Work permits, visas & immigration when hiring via Employer of Record (EOR) in Armenia
- Gegidze • გეგიძე | Marketing
- Jun 25
- 15 min read
Table of contents:
Introduction
Armenia is open for business, and your next best hire might already be sitting in Yerevan.
But before you get too excited, let’s make one thing clear: hiring in Armenia isn’t as “plug and play” as many think.
Sure, it’s a small country with a big talent pool.
And yes, the visa process looks simple on the surface.
But underneath? You’ve got bureaucratic steps, legal nuances, and a compliance system that won’t forgive shortcuts.
Let’s say you try to bring in a senior developer, fast. They’re ready to start. You skip the work permit, thinking “remote is remote.”
Spoiler: That’s not how it works here.
Armenia requires a work permit and a residence permit for foreign employees, and getting those wrong means tax violations, rejections, and yes, possible deportations.
So, how do smart companies make it work?
They don’t try to figure it out alone.
They use an Employer of Record (EOR), a local legal entity that handles everything: contracts, work permits, government filings, payroll, and immigration compliance.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through:
The real immigration rules (not just what forums say)
The difference between hiring locals and relocating foreign talent
Why “visa-free” doesn’t mean “work-legal”
And how an EOR lets you skip the red tape and stay fully compliant
If you want to hire in Armenia without playing immigration roulette, this is what you need to know. Let’s get into it.
Armenia’s entry and Visa policies
Here’s the good news first: Armenia is one of the most open countries in the region.
Citizens of over 45 countries can enter visa-free and stay up to 180 days per year. No invitation letter. No embassy visits. No waiting period.
Even better, Indian, Chinese, Egyptian, and most GCC passport holders can get e-visas within days. And those with residency in the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, and the Gulf can often skip visas altogether.
Sounds smooth, right?
It is. But don’t confuse visa-free entry with legal employment.
Visa-free doesn’t mean “go ahead and hire”
Most foreign nationals can enter Armenia easily.
But working in Armenia? That’s a whole different category.
Tourist or visa-free status does not grant employment rights. If you’re planning to hire someone to live and work in Armenia, whether they’re relocating or already there, you’ll need to follow Armenia’s formal work authorization process.
The 180-day catch
If someone enters Armenia without a visa, they’re technically a tourist.
They can stay for up to 180 days per calendar year, but they can’t legally work, register for tax purposes, or obtain a personal social security number.
That’s where many international companies get tripped up.
They think: “We’ll onboard now, fix the paperwork later.”
But Armenia doesn’t work that way. The government takes local registrations seriously, and failing to comply can mean retroactive fines, cancelled contracts, and even deportation of your employee.
Want a smarter path? Use an EOR to handle immigration upfront, the right way. They’ll determine if your hire qualifies for a visa, process the right permits, and ensure your team starts working legally from day one.
No blind spots. No legal drama. Just clean onboarding in one of the most talent-rich countries in Eastern Europe.
Types of work visas in Armenia (and why you probably need one)
Armenia might be easygoing about entry, shout out to the 180+ countries with visa-free access, but working here is a different story. Just because your hire can eat dolma in Yerevan doesn’t mean they can legally join your Slack workspace.
Here’s what you need to know about work visa types in Armenia:
Official visa
Got someone on official government business? Great. This visa comes in two flavors:
Single-entry (valid for 1 year)
Multiple-entry (valid for up to 3 years)
Used by public officials, international organizations, and that one guy from your team who keeps saying “synergy” in every meeting.
Diplomatic visa
Reserved for diplomats and consular staff.
Multiple-entry valid for 3 years
Single-entry or multiple-entry valid for 1 year
One-time visa valid for 120 days
Not for freelancers or startup bros, sorry.
Transit visa
Just passing through? This visa lets you enter Armenia for up to 3 days.
Valid for 1 year (single or multiple-entry).
No, your React developer can’t work here full-time on a transit visa.
Visitor visa
This is the one tourists use.
Issued for short-term business, family visits, medical needs, or yes—actual tourism.
Valid up to 1 year
Single or multiple-entry
Not valid for work. Don't even try.
