LumenHow much do you need to invest in a business to get an Armenian residence permit?
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From 1 November 2026, Armenian law lets a business count for residence if you put at least AMD 2 million into a company's charter capital or bought shares worth that much. A sole trader needs AMD 1 million on business accounts, or AMD 1 million turnover in the 60 days before applying.
Key facts
| What | The law says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Company owner | At least AMD 2 million invested in charter capital, or shares or securities bought for AMD 2 million | Law HO-11-N, art. 25 (new art. 29.4.3) |
| Sole trader (individual entrepreneur) | At least AMD 1 million on the entrepreneur’s accounts, or AMD 1 million business turnover in the 60 days before the application | Law HO-11-N, art. 25 (new art. 29.4.3) |
| Who files | Company: the head of its executive body, on the platform. Sole trader: you, after registering on the platform | Law HO-11-N, art. 25 (new art. 29.4.2) |
| When status is lost | Capital withdrawn or below AMD 1 million, shares worth less than AMD 1 million, or no business taxes on record 180 days after the grant | Law HO-11-N, art. 25 (new art. 29.4.5) |
| Permanent status on this ground | Business activity plus at least 3 years of temporary status in the last 5 years | Law HO-11-N, art. 9 (new art. 16.1.c) |
| Start date | 1 November 2026 | Law HO-11-N, art. 30.1 |
The thresholds
Law HO-11-N adds a new article 29.4 to the Law “On Foreigners”, in force from 1 November 2026. It says running a business can be a ground for temporary or permanent residence in two cases.
A company. You are a participant or shareholder of a commercial organisation in Armenia, or own its securities. You must have put at least AMD 2 million into its charter capital, or bought shares or securities worth AMD 2 million.
A sole trader. You are registered as an individual entrepreneur and either hold at least AMD 1 million (counted in dram, across currencies) on your entrepreneur accounts, or had AMD 1 million turnover from the business in the 60 days before you apply.
The detailed procedure is set by the government, the law says.
How you keep it
The law ends business-based status in three cases. One: the capital is withdrawn from the company. Two: the capital, or the value of the shares or securities, drops below AMD 1 million. Three: 180 days after you get the status, the State Revenue Committee database shows no taxes calculated from the business. Withdrawing capital doesn’t end the status if you already have an equal investment in another Armenian company, or reinvest it in one within a month.
To get a new status on the same ground, you apply. The service checks through the platform that the business is still running; if that data isn’t there, you provide documents.
Permanent residence through a business
The new article 16 grants permanent status to someone running a business in Armenia who also held temporary residence status for at least three years in the five years before applying.
Before 1 November 2026
The Migration and Citizenship Service’s current guidance names entrepreneurial activity as a reason for temporary residence and asks for documents substantiating the ground; it doesn’t state an amount. Applications filed before 1 November 2026 are decided under the old rules (Law HO-11-N, art. 30.4).
Sources
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