Expat insurance and health insurance in Armenia

Armenia’s healthcare system is run by the Ministry of Health, with a public health budget that has long remained very limited — around 1.4% of GDP according to figures cited by the ministry itself, roughly four times lower than in comparable countries. This public underfunding explains the very high share of household direct payments in total health spending: 80.47% of current health expenditure in 2023 according to the World Bank, one of the highest levels in Europe and Central Asia. According to the Ministry of Health, a significant share of the population — including nearly a quarter of people living in poverty and over 12% of the middle class — regularly forgoes seeing a doctor for financial reasons.

A mandatory universal health insurance reform was adopted by the Armenian Parliament and came into force on 1 January 2026. Its first phase covers, at the state’s expense, minors, people over 65 and people with disabilities, as well as mandatory, contribution-based affiliation for employees whose monthly income exceeds 200,000 AMD and entrepreneurs whose annual turnover exceeds a threshold set by law. The basic package covers consultations, outpatient and inpatient care, essential medicines and certain mental health services, but notably excludes specialised dental care (implants, dentures) and cosmetic procedures. Extension to the whole population is announced for coming years, without a single, firm date being communicated consistently across sources; the affiliation rules applicable to a foreign resident employed in Armenia are not detailed publicly at this stage and should be checked with the employer or local authorities.

The private sector, concentrated in Yerevan, has developed in response to the limits of the public system, with facilities at international standards used by expats and part of the wealthier population, at the patient’s expense or covered by their international health insurance.

• No visa required for a stay not exceeding 6 months, on presentation of a passport valid for the planned length of stay; letting the passport’s validity expire during the stay can result in a fine on leaving the country.
• No health insurance legally required on entry (unlike other countries in the region): France Diplomatie nonetheless describes it as essential, as the embassy provides no cover for medical or repatriation costs.
• No European Health Insurance Card: as Armenia is a member of neither the European Union nor the European Economic Area, the EHIC does not apply there, regardless of length of stay.
• Stay of over 6 months: according to France Diplomatie, travellers must then show proof of employment in Armenia to the foreign passport department of the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
• Affiliation with the new universal health insurance: mandatory by contribution for an employee whose monthly income exceeds 200,000 AMD and for certain self-employed people, since 1 January 2026; other categories of the population remain outside the scheme until its phased rollout reaches universal coverage.
• Seconded employee : in the absence of a France-Armenia agreement, staying on the French scheme falls solely under French law (unilateral secondment), for a period of 3 years renewable once, with no exemption from any contributions owed in Armenia.
• Customs declaration: on arrival, a customs form must be completed and kept until departure (jewellery, currency and goods subject to regulation or taxation).

Outside affiliation with universal health insurance and private insurance, care is billed at full rate by the facility, public or private, not disclosed publicly in a consistent way; the risk remains primarily financial, with no support from the French embassy for medical costs.

France and Armenia are not linked by any bilateral social security agreement: CLEISS classes Armenia among the countries appearing neither in the list of states where EU regulations apply, nor in that of states with a bilateral agreement with France. There is therefore no European Health Insurance Card, no A1 or S1 form enforceable with the Armenian authorities, and no direct reimbursement mechanism between the two systems.

• Temporary stay: no European or bilateral coordination applies; only specific travel insurance taken out before departure covers costs on site, with CLEISS recommending claiming reimbursement for unexpected care from your French fund on return, within the limits of French rates.
• Secondment from France: in the absence of an agreement, French law provides for unilateral secondment of 3 years, renewable once. The employee remains affiliated with the French scheme, with contributions paid in France, but with no exemption from any contributions owed in Armenia under the new universal health insurance. Care received on site is reimbursed after the fact by the French fund, within the limits of French rates, on presentation of receipts and form S3125.
• Long-term move: affiliation with Armenian universal health insurance depends on professional status and income level (employees earning above 200,000 AMD/month, certain self-employed people); no transfer of rights from France is provided for, including for retirees.
• Retiree: no coordination mechanism allows rights acquired in France to be exercised; local cover or international health insurance remains necessary, and the precise terms of access to universal health insurance for this category are not communicated consistently at the current stage of its rollout.

1. Before departure: notify French agencies of your departure (CPAM, CAF, France Travail, pension funds).
2. Before departure: take out health/repatriation insurance covering medical expenses and hospitalisation, valid in Armenia — not required for entry, but essential in practice.
3. Seconded employee: arrange unilateral secondment with your employer through your French fund before departure (maximum 3 years, renewable once).
4. For a stay of over 6 months: plan ahead to show proof of employment in Armenia to the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
5. Employee hired locally: check with the employer the terms of affiliation with universal health insurance and the applicable income threshold (200,000 AMD/month).
6. Keep receipts for care and form S3125 for any claim for reimbursement after the fact from the French fund (secondment case).
7. Register with the roll of French nationals living abroad (French embassy in Yerevan).