Quick guide, money, mobile, arrival and topic chapters — in one place.
Quick guide
A quick guide to Armenia — what to check right now if you're planning a trip or have already landed. Short answers; details are in the chapters below. Verify entry rules, prices, and whether services are running before you travel.
Can I enter?
Rules depend on your citizenship, documents, and route. Before buying a ticket, check the conditions on the Armenian MFA website. For Russian citizens, see the official visa-free list; keep transit through other countries and airline rules in mind.
In short: about 10 minutes before buying tickets and packing your suitcase, check entry rules, documents, payment, and the season for your route.
What to do:
Entry. Check your citizenship and passport type in the tool at mfa.am/visa. Visa-free stay is usually up to 180 days per year unless an agreement states otherwise — confirm on the MFA website.
Transit. If you are flying with a connection, check the visa rules of the transit country separately.
Carrier. An airline may require a passport with a minimum remaining validity and other documents — check your ticket rules.
Payment. A working card plus a small cash reserve; a reference exchange rate is in the chapter on money.
First-aid kit and belongings. Your regular medications, comfortable shoes for the route, clothing for the season and region (city ≠ mountains).
Offline. Your accommodation address, contacts, and map — without internet.
Common mistake: relying only on someone else's checklist ("for all Russian citizens…") without checking with the MFA and the carrier.
The official language is Armenian. In many tourist situations Russian or English helps, but that is not guaranteed everywhere — a short offline translator does not hurt.
In short: after landing, check what you need right now — connectivity, cash in AMD, your accommodation address, and how to get to the city. Not everyone needs the same order of steps.
What to do:
Connectivity: if roaming is already set up, you're fine; otherwise decide whether you need a SIM/eSIM at the airport.
Money: if your card might not work, exchange a small reserve into AMD (compare the rate and the fee).
Transport to Yerevan: taxi or airport bus No. 100. Check the schedule, payment, and bus fare on the airport website; check the taxi price before getting in or in the app.
Common mistake: locking in a "mandatory" checklist and prices "like last time" — fares and exits change.
In short: between cities, choose your mode of transport in advance (a taxi for the day, a rental car, a guided tour, public transport) and plan the return trip. Also ask yourself separately: is it safe to travel the chosen route right now?
What to do:
Set the times for both directions and allow a buffer for delays.
Check the weather, daylight hours, and road conditions for your season.
For border and sensitive areas, check current travel advisories (for example travel.gc.ca) — don't rely only on a map "as it was last year."
Common mistake: planning only how to get there, with no return and no check on whether the route is open.
In short: before renting, decide whether you actually need a car for your route, season, and driving experience.
What to consider: city traffic vs mountain and winter sections; insurance and deposit terms; where to park near your destination. There are many cameras on the roads; check fines and payment against the rental rules and local regulations — don't put it off "until you leave the country" without checking the contract.
A common mistake: renting a car "just in case" without checking the season and the return trip from a remote location.
In short: Armenia's currency is the Armenian dram. Today's rate is 1 ruble = 4,39 AMD (central bank reference; bank and exchange office fees are separate).
What to do:
Compare the rate and the fee before exchanging; rate.am is another reference point.
Keep some cash on hand in case a card payment doesn't go through.
Check in advance whether a specific bank, ATM, or service accepts your card. Don't count on Mir as your only option — see armenia.travel / MIR.
Common mistake: assuming "cards are accepted everywhere" or that you can withdraw "from any ATM" without checking.
V Yerevan vstrechayutsya pitevye fontanchiki — pulpulaki. Esli ne uvereny v istochnike ili predpochitaete inoy variant — berite butilirovannuyu vodu. Rekomendatsii o pitevoy vode sveryayte s aktualnymi travel-advisories vashey strany.
In short: first work out what kind of situation you are in — a threat to life or safety, or an everyday breakdown.
1. Danger to health or safety
Call the emergency services on the single number 112 (police and rescue, the unified center of the RA Ministry of Internal Affairs). Say where you are and what happened. If there is a threat to life, Russian citizens can also use the emergency contacts of the Russian embassy in Armenia (current numbers are on the embassy website).
2. Everyday breakdowns
Lost documents, a dead phone, a canceled booking or transport — act according to the situation: insurance, consulate, carrier, bank (card block). Keep offline copies of your passport and policy.
A common mistake: calling "anywhere" when there is a threat to life instead of 112, or the opposite — waiting for the emergency services over a purely everyday problem with a booking.
112 check: RA Ministry of Internal Affairs publication on the single number from 15.02.2026 · package date 2026-09-24.
A guided tour can help you see places in context and save time on putting together an itinerary. Check the format, group size, and route when choosing a tour.
In short: in larger cities there is usually food delivery through apps, and some restaurants have their own delivery.
What to do: before ordering, check the delivery zone, the payment method, and the reviews in the app you are using. The list of services changes — don't rely on someone else's "complete list."
Common mistake: counting on a specific brand "like last time" without checking that it works at your address.