Pro tip:
Diplomatic and official visas = issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Visitor and transit visas = handled by the Police Passport & Visa Department
So, when does someone actually need a work visa in Armenia?
Simple: If they’re going to earn money while physically in Armenia, they need a work permit and a temporary residence permit. Period.
Unless they’re:
A highly skilled international specialist
A foreign investor/executive
Or from a country that has special bilateral labor agreements (rare)
Everyone else? Paperwork time.
How it works (and yes, your EOR handles this)
Armenia doesn’t just let you fly in a foreign hire and call it a day.
There’s a formal labor market test. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MLSA) wants proof that you couldn’t find a local Armenian to do the job.
You’ll need to explain why your candidate is essential. And no, “she’s really good at Notion” doesn’t count.
Once MLSA gives the green light, here’s what your Employer of Record (EOR) submits:
Application form
Valid passport
Diploma or professional qualifications
Two passport photos
Government fee receipt (~AMD 25,000 or ~$65)
Processing time: around 14 business days.
Once approved, your hire then applies for a temporary residence permit (costs AMD 105,000 or ~$275) through the Police Passport and Visa Department.
Fines & penalties (aka “why EORs are worth it”)
Let’s say you skip the work permit.
Here’s what’s coming:
YOU get fined: AMD 100,000–150,000 (~$260–$390)
YOUR EMPLOYEE gets fined for overstaying: AMD 50,000–100,000 (~$130–$260)
You also get to pay for their return flight, their moving costs, and maybe even their mom’s luggage fees if you really screw it up.
Armenian immigration law isn’t vague. It’s clear, strict, and enforceable. And unlike your contractor in LA, the Armenian government actually follows up.
Work permit vs. residence permit in Armenia
If you're hiring a foreign national in Armenia, here's what you need to know:
You don’t just need a permit, you need two.
Let’s break it down:
Work permit = permission to work
Issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MLSA), this document gives a foreigner the legal right to work in Armenia.
It’s job-specific, employer-specific, and mandatory unless your candidate falls into one of Armenia’s exempt categories (more on that later).
Without a valid work permit, your hire can’t be employed, can’t register for taxes, and can’t get paid through legal channels.
Residence permit = permission to stay
Once the work permit is approved, the employee applies for a residence permit through the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
This isn’t optional.
Without it, your employee may be working legally, but still be living in the country illegally.
There are three types:
Temporary (1 year) – most common for EOR hires
Permanent (5 years) – available after several years of residency
Special (10 years) – for those with Armenian heritage
Two permits. Two ministries. One EOR to handle it all.
The work permit usually takes 2 to 4 weeks to process.
The residence permit takes another 30–45 days, and it can only be filed after the work permit is approved.
That’s 6+ weeks of paperwork, back-and-forth with Armenian authorities, and document chasing.
If your company doesn’t have a local entity or legal team in Armenia, this isn’t something you want to DIY.
One wrong form, one missed signature, or one mistimed application, and the whole process resets.
That’s where an EOR comes in.
They act as the legal employer, apply for the work permit, prepare the residence permit file, and handle all communications with the ministries.
Your hire just shows up to the appointment and starts working as soon as they’re approved.
No guesswork. No legal risk. Just clean, compliant onboarding.
(And no, a tourist visa won't cut it.)
Who needs what? Locals vs. foreign hires in Armenia
Hiring in Armenia sounds easy until you realize there are two very different tracks, and messing them up is the fastest way to land in compliance hell.
Let’s start with the golden rule:
Armenian citizens = simple.
Foreign nationals = paperwork.
Hiring locals: plug, play, and pay taxes
Hiring Armenian citizens is as smooth as a glass of Areni red.
Here’s what your EOR handles for locals:
Drafting a Georgian-language contract that meets labor code
Registering the employee with the State Revenue Committee
Issuing a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) (if they don’t already have one)
Setting up social security, health, and pension contributions
Running payroll in AMD (Armenian dram), including all mandatory deductions
No immigration steps, no permit applications, no “what’s their visa status?” questions.
You sign, they start, and the EOR handles the backend. That’s it.
Hiring foreign nationals: Welcome to the paperwork party
Now let’s talk about foreigners.
This is where it gets spicy.
