Over 22,000 Russian Citizens Acquired Armenian Citizenship in a Year and a Half

Arshaluis Mgdesyan, Bm.ge

According to the Migration and Citizenship Service of Armenia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, there has been a significant increase in the number of Russian citizens applying for Armenian citizenship.

In 2023, the total number of applications from Russian citizens reached 13,877, with 12,919 of them submitted on the basis of ethnic affiliation.. Interestingly, 958 applicants were not of Armenian descent, as reported by CivilNet.

This trend continues into 2024. In the first half of the year alone, 5,224 applications were received from Russian citizens, of which 4,713 were from individuals of Armenian origin.

As for the actual acquisition of citizenship, 16,516 Russian citizens were granted Armenian citizenship in 2023, and 5,873 more obtained it in the first six months of 2024.

The Migration and Citizenship Service explains that the difference between the number of applications submitted and the number of citizenships granted is due to the processing of applications submitted in previous periods. For example, among those who received citizenship in 2023, there were also individuals who had applied in late 2022.