Have you always made sure you have done your homework before
travelling abroad? As previously stated,
in the blog entitled Health Tips for Travelling to Armenia, when
travelling abroad, it is essential that you ensure that you are as safe as
possible – whether you are travelling independently or with your family. In the aforementioned blog post, ways to
safeguard your health when travelling to Armenia have already been
addressed. However, it is also
imperative to your safety that you research your intended destination to ensure
that you have all the current travel advice pertaining to entry, exit,
security, local travel, laws, customs, money, terrorism and natural
disasters. Just in case you do not feel
inclined to scour the Internet for hours looking for the latest advice, all the
hard work has been done for you and all you need to do is read through the
information below.
Entry and Exit
It depends where you live in the world as to whether you
will need a visa to access Armenia or not.
At the moment, there is a list of 32 European countries whose citizens
will be able to enter the Republic of Armenia without the necessity of a visa (on
all types of passports) and stay for a period of up to 180 days. To check whether or not your country of
residence is on this list, please visit:
There is a further list of countries whose residents are not
required to hold a visa based on the principle of reciprocity, providing they
hold a particular type of passport. To
check whether your country of residence is on this list and to check what type
of passport you are required to hold, please visit: http://www.mfa.am/u_files/file/consulate/Visa/whoneedsvisa_eng.pdf
A final list of countries whose residents can only apply for
a visitors’ visa by invitation, can be found at: http://www.mfa.am/u_files/file/consulate/Visa/Invitation_eng.pdf and the list of documents required for the
invitation can be found at: http://www.mfa.am/u_files/file/invitation_form.pdf
For residents of countries who are required to hold a visa
to travel to the Republic of Armenia, please visit: http://www.mfa.am/en/visa/ which contains information about types of
Armenian visa, your arrival to Armenia, your transit through Armenia, your
departure from Armenia, details of the Armenia visa fee and a link to the
schematic instructions for the process of obtaining an Armenian visa.
Terrorism
There is an extremely low risk of terrorism in Armenia. However, as elsewhere in the world,
currently, you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist
attacks – especially in public areas (frequented by expats and foreign
travellers).
Safety and Security
Generally, crime levels in the Republic of Armenia are very
low. However, incidents of non-violent
crimes against tourists and other foreign nationals have been reported, such as
pick pocketing, bag snatching, theft from cars and burglary. To avoid being targeted, ensure that you
avoid carrying your passport, credit card, travel tickets and money together;
leave spare cash, valuables and passports in a safe place, such as a safe; and
ensure that you are vigilant when using your ATM card and use the same safety
precautions as you would at home (take care after dark, making sure no-one has
followed you). It must further be highlighted
that organised-crime-related shootings have taken place in Armenia,
occasionally. Although, no tourists and
foreign nationals have been targeted, there is always the risk of being caught
up such violence. As such, the advice is
that you remain vigilant at all times.
In terms of your transit through the interior of Armenia,
the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan is closed and, due to reports of
sporadic gunfire and ceasefire violations in this area, travel in the border
between these two countries (especially the Tavush and Gegharkunik regions) is
not advised. Also, the dispute over
Nagorno Karabakh currently continues to be unresolved and, as such, foreigners
venturing within 3.1 miles of this area are likely to be stopped by either the
police or the military. You should
further be advised that the land border with Turkey is also closed, aside from
the occasional direct flights between Yerevan and Istanbul. Additionally, although it is legal for
tourists and foreign nationals to drive in Armenia on an International Driving
Permit, roads are in a poor state (especially from November to February) and
the standard of driving is considered to be poor – reckless driving and
flouting of traffic laws are to be expected.
When walking, be extra vigilant when crossing roads and try and utilise
the subway whenever possible. If you
intend to use public transport in Armenia, be aware that it is generally in
disrepair and vastly overcrowded. If you
do choose to travel this way, secure your valuables and never leave your
compartment unattended (making sure you lock your door from the inside when in
the compartment). However, it must be
noted at this juncture that many of hotels offer a driver/taxi service for a
price.
If you want to avoid your loved ones unnecessarily worrying
about you, make certain that they are aware that communication by telephone and
e-mail/Internet can be difficult in some regions of Armenia. Also, make sure that you check the coverage
of your mobile phone provider in Armenia, as not all mobile phones will work
within the country.
Local Laws and
Customs
Firstly and very importantly under this heading, please make
certain that you carry a copy of your passport with you at all times for
identification.
In terms of religion, as mentioned in previous blogs,
Armenia is an Orthodox Christian country.
As such, women are generally permitted to wear normal western-style
clothing. However, outside the capital
of Yerevan and in places of worship, people tend to be more conservative and
clothes considered inappropriate will attract attraction (usually the wrong
kind); therefore, try to be respectful in these areas.
As in most countries around the world, the use of illegal
drugs or substances will be met with stiff penalties (fines and prison
terms). The trafficking of illegal drugs
or substances carries an automatic sentence of 4 to 10 years in prison.
The act of homosexuality was decriminalised in 2003. Nonetheless, it is still deemed to be immoral
behaviour by many Armenian citizens. Although
you may observe people of the same sex holding hands and kissing, this is not
an indicator of sexual orientation but rather a commonplace part of Armenian
culture. Therefore, if travelling with
your same sex partner, please be discreet as there have been incidents where
members of the LGBT community have experienced verbal or physical harassment as
a result of their actions and in 2012, a nationalist group attacked a
gay-friendly bar.
It may be considered common sense advice, but please avoid
photographing or videoing locations such as military bases, equipment and
installations as this could lead to you being detained and questioned.
Money
Finally, in regards to your money, it can be exchanged at
both banks and exchange bureaux.
However, although lots of places in Yerevan will accept British pounds,
US dollars and euros, outside the capital, British pounds may be less readily
accepted.
You may see prices quoted in US dollars at certain places,
but, by law, goods and services must be paid for in Armenian Dram.
In the capital, most major stores and restaurants accept
credit cards and debit cards displaying the Maestro and/or Cirrus sign; this is
less so outside the capital.
There are numerous ATMS available in the capital, all of
which accept major credit/debit cards that display the Maestro/Cirrus or Visa
sign.
Other
For any other information you require that is not contained
here, please contact your national government website or bureau prior to
travel. For any problems encountered
once in Armenia, contact your national consulate (ensure you have the details
of this before you travel).
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