Chapter 1

General Principles

Article 1. The Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia

The order of acquiring or revoking the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia is established by the present law.
A person gives up the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia as a result of revoking the citizenship. In accordance with the existing law, every person has a right of acquiring the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia. People of Armenian nationality acquire the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia easily.
A citizen of the Republic of Armenia may not be a citizen of another country at the same time. A citizen of the Republic of Armenia cannot be deprived of his or her citizenship of the Republic of Armenia or the right of changing it, except the cases foreseen by the present law. The changing of the citizenship is arranged by the present law and the international treaties of the Republic of Armenia.
Renouncing one's citizenship of the Republic of Armenia itself does not cause losing the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.

Article 2. The Legislation about the Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia

The legislation about the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia consists of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, the international treaties of the Republic of Armenia, the present law and other legislative acts of the Republic of Armenia.
If the ratified international treaties of the Republic of Armenia establish norms others than are foreseen by the present law, the norms of the international treaties are put into effect.

Article 3. A Citizen of the Republic of Armenia

According to the present law, citizens of the Republic of Armenia are people who have acquired the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia. Citizens of the Republic of Armenia are equal before the law despite the bases of acquiring the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia, nationality, race, sex, language, belief, political or other views, social origin, property or other status, possess all the rights, freedom and duties established by the Constitution and laws.

Article 4. Documents Notifying the Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia

The documents notifying the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia are the passport of a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, and under the age of 16-the birth certificate or a certificate notifying the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.

Article 5. The Inadmissibility of Handing the Citizen of the Republic of Armenia to Another Country.

It is forbidden to hand a citizen of the Republic of Armenia to another country.

Article 6. Preserving the Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia

Living abroad does not necessarily cause revoking the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia. If a citizen of the Republic of Armenia marries a foreigner, it does not cause revoking his or her citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.
Changing the citizenship of one of the spouses does not cause the change of the citizenship of the other.

Article 7. Protecting Citizens of the Republic of Armenia Abroad

Citizen of the Republic of Armenia abroad are protected and supported by the Republic of Armenia.
The Republic of Armenia, its diplomatic and consular representatives and officials are obliged to protect the rights of the citizens of the Republic of Armenia abroad, as well to resume their violated rights in accordance with the legislation and the international treaties of those countries.

Article 8. Foreign Citizens and People Having No Citizenship

A foreign citizen is considered a person who has no citizenship of the Republic of Armenia and has the citizenship of another country. A person living in the Republic of Armenia, having no citizenship of the Republic of Armenia and no approval of the citizenship of another country is considered to be a person with no citizenship. The Republic of Armenia encourages people living in the Republic of Armenia and having no citizenship to acquire the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia, it does not hinder the acquiring of citizenship of another country.
The legal status of foreign citizens and people having no citizenship of the Republic of Armenia is arranged by the legislation and the international treaties of the Republic of Armenia.

Chapter 2.

Acquiring the Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia

Article 9. The Bases of Acquiring the Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia

The citizenship of the Republic of Armenia is granted by:

1. recognizing the citizenship
2. birth
3. acquiring the citizenship
4. reestablishing the citizenship
5. the collective acquiring of the citizenship
6. the bases foreseen by the present law

Article 10. Recognizing the Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia
As citizens of the Republic of Armenia are recognized:

1. citizens of the former SSRA living permanently in the Republic of Armenia who have not acquired citizenship of another country before the Constitution came into effect or have renounced it in a year-time starting with the day of the present law taking effect.
2. people having no citizenship and living permanently in the Republic of Armenia during the recent 3 years before the present law came into effect or citizens of the former USSR who are not foreign citizens, who within a year after the day of taking the present law effect apply for acquiring the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.
3. citizens of the former SSRA living abroad since September 21, 1991 who have not acquired citizenship of another country, as well citizens of the former SSRA, of Armenian nationality who lived abroad until then and have not acquired citizenship of another country and have been registered in the Consulate before the present law came into effect.