If your dream hire is a Brazilian product designer living in Yerevan, or a German developer flying in next month, you’ll need more than just an offer letter.
Here’s the bare minimum they need before day one:
Work permit – issued by the Ministry of Labor, tied to a specific job and employer.
Temporary residence permit – issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, allowing them to legally reside in Armenia.
These are two separate processes handled by two separate ministries, and both are non-negotiable for full-time employment.
(Unless your candidate has Armenian roots or special exemptions, but even then, double-check.)
Trying to onboard someone without these is like launching an app without QA.
It might work for a day, but when the bugs hit, you're toast.
“But they’re already in Armenia on a tourist visa…”
We hear this a lot.
They’re already in-country. They love it here. They’re ready to start.
Great. But legally? They’re still tourists.
That means:
They can’t work.
They can’t sign a registered employment contract.
You can’t pay them through official payroll.
They can’t get a TIN or contribute to social funds.
If you do it anyway?
You're running a ghost employee, no records, no protections, and full liability on your end. Not exactly what your legal counsel would approve of.
The EOR advantage: we handle all of it
Here’s the difference when you hire through an EOR like Team Up:
We don’t just know the system, we’ve run it dozens of times, across every edge case.
Need a work permit in 3 weeks? We know which documents matter and which ones don’t.
Unsure if your candidate qualifies for an exemption? We’ll confirm before you commit.
Confused about which ministry to deal with? You’ll never have to talk to one.
The EOR becomes the legal employer on paper, but you still get the full-time team member, fully compliant, fully operational.
Locals, foreigners, it doesn’t matter.
You get the same result: no legal gaps, no tax issues, no stress.
Step by step: How EOR manages immigration in Armenia
Hiring a foreign national in Armenia isn’t impossible, but it’s definitely not “plug-and-play.” Between the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the tax authorities, and the fact that every form comes in Armenian, this isn’t something you casually DIY on a Friday afternoon.
That’s why companies use an Employer of Record (EOR), they take the legal hit, run the paperwork gauntlet, and hand you back a fully compliant, work-ready hire.
So what exactly does an EOR do?
Pre-onboarding legal check (before contracts or offers)
Before you even send a job offer, your EOR will:
Verify the candidate’s current visa or residency status
Determine if they qualify for any work permit exemptions (e.g., EEU citizens, repatriated Armenians, special family visas)
Assess the risk of hiring based on past stay length, border entries, and document gaps
Flag red flags early: expired tourist entries, overstays, unsupported residency claims, etc.
Why it matters:
One wrong assumption here can mean a rejected permit application, wasted fees, or retroactive penalties.
Drafting a compliant contract (foundation of everything)
The employment contract isn’t just a formality, it’s the legal basis for both the work permit and residence permit.
Your EOR will:
Draft a bilingual Armenian + English contract (Armenian version is legally binding)
Include mandatory clauses: salary in AMD, working hours, leave, severance, job duties
Align contract terms with Armenia’s labor code and immigration office expectations
Register the contract with the State Revenue Committee to generate a tax ID and declare employment
No contract, no permits. No registration, no payroll.
Work permit application (first government touchpoint)
With the signed contract, the EOR applies for a work permit through the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MLSA).
They’ll submit:
Employment contract
Passport copy + notarized translations
Employee CV
Confirmation letter from EOR as the legal employer
Proof of payment for the state fee (~25,000 AMD)
Timeline: 10–20 business days (can stretch longer during holidays or if clarifications are requested).
Note: Armenia only allows work permits through legal employers with local registration—your company can’t apply directly if you don’t have an entity.
Residence permit application (after work permit approval)
Once the work permit is approved, the next step is the residence permit, issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The EOR will:
File the residence application on behalf of the employee
Provide a housing address for the application
Submit a translated/notarized passport, proof of employment, work permit, and photos
Schedule an in-person biometric appointment at the migration office
Timeline: 30–45 days from submission
Cost: ~105,000 AMD for 1 year (employee pays, or company can reimburse)
Important: The employee cannot begin legal employment until both permits are active.
