Russians hold lead in Armenia residency data

In the first half of the year, Armenia granted 1,815 temporary residence permits and 1,775 permanent residence permits, placing Russians at the top of the overall residency statistics.

During this period, Russian citizens received the largest number of both permanent and temporary residence statuses — 970 and 474, respectively, Caliber.Az reports, citing Sputnik Armenia.

India ranked second for temporary residence applications, followed by Iran.

For permanent residency, apart from Russians, applicants included citizens of Georgia, Syria, Ukraine and Lebanon.

There has been a sharp rise in Russians obtaining residency. Many of these permits are granted based on “Armenian origin,” with a large share of permanent permits going to people of Armenian descent, which explains why so many Russians, some ethnically Armenian, qualify.

Under local law, applicants for permanent residency generally must prove they have lived in the country for three years, possess housing and financial means, engage in business, or demonstrate Armenian ethnicity.

By Jeyhun Aghazada