Article 11. The Citizenship of a Child Born to Citizens of the Republic of Armenia.
The child, whose parents are citizens of the Republic of Armenia at the moment of its birth, in spite of the birth-place, acquires the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.
The child, one of the parents of which is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia at the moment of its birth, and the other is unknown or a person having no citizenship, acquires the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.
In the case when one of the parents at the moment of the child's birth is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, and the other is a foreign citizen, the child's citizenship is decided by the parent's written agreement.
In case of the absence of the agreement, the child acquires the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia, if it is born in the Republic of Armenia, or in case of its not acquiring the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia it becomes a person having no citizenship, or if the parents live in the Republic of Armenia permanently.

Article 12. The Citizenship of the Child of People Having No Citizenship

The child born in the Republic of Armenia, whose parents are people with no citizenship, acquires the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.

Article 13. Acquiring the Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia

Every person who has turned 18 and has no citizenship of the Republic of Armenia may apply for acquiring the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia if he or she, according to the existing law, has been living in the Republic of Armenia permanently during the recent 3 years, who is able to communicate in Armenian and is familiar with the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia.
The citizenship of the Republic of Armenia is received by the president's decree about granting the citizenship.
Without following the terms of residence set by the first part of the present law the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia receives the person with no citizenship,

1. who has married a citizen of the Republic of Armenia or has a child, father or mother who is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia.
2. whose parents or one of them had the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia in the past or he or she was born in the Republic of Armenia and who in a 3 years' time after having turned 18 applies for receiving the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.
3. who is Armenian by birth and has taken residence in the Republic of Armenia.
An application for acquiring the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia is rejected if the person's activity interferes with the state and social security, the social system, the society's health and traditions, others' rights and freedom, honor and good fame.
Without meeting the requirements of the present article the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia may be granted to people who have rendered the Republic of Armenia some exceptional service.
A person acquiring the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia takes the following oath. "I, /name-surname/ becoming a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, swear to be faithful to the Republic of Armenia, obey the Constitution and the laws of the Republic of Armenia, protect its independence and territorial integrity. I undertake to respect the state language of the Republic of Armenia, the national culture and the customs".
A person acquiring the citizenship reads the text of the oath in Armenian and signs it.

Article 14. Resuming the Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia

A person may resume his or her renounced citizenship of the Republic of Armenia, according to his or her application, if the reasons stated by the fourth part of the article 13 of the present law do not exist and if the person has not been deprived of the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.

Article 15. The Collective Acquiring of Citizenship

The collective acquiring of the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia is realized in case of immigration and in other cases stated by law, according to the decree of the president of the Republic.

Chapter 3

A Child's Citizenship in Case of the Change of the Parents' Citizenship or its Adoption

Article 16. A child's citizenship in Case of the Parents' Acquiring the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.

A child under 14 whose parents have acquired the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia acquires the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.
If the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia is acquired by one of the parents, and the other is a foreign citizen or a person with no citizenship, their child under 14 acquires the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia if the parents' consent is present, or if the child lives in the Republic of Armenia, and the consent of one of the parents who is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia is present.

Article 17. A Child's Citizenship in Case of Renouncing the Parents' Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia

A child under 14, whose parents' citizenship has been renounced, loses the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia, if he or she acquires citizenship of another country.
If one of the parents' citizenship has been renounced, and the other is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, their child under 14 loses its citizenship of the Republic of Armenia, if the parents' consent is present, or if the child lives abroad, and the consent of one of the parents who is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia is present.

Article 18. A child's ctitzenship in Case of its Adoption

A child adopted by citizens of the Republic of Armenia acquires the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.
If one of the adoptive spouses has no citizenship and the other is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, the child acquires the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.
If one of the adoptive spouses is a foreign citizen and the other is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, the child acquires the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia if:

1. the consent of the adoptive spouses is present
2. the child lives in the Republic of Armenia, and the consent of one of the adoptive spouses, who is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, is present
3. the child has no citizenship; or in case of not acquiring the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia it becomes a person with no citizenship.

Article 19. Preserving the Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia in Case of its Adoption
A child who is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, being adopted by foreign citizens or by spouses one of which is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia and the other is a foreign citizen, preserves its citizenship of the Republic of Armenia. In such cases the child may change its citizenship only in accordance with the adoptive parents' application.
A child having no citizenship of the Republic of Armenia who has been adopted by people having no citizenship, or if one of the adoptive spouses has no citizenship and the other is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, preserves its citizenship of the Republic of Armenia.

