Living in Armenia as a French National: Formalities, Cities, Daily Life

Armenia appeals through a human-scale capital, mountain landscapes, a dense historical heritage and a Francophile community: France Diplomatie estimates the number of French citizens of Armenian origin at 400,000 to 600,000, and the Institut français d’Arménie, created in January 2022, runs cultural life. The Franco-Armenian University (UFAR) has more than 2,000 students and is a pillar of the bilateral relationship. The official language is Armenian, and the currency is the dram.

The downsides should be prepared for before departure. Road accidents are a major cause of death: roads are often winding and in poor condition, with pedestrians and animals on the carriageway. The bus network is ageing, and the rail link with Tbilisi takes about twelve hours for 350 km. The borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan are closed; only those with Georgia and Iran are open. Healthcare costs are high without insurance, as France Diplomatie recalls, and the country is exposed to earthquakes. A long stay should be prepared carefully, in liaison with the embassy’s consular service (8 Grigor Lusavorich street, Yerevan).

France Diplomatie cites three main cities: Yerevan (the capital), Gyumri and Vanadzor. Yerevan is home to the embassy, the French lycée, the Institut français d’Arménie and the UFAR; Several hundred French nationals are registered on the consular register. The provinces offer a more rural setting, but the Safety page places the Syunik province, in the south, in the zone advised against except for compelling reasons, and the border areas with Azerbaijan in the formally advised-against zone.

In the mountains, France Diplomatie stresses that trails are generally unmarked: you should use an approved local guide, tell your host the route and the planned return, know the rescue contacts and check avalanche and rockfall risks. The wildlife includes venomous snakes, bears and wolves.

The currency is the Armenian dram. The France Diplomatie pages give no level of rents or current prices, and the national statistical sources consulted do not allow a reliable figure to be repeated here: comparison is made from local quotes, from the Economic Service in Tbilisi, which covers Armenia, and from the France-Armenia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (10/7 Azatutyan avenue, Yerevan). Customs are strict on entry: jewellery (including wedding rings), currency and goods may be regulated or taxed, a form must be completed on arrival and kept until departure, and any export of a cultural object, even of low value, requires prior authorisation.

For a settling plan, a written lease, a sworn translation into Armenian and verification of the property’s ownership secure the commitment. International health insurance is among the first budget items: see expat health insurance.

To enter, the passport must be valid for the planned length of the stay; a passport expiring before departure can result in a fine. The Business travel page specifies that French nationals are exempt from a visa for stays of under 6 months in any 12-month period, that no specific visa exists for a business trip and that the passport must remain valid for at least three months after the planned return date. Stays of more than six months require proof of employment in Armenia, submitted to the foreign passports department of the Ministry of the Interior; offenders face heavy fines and an entry ban.

The Migration and Citizenship Service, which comes under the Ministry of the Interior, receives visitors by appointment at 14 Tairov street in Yerevan. The temporary residence card is issued for one year at most, with the possibility of extension; the permanent residence card is valid for five years and renewable; the special passport (special residence) is valid for ten years. Since 1 January 2022, employers file the employment-related application online. The Service’s residence status application page lists the admitted grounds: Armenian ancestry, business activity, a close family link with an Armenian national or with a foreigner holding a special, permanent or temporary status, and, for temporary status only, studies (certificate of enrolment in an educational programme). The temporary status file includes the application and its questionnaire, three colour photos of 35 x 45 mm, the passport with a copy and notarised translation into Armenian, a health certificate, proof of regular stay in Armenia and the receipt for the State fee (not required for under-18s). The State fee must be paid before booking the visit; each person, children included, books their own slot, and the same email address cannot be used for more than four bookings in 30 days. French nationals of Armenian origin can prove their ancestry by a validated baptism certificate, an apostilled foreign certificate or the identity documents of a parent, grandparent or sibling, with six photos. See also working in Armenia and retiring in Armenia.

The French driving licence is enough to drive in Armenia. In winter, from November to March, you should drive with snow tyres and check the weather. After an accident, an agreed report must be drawn up in the presence of the police, who can be reached on 102. There is zero tolerance for drink-driving. Photography and filming are prohibited in border areas, and drones require authorisation from the local authorities throughout the territory.

The Anatole-France French lycée in Yerevan has about 450 pupils, after a sharp rise in numbers (France Diplomatie, Bilateral relations page). Enrolment conditions and fees are requested directly from the school; an early application makes the start of the school year easier. The Franco-Armenian University offers courses from bachelor’s level to doctorate, and the Institut français d’Arménie offers cultural and language activities.

For families, children’s health cover should be organised as soon as they settle: see expat family insurance.

France Diplomatie uses a three-level map: zones formally advised against (red) at the border with Azerbaijan, a zone advised against except for compelling reasons (orange) in the Syunik province, and heightened vigilance (yellow) in the rest of the country. The section of the M16 road between Ijevan and Noyemberyan towards Georgia is occasionally the target of gunfire: the page recommends alternative routes, air travel or the train. Travel to Azerbaijan from Armenia, including to Nagorno-Karabakh, is not possible, and France Diplomatie advises against all travel to Iran, because of a high risk of arbitrary arrest of French nationals. The terrorist risk is judged low by the Armenian authorities, but an attack cannot be ruled out.

The page advises keeping papers and valuables in a safe place and travelling by day as far as possible. It reports a rise in sexual assaults targeting foreign women in Yerevan and in the regions, and calls for vigilance, in particular for women travelling alone and LGBT+ people, especially in nightlife areas. The police number is 102. Registering with Fil d’Ariane makes it possible to receive alerts. The page invites readers to study the earthquake instructions and to follow the alerts of the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre.

France Diplomatie recommends bringing the usual vaccines up to date (diphtheria, tetanus, polio, whooping cough, measles) and, depending on the conditions, those against hepatitis A, typhoid, rabies, tick-borne encephalitis, hepatitis B and mpox. The risks cited are West Nile fever, cholera, tick-borne encephalitis, typhoid, avian influenza (exceptional human cases) and rabies. An assistance or insurance contract covering all medical costs, hospitalisation, surgery and repatriation is judged essential: the embassy cannot cover these costs. See the Armenian healthcare system and healthcare reimbursement in Armenia.