Process
How getting a building permit works in Armenia, from the land to registration.
Everything online
Since 1 January 2025 applications are filed only on urban-permits.e-gov.am.
Silence means refusal
Since 30 August 2026, for most permits no answer counts as a refusal.
The category sets the path
Complexity categories I–V decide the expertise, terms and fees.
01Preparation
Check land rights and zoning, get the design assignment.
No permit needed (Category I)
Current repair, interior finishing and other works that do not touch load-bearing structures are low-risk and need neither design permission nor a construction permit.
- Authority
- Not required
- Statutory term
- 0 days
- Fee
- No fee
Sources: [1] www.arlis.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
Power of attorney for a local representative
If you are abroad, issue a notarised power of attorney for your architect or representative. It needs an apostille (or must be made at an Armenian consulate) and a certified Armenian translation.
- Authority
- Notary / Armenian consulate
- Our estimate
- 7–21 days
- Fee
- Notary, apostille and translation charges depend on the country
Sources: [1] armenian-lawyer.com[2] english.hartak.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
Land rights and zoning check
Check that you own the plot or hold a development right, and that its target and functional use match the community master plan and zoning project.
- Authority
- Developer / architect, Cadastre Committee
- Our estimate
- 2–10 days
- Fee
- Cadastre extract fee per Cadastre Committee tariffs
Sources: [1] www.arlis.am[2] www.president.ame-cadastre.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
Check if the simplified procedure applies
Your house may qualify for the simplified procedure in force since 1 June 2026 (7 working days for the assignment and 7 for the permit) if the plot is at least 400 m² with residential-development use. Enter the plot area in the questionnaire.
- Authority
- Information
- Statutory term
- 0 days
- Fee
- No fee
Sources: [1] www.arlis.am[2] www.arlis.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
02Design
The architect prepares the design, which then goes through expertise.
Engineering surveys
An engineering-geological survey plus topographic and cadastral surveys are mandatory for every object that needs a construction permit. Reconstruction also needs a technical-condition survey conclusion.
- Authority
- Licensed survey company
- Our estimate
- 10–30 days
- Fee
- Market price by contract
Sources: [1] www.arlis.am[2] www.arlis.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
Architectural and construction design
Sign a contract with a licensed designer. Categories II and III are designed in one stage (working project), IV and V in two. Model projects are planned for the simplified procedure, but as of October 2026 they are not published on minurban.am.
- Authority
- Licensed designer
- Our estimate
- 20–240 days
- Fee
- Market price by contract
Sources: [1] www.arlis.am[2] www.arlis.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
Designer's guarantee letter
Category II objects need no expertise; the designer's written guarantee replaces it. Valid 3 years.
- Authority
- Licensed designer
- Our estimate
- 1–5 days
- Fee
- No fee
Sources: [1] www.arlis.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
Simple design expertise
A licensed expert organisation reviews Category III designs. Term and price are set by contract. The conclusion is valid 3 years.
- Authority
- Licensed expert organisation
- Our estimate
- 15–45 days
- Fee
- By contract
Sources: [1] www.arlis.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
State complex expertise
Category IV designs (and V, special) go through state complex expertise, which collects opinions from environmental (EIA), heritage, fire safety and other bodies.
- Authority
- Expert commission of the Urban Development Committee
- Our estimate
- 30–90 days
- Fee
- By contract
Sources: [1] www.arlis.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
03Approval
The community issues the construction or demolition permit.
Sketch design approval
Exterior works (facade cladding or painting, replacing exterior windows and doors, roof replacement without load-bearing changes) in urban communities need an approved sketch design.
- Authority
- Head of community (Yerevan: Mayor or district head)
- Statutory term
- 3–5 days
- Fee
- No fee
Sources: [1] www.arlis.amurban-permits.e-gov.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
Simplified design assignment (APA)
Apply on the platform (form Պ-ՃՀԱՀ). Only your passport, the plot plan with the proposed siting and the ownership or development-right document are attached. If there is no answer within 7 working days, the assignment is generated automatically. Valid 1 year.