Article 20. A Child's Citizenship Whose Parents are Unknown

A child who is in the Republic of Armenia and whose parents are unknown is considered a citizen of the Republic of Armenia. In case of finding one of the parents or a quardian the citizenship of the child may be changed according to the present law.

Article 21. Preserving a Child's Citizenship Whose Quardianship and Trusteeship have been Confirmed

A child, considered as a citizen of the Republic of Armenia whose quardianship or trusteeship by citizens of the Republic of Armenia is confirmed, preserves the citizenship of the Republic despite the renouncing of its parents' citizenship of the Republic of Armenia. In such cases the child's citizenship of the Republic of Armenia may be renounced according to the parents' application, if they have not been deprived of a parents' right.

Article 22. The Necessity of Children's Consent While Changig Their Citizenship

In case when the parents have changed their citizenship, a child's /14-18 years old/ citizenship is changed according to the present law if the consent of the children is present.

Chapter 4

Renouncing the Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia

Article 23. The Reasons for Renouncing the Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia

The citizenship of the Republic of Armenia is renounced:

1. in case of changing the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia
2. in case of being deprived of the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia
3. for other reasons foreseen by the present law.

Article 24. Changing the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia
Any citizen of the Republic of Armenia who has turned 18 has a right to change his citizenship, i.e. to give up the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia and acguire the citizenship of another country.
A citizen's application for giving up the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia is rejected if:
1. the person is under criminal investigation
2. there is a court verdict announced and which is going to be enacted, or decision should be made
3. his or her giving up the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia interferes with the interests of the national security of the Republic of Armenia.
4. he or she has unfulfilled duties connected will the interests of the state, enterprises, organizations or citizens.

Article 25. Depriving of the Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia
A person may be deprived of the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia if he/she:

1. has acquired the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia, according to the article 13 of the present law, and having permanently lived abroad, during seven years has not been registered at the consolate without pardonable reasons
2. has acquired the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia with the help of false references and false documents
3. has acquired citizenship of another country by breaking the legislation about the citzenship of the Republic of Armenia.

Chapter 5

The Bodies Dealing with the Problems Connected with the Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia

Article 26. The President of the Republic

The president of the Republic with his/her decree solves the problems connected with the acquiring the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia, the resuming of the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia, the collective acquiring of the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia, the renouncing of the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia, he/she states the principle of considering applications for citizenship.

Article 27. The Committee Dealing with Problems Connected with the Citizenship under the President of the Republic

The committee under the president dealing with problems connected with the citizenship is established by the president of the Republic.
The regulations of the committee of the problems connected with the citizenship is confirmed by the president of the Republic.

Article 28. Government

The Government:

1. ensures the correspondence of the Acts of the government, ministries, other Government offices by the present law
2. sets the principle of stamping documents proving the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia and their handing over to citizens
3. sets the list and samples of the documents necessary for acquiring or renouncing the citizenship
4. passes resolutions for putting the present law into effect
With the help of competent bodies the government:
1. receives applications and other documents on the citizenship, checks their authenticity and substantiatedness
2. sends applications on citizenship, in tercedings, other documents with corresponding conclusions to the president of the Republic
3. advances a suggestion to the president of the Republic of Armenia about renouncing the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia
4. conducts the registration of the citizens of the Republic of Armenia
5. ascertains the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia, according to the present law.

Chapter 6

The Principle of Dealing with the Problems of the Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia

Article 29. The Principle of Making

Applications with Problems Connected with the Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia, Presenting Intercedings and Their Consideration
Applications and interceding on the problems of the citizenship are presented in a written form.
The applications with problems of the citizenship are considered within a month. According to the present law, in case of rejecting the application a person may appeal again in a year after the day of the rejection.

Article 30. Appealing against the illegal activities of officials dealing with the problems of the citizenship

The rejection of an application on the problems of the citizenship, breaking the terms of consideration by the officials, as well as their other illegal activities may be appealed against, according to the law.

The president of the Republic of Armenia
L. Ter-Petrossian
Yerevan, November 16, 1995