Building permit for a house in Armenia: how to get one

When you need a permit

Building a residential house requires a construction permit. It is issued by the head of the community where the plot is located. Building without one is risky: as a rule, such a house cannot be registered with the Cadastre, which makes it hard to sell, mortgage or pass on through inheritance.

The procedure for development permits is set by Government Decision No. 596-N of 19 March 2015. Which minor works can be done without a permit depends on the type of work and changes over time, so check with the community architect before you start.

Everything goes through urban.e-gov.am

According to the Urban Development Committee, since 1 January 2025 the whole process of obtaining development permits in every province and in Yerevan has been electronic only, through the urban.e-gov.am platform. You no longer file paper applications at the community office: the platform is used at every stage, from the design assignment to the paperwork for a finished building.

The standard procedure, step by step

1. Check the plot: ownership, land designation (it must be residential development), restrictions and protection zones.
2. Obtain an architectural and planning assignment, a document in which the community sets the requirements for building on the plot.
3. Obtain technical conditions for connecting to water, gas and electricity.
4. Commission a design from an organisation licensed to do design work.
5. Have the design reviewed by experts if your project requires it.
6. Submit the design and receive the construction permit from the community head.
7. Build the house under technical supervision of construction quality.
8. Complete the paperwork for the finished building and register the house with the Cadastre Committee.

The simplified procedure from 1 June 2026

Government Decision No. 1969-N of 25 December 2025 introduced a simplified procedure for individual residential houses of Category II (medium risk) built for non-commercial purposes. It took effect on 1 June 2026.

According to the Urban Development Committee, the simplified procedure applies if:

• the house is no larger than 300 m², with up to two floors above ground and one below;
• auxiliary buildings are no larger than 50 m²;
• the plot is owned by a citizen and designated for residential development;
• the house is built for your own use, not for sale or business.

What changes: the expert review of the design is replaced by a guarantee letter from the design organisation confirming that the design complies with the law, and technical supervision of construction quality is replaced by a technical inspection report. You can take a ready-made standard design published on the Urban Development Committee's website minurban.am, which has already passed expert review, and simply adapt it to your plot. If the community head misses the deadline, the committee says the platform will issue the document automatically.

How much it costs and how long it takes

Exact amounts and timelines depend on the community, the building and the procedure you use. Permit duties and local fees are set by law and by the community council; the cost of the design is set by the market. Before buying a plot to build on, ask the community how much the planning assignment and permit cost and how long they usually take.

• A Cadastre extract for the plot.
• An identity document to log in to the platform.
• Technical conditions from the water, gas and electricity suppliers.
• A design, or a standard design adapted to the plot.
• A contract with the builder and, if needed, with the technical supervisor.

Key takeaways

• A house building permit is issued by the community head; since 2025 everything is done online through urban.e-gov.am.
• The standard route: planning assignment, technical conditions, design, expert review (if required), permit, supervision, completion paperwork and registration.
• Since 1 June 2026 a simplified procedure applies to houses up to 300 m² on your own land designated for residential development.
• Check costs and timelines with your community before you buy a plot.