- Authority
- Head of community via urban-permits.e-gov.am
- Statutory term
- 7 working dayscounts as approval
- Fee
- Yerevan: residential under 300 m² — 0 AMD
- Local fee set by the community council
Sources: [1] www.arlis.am[2] www.arlis.am[3] www.yerevan.amurban-permits.e-gov.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
Design permission (architectural-planning assignment)
Apply on the platform (form N 1-1). The community itself requests utility technical conditions within 3 days. Since 30 August 2026 no answer counts as a refusal, not an approval.
- Authority
- Head of community (Yerevan: Mayor or district head)
- Statutory term
- 5–90 dayscounts as refusal
- Fee
- Yerevan: residential under 300 m² — 0 AMD
- Yerevan: 1,000,000 (zones 1–2), 500,000 (3–7), 250,000 (8–12)
- Yerevan: by area and zone, up to 20,000,000 AMD (see the yerevan.am calculator)
- Local fee set by the community council, if any; outside Yerevan there may be none
Sources: [1] www.arlis.am[2] www.arlis.am[3] www.yerevan.amurban-permits.e-gov.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
Utility technical conditions
The community requests technical conditions or baseline data from Veolia Jur, Electric Networks of Armenia, Gazprom Armenia and telecom operators. They are part of the design assignment. In the simplified procedure their absence does not block the permit.
- Authority
- Veolia Jur, ENA, Gazprom Armenia
- Statutory term
- 5–24 days
- Fee
- Technical conditions are free; connection works are at your cost per PSRC tariffs
Sources: [1] www.arlis.am[2] www.arlis.am[3] urban-permits.e-gov.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
Simplified construction permit
Apply with form Պ-ՇԹԴ, attaching the duty payment, the assignment, the design and the designer's guarantee. The permit is issued within 7 working days; if silent, it is generated on day 8 and takes effect unless declared null within the next 10 working days. Valid 3 years.
- Authority
- Head of community via urban-permits.e-gov.am
- Statutory term
- 7–17 working dayscounts as approval
- Fee
- 3,000 AMD if area and use do not change; otherwise new-construction rates for the added part
- Yerevan: 105,000 × zone coefficient (5 / 4 / 3)
- Yerevan, over 3,000 m²: per started 3,000 m², 2–7 million AMD by zone × zone coefficient
- Outside Yerevan: 15,000 AMD flat
- Base rate × zone coefficient × council multiplier (rural 0.3–0.5, urban 1–3)
Sources: [1] www.arlis.am[2] www.arlis.am[3] www.yerevan.amurban-permits.e-gov.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
Design approval and construction permit
In one application (form N 2-1) submit the design, the positive expert conclusion or guarantee letter and the 20-digit duty payment code. The construction log book comes with the permit. Since 30 August 2026 no answer counts as a refusal.
- Authority
- Head of community (Yerevan: Mayor or district head)
- Statutory term
- 3–90 dayscounts as refusal
- Fee
- 3,000 AMD if area and use do not change; otherwise new-construction rates for the added part
- Yerevan: 105,000 × zone coefficient (5 / 4 / 3)
- Yerevan, over 3,000 m²: per started 3,000 m², 2–7 million AMD by zone × zone coefficient
- Outside Yerevan: 15,000 AMD flat
- Base rate × zone coefficient × council multiplier (rural 0.3–0.5, urban 1–3)
Sources: [1] www.arlis.am[2] www.arlis.am[3] www.arlis.am[4] www.yerevan.amurban-permits.e-gov.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
Demolition permit
Apply with form N 2-2 and the demolition design. If demolition is part of new construction, the construction permit doubles as the demolition permit. Monuments need Government permission.
- Authority
- Head of community
- Statutory term
- 5–21 dayscounts as refusal
- Fee
- Base rate; the council may adjust it
Sources: [1] www.arlis.am[2] www.arlis.am[3] www.hartak.am[4] www.yerevan.amurban-permits.e-gov.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
04Construction
Give notice of the start of works and build according to the design.
Start-of-works notification
Notify the community on the platform at least 3 days in advance (form N 2-5). It informs the Urban Development, Technical and Fire Safety Inspectorate. Report changes within 5 days, otherwise the permit is suspended.
