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Armenia announces visa exemption for UAE residents from 113 countries
The exempted countries include India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Egypt, Lebanon and Palestine, among others; full list revealed
- PUBLISHED: Thu 12 Feb 2026, 2:43 PM
UAE residents from 113 eligible countries looking for a visa-free getaway this year have a new option on the map. Armenia has announced what it called a “temporary visa exemption” for eligible foreign nationals to travel without obtaining a visa until July 1, 2026.
The list includes India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Egypt, Lebanon and Palestine, among others (scroll down for the full list). The visa-free travel applies to residents from the 113 countries who hold a valid UAE residence permit.
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Citizens of the countries on the list can also travel to the Caucasian country visa-free if they hold residence permits issued by Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or Oman, as well as the United States, European Union Member States or Schengen Area countries.
Here is the full list:
| Algeria | Gabon | Niger |
|---|---|---|
| Angola | Gambia | North Macedonia |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Ghana | Pakistan |
| Bahamas | Grenada | Palau |
| Belize | Guatemala | Paraguay |
| Benin | Guinea | Peru |
| Bhutan | Guinea-Bissau | Philippines |
| Bolivia | Guyana | Rwanda |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Haiti | Saint Kitts and Nevis |
| Botswana | Honduras | Saint Lucia |
| Brunei Darussalam | India | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| Burkina Faso | Indonesia | Senegal |
| Burundi | Iraq | Seychelles |
| Cabo Verde | Israel | Sierra Leone |
| Cambodia | Jamaica | Solomon Islands |
| Cameroon | Jordan | Somalia |
| Canada | Kenya | South Africa |
| Central African Republic | Kiribati | Sri Lanka |
| Chad | Lao People's Democratic Republic | Sudan |
| Chile | Lebanon | Suriname |
| Colombia | Liberia | Syrian Arab Republic |
| Comoros | Libya | Thailand |
| Congo | Madagascar | Timor-Leste |
| Costa Rica | Malawi | Togo |
| Côte d'Ivoire | Malaysia | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Cuba | Maldives | Tunisia |
| Democratic People's Republic of Korea | Mali | Turkmenistan |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Mauritania | Tuvalu |
| Djibouti | Mauritius | Uganda |
| Dominica | Mexico | United Republic of Tanzania |
| Dominican Republic | Micronesia | Vanuatu |
| Egypt | Mongolia | Venezuela |
| El Salvador | Morocco | Viet Nam |
| Equatorial Guinea | Mozambique | Yemen |
| Eritrea | Namibia | Zambia |
| Eswatini | Nauru | Zimbabwe |
| Ethiopia | Nepal | State of Palestine |
| Fiji | Nicaragua |
Under the new policy, eligible nationals can stay in Armenia for up to 180 days within a one-year period. The residence permit must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry.
The residence permit must be presented either as a physical card or as a sticker placed in the passport, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia said in a document.
Armenia introduced visa-free travel for citizens of the UAE in 2017, Qatar in 2019 and Kuwait in 2022. It extended the visa exemption to UAE residents in July 2025.
Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Armenia is a popular travel destination for UAE residents, particularly expatriates. The country is just a three-hour flight from the UAE, with airlines such as flydubai, Air Arabia and Wizz Air operating direct flights.
The country boasts picturesque landscapes, UNESCO-listed monasteries and a thriving culinary scene.
As Associate Editor, Sahim Salim helps tell the UAE story like no one else does — and leads a team of reporters that asks the questions to get news and headlines that matter.