Tax and social fund registration
While the residence permit is in motion, the EOR preps the backend:
Registers the employee with the State Tax Committee
Applies for a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)
Enrolls them in Armenia’s social contribution system, which covers:
Pension
Health insurance
Unemployment and disability coverage
The EOR also sets up payroll processing with the correct income tax (22%) and social payments (7.5–10.5%, depending on income level).
Every payslip, tax submission, and benefit payout is reported monthly, in Armenian, through official channels.
Employment start date (green light)
Once all of the above is confirmed:
Employee starts work legally
Payroll kicks off
Immigration documents are archived
Your internal HR/finance team gets a compliance file to store
From this point forward, your hire is fully legal, locally protected, and contractually locked in.
Ongoing compliance & renewals
The EOR monitors the expiry of:
Residence permits
Work permits
Tax IDs (if changes occur)
Insurance coverage
They also handle:
Mid-contract amendments
Change of job duties or location
Offboarding and deregistration at contract end
And if there’s ever a government audit?
They speak to the inspector, not you.
Common risks when outsourcing immigration in Armenia
Let’s be honest: the biggest risks in Armenian immigration don’t come from the government.
They come from people who say, “Yeah, yeah, I’ve got a guy who can handle that.”
Because when you outsource immigration to someone who doesn’t really know the legal landscape, or worse, someone who’s trying to cut corners, you’re not buying speed. You’re buying problems.
Here’s where companies get burned (and how an EOR keeps you out of that fire):
Tourist visa tricks
Hiring someone who’s already in Armenia on a tourist visa? Sounds tempting. No paperwork, no delays, right?
Wrong.
Tourist entry means sightseeing and khorovats, not paid work.
If your foreign hire starts working without a legal employment + residence permit, you’re looking at:
Illegal employment claims
Back taxes and penalties
A nice formal letter from the Ministry of Labor
And possibly a deportation order with your company name on it
This is the “shortcut” that gets companies audited.
Bad contracts = no protection
You found a great candidate. You want to move fast. So your friend-of-a-friend accountant drafts a quick offer letter in English.
Here’s what’s missing:
Armenian-language version (legally required)
Mandatory labor clauses (severance, leave, working hours)
Registration with the State Revenue Committee
Without that?
The contract is basically a napkin doodle.
If anything goes wrong, disputes, termination, or audits, you have no legal ground to stand on. And your work permit application? Automatically rejected.
“Advisors” who don’t know the law
There’s always someone who claims to “know how to get it done faster.”
What they don’t tell you:
Those fake addresses get flagged
Applying with mismatched info triggers rejections
That ministries actually do cross-check submissions now
Hiring based on half-truths or old info won’t save you time.
It’ll cost you weeks and a whole lot of credibility.
No one’s tracking the deadlines
Residence permits expire.
Work permits have a 1-year cap.
Documents need to be renewed before they expire, or your hire is suddenly… illegal again.
Most generic payroll firms or immigration “helpers” don’t manage timelines.
They don’t chase paperwork.
They definitely don’t show up when your team member is stuck outside the country at passport control.
That’s the EOR’s job. Not yours.
You're still legally responsible
If a contractor in Yerevan files a complaint?
If the tax office notices unreported employment income?
If your team member’s permit is rejected because the contract wasn’t real?
You don’t get to blame the third-party you hired.
The liability comes back to you—your company, your brand, your balance sheet.
The safe play? Work with someone who’s on the hook
A good Employer of Record provider in Armenia doesn’t just “help” with immigration.
They take full legal responsibility:
The work permit is under their name
The contract is under their entity
The taxes are filed by them, with their seal
If anything breaks, they’re the ones the government calls
That’s why smart companies don’t gamble with Armenian compliance.
They use an EOR who’s been through this process 100 times, so they don’t have to go through it even once.
DIY vs. EOR: Scale, speed & risk comparison
Remote hiring in Armenia? You’ve got two roads in front of you:
Go DIY and build everything from scratch, legal entity, contracts, payroll, permits, and local compliance.
Or go the EOR route, and have it all handled for you under a local legal employer.
So, which is faster? Safer? Smarter?
Let’s break it down.
Speed to hire
DIY:
Setting up a legal entity in Armenia? Expect 2–4 weeks minimum.
Then comes tax registration, social fund registration, HR policies, contract localization…
Work and residence permits for foreign hires take another 4–6 weeks after that.
