ARMENPRESS: Armenia grants over 10,500 residence statuses to foreigners in first half of 2026

Armenia received 293 readmission requests concerning 462 people in the first half of 2026. The majority of the requests were submitted by Germany and France, with 166 and 73 requests, respectively, according to figures released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Citizenship was confirmed in 402 cases and was not confirmed in 23 cases. Based on the number of people whose citizenship was confirmed and not confirmed, the overall positive response rate for readmission requests was 94.6%.

The ministry said that 358 people from 32 countries applied for asylum in Armenia in the first half of 2026. The majority of asylum seekers, 73%, were men.

Citizens of Iran, Ukraine, Russia and Afghanistan accounted for the largest numbers of applications. Iranian citizens accounted for around 28% of the total.

During the same period, 94 people were granted refugee status, while 190 applications for refugee status were rejected.

“It is important to note that the number of people who applied for asylum and the number of decisions made during the given period do not concern the same applications; they may also concern asylum applications submitted earlier,” the Ministry of Internal Affairs said.

A total of 10,561 residence permits were granted to foreigners in Armenia in the first half of 2026, compared with 6,656 during the same period in 2025. The total figure increased by 59%.

A total of 8,181 people received temporary residence status, with citizens of Russia, India and Iran accounting for the largest numbers. Of these, 6,085 received temporary residence status on the basis of employment.

“Citizens of Vietnam, Iran, China and India led in terms of the number of applications for residence status on the basis of employment.

A total of 2,085 people received permanent residence status. Here too, Russian citizens led, with 1,233 people, followed by citizens of Georgia and Iran. A total of 295 people received special residence status. Citizens of Syria, Russia and Iran accounted for the largest numbers in this group,” the statement said.

The ministry noted that the overall picture shows that Russian citizens account for a significant share of foreigners who received residence status, particularly among those granted permanent residence status.

In the first half of 2026, the total number of residence statuses granted increased by 59% compared with the same period of the previous year. A significant part of the increase was due to the rise in the number of temporary residence statuses granted on the basis of employment.