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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Changing the citizenship of one of the spouses does not cause
the change of the citizenship of the other.
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.
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.
Article 9. The Bases of Acquiring the Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia
The citizenship of the Republic of Armenia is granted by:
As citizens of the Republic of Armenia are recognized:
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,
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.
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:
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.
Article 23. The Reasons for Renouncing the Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia
The citizenship of the Republic of Armenia is renounced:
A person may be deprived of the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia if he/she:
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:
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