EOR:
You skip all of that.
The EOR already exists as a legal entity.
Your employee can be legally onboarded in under 2 weeks, including immigration filings.
Winner: EOR. It’s not even close.
Scalability
DIY:
Want to scale your team in Armenia? Be ready to manage payroll, HR, compliance, and audits locally.
You’ll need to hire admin staff, tax advisors, lawyers, plus learn to navigate Armenian bureaucracy in real time.
EOR:
You want to add 5 people next month? Cool.
10 more in the month after? Still good.
No additional paperwork, no hiring internal HR.
The EOR scales with you.
Winner: EOR again. Scaling is their whole thing.
Legal & tax compliance
DIY:
You’re responsible for everything:
Drafting compliant contracts in Armenian
Submitting tax reports
Withholding and remitting social contributions
Applying for and renewing permits
Surviving audits
One missed filing = fines or revocation of work status.
EOR:
They handle it all: contracts, payroll, taxes, immigration.
They’re the legal employer, so they hold the liability.
Your team works for you. But on paper, they’re protected through the EOR.
Winner: EOR. Lower risk, no legal guesswork.
Control
DIY:
Full control over processes, systems, and entity operations.
But also full exposure to every mistake and every fine.
EOR:
You control who you hire, what they do, and how they work.
The EOR controls contracts, payroll, compliance.
Winner: Tie. Depends on whether you like building infrastructure—or getting to work immediately.
Cost
DIY:
Upfront costs: entity registration, lawyers, consultants, office space, banking, tax setup.
Ongoing: legal maintenance, payroll systems, HR, renewals.
EOR:
Monthly fee per employee.
No hidden setup costs.
You pay only for what you use.
Winner: EOR for short-to-mid term.
DIY only makes sense if you're hiring 20+ people full-time in Armenia long-term.
Immigration & compliance final checklist
If you’ve made it this far, congrats, you now know more about Armenian immigration than 90% of hiring managers out there. But knowledge doesn’t protect you from audits. Execution does.
Here’s a final compliance checklist to make sure every foreign hire in Armenia is 100% legal, registered, and risk-free, especially when working through an Employer of Record (EOR) in Armenia. Print it, save it, and share it with your ops lead. It’s your new hiring bible.
Before onboarding
Candidate’s current visa or residency status reviewed
Work permit exemption confirmed (if applicable)
EOR pre-screened all required documents
Employment contract drafted in Armenian + English
The contract includes mandatory clauses under the Armenian Labor Code
Contract signed and registered with the State Revenue Committee
Immigration process
Work permit application filed with the Ministry of Labor
Supporting documents submitted (passport, CV, contract, state fee)
Work permit approved (keep official copy on file)
Residence permit application prepared and submitted
Employee scheduled for biometric/photo appointment
Residence permit issued and delivered
Tax & legal registration
Employee registered with the Armenian tax office
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) issued
Social fund enrollment confirmed
Payroll system configured (salary in AMD, with all local deductions)
Monthly payslip and contributions submitted on time
During employment
Permit expiration dates are tracked and flagged in advance
Contract updates (e.g., salary raise, role change) reported to the authorities
Residence renewals filed 30–45 days before expiry
EOR maintains a local employment file (digitally and physically)
Offboarding
Resignation or termination is officially filed with the tax and labor authorities
Final paycheck issued with all required deductions
Residence and work permits have been formally canceled
Documentation stored for compliance audits
Conclusion
Hiring in Armenia doesn’t have to feel like threading a legal needle. But let’s be honest—it can. Between visa types, work permits, tax registrations, and labor code landmines, most companies either move too slow… or move fast and get it wrong.
That’s where an Employer of Record (EOR) isn’t just useful, it’s essential.
With the right EOR, you can:
Hire top talent in Armenia legally and quickly
Avoid the paperwork purgatory that tanks onboarding timelines
Stay 100% compliant with every ministry, from tax to labor to immigration
And do all of it without setting up a local entity or hiring an in-house legal team
Team Up has already helped global companies like yours scale in Armenia without missteps, fines, or bureaucratic headaches.
Want to move fast, stay compliant, and hire without friction?
Let’s make it easy.
