Who needs a visa to travel to Armenia?

Armenia is by far the easiest country to visit in the Caucasus. By the new e-visa policy it is easy and not too expensive to apply for, pay and get your visa before arriving in Armenia - and at least it works fine in Yerevan airport. From 10 January 2013, British and EU passport holders do not require a tourist visa to visit Armenia and are allowed to stay for up to 90 days. Armenia also has lots of road signs in English, and there are a fair amount of English speaking Armenians in general, and you get the distinct feeling that tourists are welcome. Police don't appear to be too crooked, at least not in Yerevan, and in general the country appears to be both reasonably safe and well-organised.

Most visitors to Armenia need to obtain a visa, though most can get one upon arrival. For more detailed information contact your nearest Armenian embassy or consulate.

As of January 10th 2013 citizens of EU/Schengen countries no longer require a visa for stays of up to 180 days.

Standard 21-day visas can be obtained at the airport in Yerevan upon arrival. Note that Nagorno-Karabakh Republic needs a separate visa issued in the Yerevan 'consulate' of the country (ask your hotel for details).

A slightly more expensive (and slightly more secure) alternative is e-Visa. It is very useful if you are not eligible for visa-free entry as you do not need to lose time obtaining it upon arrival. Applications for e-Visas can be submitted online, verified on line, and in most cases, e-visas will be approved and issued on-line within two business days. With a valid e-visa travelers can arrive in Armenia through the following border crossing checkpoints: Ayrum railway station, Bavra, Bagratashen, Gogavan land borders with the Republic of Georgia, Zvartnots International Airport and Meghri land border with Iran.

As a matter of fact Armenian visa gives you right to stay in Russia for up to 5 days: There is an agreement between these countries to provide transit land to visitors. To be on the safe side, check at the Russian Embassy in your country before booking a ticket.

Visitors from the CIS countries, Georgia and Argentina do not need a visa for up to 90 days.

Citizens of USA must obtain a visa from the embassy in Washington. A 21 day visa costs $60.

Passport holders of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Egypt, Iraq, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan and several others must apply for a visa at the nearest embassy/consulate before arriving and need an invitation. 

For convenience, at the Yerevan airport, there is a change booth and ATM located before customs and immigration. There is also a hefty surcharge of approximately USD $10 for changing traveler's checks, which in general are not widely used in Armenia. You have to pay for Visa in local currency, Dram, therefore change at the change booth or ATM before customs clearance.

For more information: Ministry of foreign affairs of RA