- Authority
- Community → Inspectorate
- Statutory term
- 3 days
- Fee
- No fee
Sources: [1] www.arlis.amurban-permits.e-gov.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
Construction and supervision
A licensed contractor builds under technical and author supervision. In Category II technical supervision can be replaced by the contractor's guarantee, and in the simplified procedure by a technical survey. The Inspectorate runs risk-based inspections.
- Authority
- Contractor, technical supervisor, designer
- Our estimate
- per the project schedule
- Fee
- No fee
Sources: [1] www.arlis.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
05Completion
Acceptance commission, completion act and registration of rights.
Acceptance commission act
The developer forms a commission (designer, technical supervisor, contractor, community, Inspectorate and utilities where needed). It relies on an as-built measurement with an e-cadastre.am package code and the author-supervision opinion.
- Authority
- Commission formed by the developer
- Statutory term
- 5–20 working days
- Fee
- No fee
Sources: [1] www.arlis.am[2] www.arlis.am[3] www.hartak.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
Completion act and operation permit
Apply within 10 days after the commission act is signed (form N 3-3-1). The act is issued in 3 days (II, III) or 5 days (IV, V). Silence still counts as approval here. For apartment buildings the act and operation permit may be separate.
- Authority
- Head of community
- Statutory term
- 3–7 dayscounts as approval
- Fee
- Yerevan: completion act + operation permit × zone coefficient (0.25–1.9)
- Local fee set by the community council
Sources: [1] www.arlis.am[2] www.arlis.am[3] www.yerevan.am[4] www.hartak.amurban-permits.e-gov.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
Automatic completion act
Upload a positive technical-survey conclusion, a licensed architect's conclusion (based on a qualified surveyor's measurement) and the fee. The completion act is generated automatically.
- Authority
- urban-permits.e-gov.am (automatic)
- Statutory term
- 0–1 working dayscounts as approval
- Fee
- Yerevan: completion act + operation permit × zone coefficient (0.25–1.9)
- Local fee set by the community council
Sources: [1] www.arlis.am[2] www.arlis.amurban-permits.e-gov.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
State registration of rights
Register rights to the building (and its units) at the Cadastre Committee or on e-cadastre.am, based on the completion act.
- Authority
- Cadastre Committee
- Typical term
- 4–10 working days
- Fee
- First registration is free; later registrations pay a service fee plus state duty (to be confirmed)
Sources: [1] www.cadastre.am[2] www.arlis.ame-cadastre.am· not yet checked by a lawyer
What to watch out for
Seismic requirements apply
Armenia is a seismic zone. Structures must be designed to ՀՀՇՆ 20.04-2020 (earthquake-resistant construction).
Fire-safety requirements may apply
Apartment, public, commercial and industrial buildings are checked for fire safety, and Category IV expertise includes a fire-safety opinion.
Heritage protection requirements apply
In a protection zone the community requests the heritage authority's opinion, and a negative opinion means refusal. The simplified procedure is not available here.
Structural changes need extra documentation
Changing load-bearing structures is not low-risk work and needs a technical-condition survey conclusion (Government Decision 1745-N).
Accessibility requirements may apply
Public and apartment buildings must be accessible to people with limited mobility (ramps, lifts, entrances).
Environmental impact assessment may apply
Category IV state expertise includes the EIA conclusion when the object falls under the EIA law. If a positive conclusion is not delivered within 6 months, the related decision lapses.
Change of use has its own procedure
Changing the use of a building or premises follows Government Decision N 88 (2002), and floor plans are attached to the design-permission application.
You need a right to build on this property
Permits go to the owner or to someone holding a development right. A lease or right of use must explicitly allow construction.
Foreigners and land ownership
Under Article 60 of the Constitution foreign citizens cannot own land except where a law allows it. The simplified procedure accepts a development right instead of ownership.
No answer now means refusal
Since 30 August 2026 an unanswered application for design permission, a construction or demolition permit counts as refused.
Get the steps that apply to your project
Start my projectThis roadmap is informational and not legal advice. Terms and fees are based on Government Decision 596-N and the Law on Local Duties and Fees as of October 2026. Confirm final requirements on urban-permits.e-gov.am or with your community. · Rules version 2026.10.4