam
- Gabon
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Gambia
- Guatemala
- Guinea-Bissau
- Honduras
- Hong Kong (region of China)
- Grenada
- Georgia
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
- Israel
- Indonesia
- Jordan
- Iran
- Cape Verde (islands)
- Comoros
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Kazakhstan
- Cambodia
- Qatar
- Kenya
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Mauritius
- Mauritania
- Madagascar
- Macau (region of China)
- Macedonia
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Marshall Islands
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Mozambique
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Niue
- UAE
- Oman
- Guam Island
- Cook Islands
- Palau
- Palestinian territories
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Rwanda
- Salvador
- Samoa
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Swaziland
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Seychelles
- Senegal
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Serbia
- Syria
- Somalia
- Tajikistan
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Tanzania
- Turks and Caicos
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- Tunisia
- Türkiye
- Uganda
- Uzbekistan
- Ukraine
- Uruguay
- Fiji
- Philippines
- Chile
- Sri Lanka
- Ecuador
- Ethiopia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Jamaica
