Every foreigner coming to Armenia with the intention of permanent residence should promptly obtain a social security number (SSN, social card, etc.). The social card in Armenia is used in various aspects of life, and local authorities often use it to identify individuals. Essentially, it serves as an equivalent to Russia’s SNILS.
Without a social security number, it is impossible to access certain services or perform certain actions, such as:
- Paying taxes;
- Obtaining a certificate of legal residence or a residence permit;
- Booking a doctor’s appointment or getting vaccinated at a state clinic;
- Opening a bank account;
- Buying a car and obtaining a local driver’s license;
- Opening an LLC in Armenia
- Registering a business or becoming an individual entrepreneur;
- Presenting a passport with an entry stamp into Armenia.
Required Documents to Obtain an SSN:
- A copy of the passport page with the entry stamp into Armenia;
- A notarized translation of the main passport page (copy);
- A copy of the main page of the internal Russian passport;
- Proof of registration (provide a copy of one of the following documents):
- Page with registration in the Russian passport;
- Page with registration in the international passport;
- Proof of residence at an address – a residence certificate (in case of electronic registration, it is filled out by the hosting party in free form);
- Birth certificate (copy, required in some cases);
- Copies of parents’ passports (required in some cases).
If entry into Armenia was made using an internal passport at the border, a notarized translation of the internal (not international) passport should be provided. This may increase the processing time by a week, as the authorities need to verify the entry date with border services.
When filling out the SSN application form, you must provide an Armenian address. It is not necessary to be registered there or reside permanently. For example, the address of rented apartments or a hotel can be used.
Where to Apply for an SSN?
After collecting the required documents, you should visit one of the passport offices. It is advised to avoid the Davtashen office, as it has a reputation for being overly strict with newcomers, which may result in application rejection on the first attempt.
For faster processing, it is recommended to visit less crowded offices such as Kanaker-Zeytun or Nubarashen. The full list of offices is available on the official portal.
Important Notice: Since July 2023, appointments are required for some migration offices via the website https://migration.e-gov.am/en/. The website is available in Armenian, Russian, and English. Select the section “Certificate of Service Number Allocation” to book a convenient time slot.
If visiting an office that does not require an appointment, take a ticket upon arrival and wait in the electronic queue (choose the “Passport Actions” menu). Once called, provide the collected documents and fill out the application form. If you do not speak Armenian, the staff will assist you. In most offices, the social number is issued immediately, and no return visit is needed. However, in some cases, you may need to return the next day to collect your social card by approaching the same window where documents were submitted. The processing time may extend if entry was made using an internal Russian passport.
Receiving Your Social Card:
After submitting the documents and receiving the SSN (printed on A4 paper), check if it bears the stamp of the head of the migration department. If not, you must obtain it in a separate office.
Helpful Tips:
To avoid future reapplication, it is recommended to digitize and store copies of your SSN on multiple devices and save the number on your phone for quick and error-free reference when needed.
We recommend obtaining a social security number (SSN) within the first few weeks of your stay in Armenia and properly processing the documents that allow you to legally remain in the country. If you do not obtain a residence permit/registration/visa run within six months of your arrival in Armenia and later apply for an SSN, most authorities will first require you to pay a fine of 50,000 AMD.
If you are unable to obtain a social security number on your own, you can delegate this process to others. For example, you can contact private specialists or specialized companies. You will need to prepare a power of attorney that grants another person the right to fill out, sign, and submit the SSN application on your behalf. The procedure takes only a few days and costs around 15,000 AMD. In this case, ask the executor to immediately include your address in the application; otherwise, you will have to make changes yourself later.
If your passport details change after receiving the social card, it is important to promptly provide an updated set of documents to one of the migration offices:
- The original and a copy of the new international passport (with an entry stamp to Armenia);
- A notarized translation of the full name (and a copy).
- Office staff will assist in completing the application form.
The social card in Armenia is an important document required for every foreign citizen planning to stay in Armenia. The process of obtaining it is fairly simple and straightforward. Generally, Russian citizens do not face difficulties in this regard. The key is to allocate time for it and obtain the document at the initial stage of legalization in the country to avoid additional bureaucratic issues.
Social Card in Armenia: Reviews
I submitted my documents for a social card at the beginning of the year but did not manage to pick it up when it was ready. Today, I went to the passport office, took a queue ticket, and they wouldn’t even listen to me, telling me I need online registration. They refused to explain what kind of registration it is and where to do it. Can you clarify what this registration is and why I can’t collect my ready document? Maybe I should try again tomorrow?
I recently received my social card within 2 days using my internal Russian passport, and there were only 3 people in line. However, when I was signing a contract with an accountant recently, they told me that the queues for social cards have become very long, which was confirmed by a friend who couldn’t get in all day.
I got my social card back when it was possible to just show up at the passport office and wait in line. My child is in a private kindergarten, and they only accepted them with a social card and a certificate from the clinic (linked to the social card). If you need multiple services, you must take different queue tickets; do not take three in a row, as these might correspond to different counters operating simultaneously.
We also went to Abovyan in July for a social card, but the queue was huge, and we left.
As of today, the waiting time for a residence permit is 97 working days (the next available date is January 25), registration queues range from 17 to 40 working days (the busiest districts are Arabkir, Kentron, and Ajapnyak), and the wait time for a social card is between 16 to 28 days. Thus, obtaining a residence permit currently takes about six months.
We obtained our social cards in Davtashen. We came in and were served immediately. The document submission took about 10 minutes (we submitted for four people). However, this passport office has a nuance: they require birth certificates (for both children and parents) and marriage/divorce/name change certificates (if applicable). The social card was issued the next day. My sister went to Shengavit, where she took a queue number but had to wait for a long time. After explaining that they had been waiting for an hour, she was redirected to a free counter and processed immediately. In Erebuni, the queues are very long. In Malatia, they also require registration, and the queues start early in the morning.
To get a social card, it’s best to go to the passport office early in the morning before opening. Sometimes, people make an informal queue list, but don’t go too far away, as the staff might cancel the list, causing a rush for queue tickets. You must take one quickly. Make sure to have notarized translations of passports and their copies with the entry stamp. The social card is usually issued the next day without the need for an appointment.
“Report from my experience: Social card in Armenia. 11.01 Address – Simona Vratsyana, 90 (central passport office). Working hours: 09:00 to 17:00, lunch from 14:00 to 15:00. However, by 16:00, they no longer issue queue tickets but serve everyone present until the last customer. I visited at noon to check the queue – only 6 people. After lunch, I came back with my family and documents at 15:40, took queue tickets (30 people ahead of us), and left at 17:50 with our social cards. The process itself took 20 minutes, the rest was waiting. If an internal Russian passport was presented at border control, additional verification by border services is required, which can take up to 10 days.
“We found that the fastest way to get a social card was at the Davtashen passport office, where the social card department is on the second floor. We didn’t wait at all. In other offices, the queues were long all day. Just have all documents ready.”
I arrived about two hours before closing, took a queue ticket, but it wasn’t clear which menu option to choose. After two attempts, I finally managed to get the right number and received my social card just ten minutes before closing.