Armenian nationality law is regulated by the
Constitution of Armenia, as amended; the Citizenship Law of
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...
and its revisions; and various international agreements to which the country is a signatory. These laws determine who is, or is eligible to be, an Armenian national. The legal means to acquire
nationality
Nationality is a legal identification of a person in international law, establishing the person as a subject, a ''national'', of a sovereign state. It affords the state jurisdiction over the person and affords the person the protection of the ...
, formal legal membership in a nation, differ from the domestic relationship of rights and obligations between a national and the nation, known as
citizenship
Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection".
Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
. Nationality describes the relationship of an individual to the state under international law, whereas citizenship is the domestic relationship of an individual within the nation. Some countries use the terms nationality and citizenship as synonyms, despite their legal distinction and the fact that they are regulated by different governmental administrative bodies. In Armenia, colloquially the term for citizenship, "քաղաքացիություն", refers to both belonging and rights within the nation and the term for nationality, "ազգություն", refers to ethnic identity. Armenian nationality is typically obtained under the principal of
jus sanguinis, i.e. by birth to parents with Armenian nationality. It can be granted to persons with an affiliation to the country, or to a permanent resident who has lived in the country for a given period of time through
naturalization.
Acquiring Armenian nationality
Nationality in Armemia is typically acquired by birth to an Armenian or later in life through naturalization.
By birth
Those who can acquire nationality by birth include:
* Children born anywhere when both parents are Armenian nationals;
* Children born to one parent who is Armenian, if the other parent is
stateless or unknown;
* Children born to one parent who is Armenian, but whose other parent has a different nationality, by mutual written agreement of the parents;
* Children born in the territory of Armenia who would otherwise be stateless; or
*
Foundlings
Child abandonment is the practice of relinquishing interests and claims over one's offspring in an illegal way, with the intent of never resuming or reasserting guardianship. The phrase is typically used to describe the physical abandonment of a ...
or
orphan
An orphan (from the el, ορφανός, orphanós) is a child whose parents have died.
In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents due to death is called an orphan. When referring to animals, only the mother's condition is usuall ...
s discovered in Armenia whose parents are unknown.
By naturalization
Naturalization in Armenia may be granted to persons who are of the
age of majority
The age of majority is the threshold of legal adulthood as recognized or declared in law. It is the moment when minors cease to be considered such and assume legal control over their persons, actions, and decisions, thus terminating the contr ...
(18) and have
legal capacity
Legal capacity is a quality denoting either the legal aptitude of a person to have rights and liabilities (in this sense also called transaction capacity), or altogether the personhood itself in regard to an entity other than a natural person ( ...
. Persons who have established a permanent residency for at least three years, not requiring a permanent residence permit. A test regarding the political system of Armenian, given in the Armenian language is required to confirm an understanding of the constitution and communication skill. To pass the examination half of the answers must be correct. Persons who are of Armenian origin or the spouses, children, or parents of Armenian nationals are not required to take the language test or meet residency requirements. Besides foreigners meeting the criteria, those who can naturalize include:
* Minor children upon request when their parents naturalize;
* Adult children of Armenian nationals;
* Adoptees of Armenian nationals upon completion of a legal adoption;
* The spouse of an Armenian national;
* The parent of an Armenian national;
* Persons who previously renounced Armenian nationality and who request repatriation; or
* Persons who have provided exemplary distinguished service to the nation may naturalize without meeting provisions.
Loss of nationality
Armenian nationals can