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Armenia lets nationals of 111 listed countries visit without a visa if they hold a UAE residence permit valid at least six months from the day they enter. You can stay up to 180 days within one year. The rule runs from to . If your passport is not on the list, or your residence is too short, you apply for an Armenian e-visa online.
Two conditions, both must be met
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia runs a temporary visa exemption. It covers nationals of 111 countries who hold a valid residence permit from the USA, an EU or Schengen state, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or Oman.
For a UAE expat that means:
- Your passport is on the list. The list dated includes India, the Philippines, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda, South Africa, Thailand, Viet Nam, Mexico and Canada, among many others.
- Your UAE residence has six months left on the day you enter Armenia. Not on the day you book. Not on the day you leave.
Meet both and you can stay up to 180 days within one year. The exemption window runs from to . After that date, check the ministry page again: a temporary rule can end or be renewed.
Who is left out
The same list does not include Bangladesh, Nigeria, China or Russia, for example. Some passports outside the list are visa-free on their own terms anyway. The ministry keeps separate lists for that, so look up your nationality there before you assume you need a visa.
A Bangladeshi resident of Sharjah, for example, gets nothing from the UAE residence here and needs the e-visa. A Kenyan resident of Dubai with a residence valid for another year qualifies under the exemption.
The card rule many people miss
The ministry is specific about the document. The residence permit must be a physical card or a sticker in the passport. It must show:
- the title of the document,
- your names,
- your nationality,
- your date of birth,
- its validity,
all in Latin script, with Gregorian dates. Look at your Emirates ID before you travel. If any of these items is missing, or only in Arabic, ask the Armenian embassy before you fly. A residence shown only in an app is a risk.
Fees
| Route | Government fee | Stay |
|---|---|---|
| Exemption, listed national with UAE residence | None | Up to 180 days within one year |
| Armenian e-visa | Shown in the e-visa form, not read | Set on the visa |
| Armenian visas in general | Not read | Up to 120 days, extendable by 60 |
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia visa page and the list of countries dated , checked . The e-visa site runs as an app that we could not read, so we cannot quote its fee.
What Dubai agencies charge for Armenia
Dubai agencies publish about AED 97.75 to AED 850 for an Armenia visa (published prices of 6 Dubai agencies, checked ). The spread is wide for a reason. Plain e-visa offers sit at the lower end. Two agencies price a consulate or invitation route near the top. If you qualify for the exemption, you may not need either.
Documents to have ready
For entry under the exemption:
- Passport from a listed country, valid for the trip.
- UAE residence card meeting the card rule above, valid six months past your entry date.
- Return ticket and where you will stay. These are not on the ministry list, but border staff can ask.
For the e-visa:
- Passport scan and a recent photo.
- Travel dates and address in Armenia.
- A card for online payment.
Applying for the e-visa
- Go to evisa.mfa.am, the foreign ministry's e-visa site.
- Choose your nationality and visa length.
- Upload the passport scan and photo.
- Pay online.
- Print the e-visa and carry it with your passport.
Processing time
The exemption needs no processing. You fly. The e-visa processing time is inside the e-visa site, which we could not read. Agency pages quote a few business days. Apply at least two weeks ahead to leave room for a correction.
Why entry or an e-visa goes wrong
- Residence ends five months after entry, not six. This is the most common slip.
- Nationality not on the list, assumed to be covered because a friend got in.
- Residence document without Latin script or Gregorian dates.
- Wrong passport details on the e-visa form.
- Travelling after without checking whether the rule was renewed.
How it works with us
Most listed nationals do not need us for Armenia. Use us when the answer is not obvious: your residence is close to the six-month line, your family holds mixed nationalities, or someone is outside the list. Send each passport copy and residence end date on WhatsApp or through the form on this page. A visa adviser checks the 111-country list and the dates for every traveller. If anyone needs an e-visa, you get one total price before you pay, and the team files and follows it through. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service. The Armenian authorities decide every visa and every entry.
Armenia does not refund a refused e-visa fee. Before you pay, your adviser tells you in writing what part of our total, if any, is returned if the e-visa is refused.
Official sources
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, visa information: temporary exemption for UAE and GCC residence holders, card rule, visa lengths, e-visa link.
- List of 111 countries for the temporary visa exemption: nationalities covered.
- Armenia e-visa: e-visa application and fee (not readable when we checked).
Going on to Tbilisi? The Georgia visa for UAE residents rule is broader and has no nationality list. For Baku, read Azerbaijan visa for UAE residents first. The full set of resident-based waivers is on visa-free countries for UAE residents, and visas from Dubai covers every destination.
