Nairi Khechumian, 27, carefully signs her new passport, vowing that she shall be a good citizen.
It is a profound moment for her, stated simply: "I wanted to be able to read in my passport: 'A citizen of the Republic of Armenia.'"
Khechumian came to Armenia from Iran in 2004 to study. Later she married an Armenian repatriate from the United Kingdom and they decided to live in Armenia.
"First of all, I wanted to be eligible to vote. I also want to be able to collect social benefits," Khechumian said on a recent day at the Passport and Visa Department in Yerevan (commonly known as OVIR).
Acquisition of citizenship has different meanings, depending on the situation. For example, for Armenians living in Georgia, having an Armenian passport makes it easier to travel to Russia (given Georgia's strained relations with its powerful northern neighbor). An Armenian passport makes it easier for Iranian-Armenians to go to the United States or European countries.
For many, getting citizenship is symbolic.
"There is no big difference between being a citizen, and in having a 10-year residency status; the rights are almost the same," says Nairi Melkomian, 30, who received Armenian citizenship in 2009 after also coming from Iran. "The only right you don't have (with residency status) is to vote and stand as a candidate in elections. But for some of us, having our names in that passport is more important than simply having a document."
The capital's visa office is usually crowded on Tuesdays and Fridays when, in solemn ceremony, Republic of Armenia citizenship is granted to applicants by presidential decree.
Constitutional amendments passed in 2005 and refined in 2007 made it possible to gain dual citizenship—a long-awaited development for thousands who wanted to express their nationality.
During the period of 1997-2007, Armenian citizenship was granted to 1,735 applicants. During the same time, 3,636 gave up their Armenian citizenship in favor of legal status in other countries.
But in 2008 alone, more people acquired citizenship than during the entire previous decade. And in the first six months of this year 6,424 new citizenships were granted.
"The process has become streamlined," says OVIR head Norayr Muradkhanian. "The process of acquiring citizenship may take up to a year, but in practice it takes only 4-6 months."
Anyone, who is at least age 18 years old, is of Armenian origin or is married to an Armenian, can apply for citizenship, either at OVIR or at any Armenian embassy or consulate. A basic knowledge of the Armenian language is required.
The list of required documents includes an application, a passport and its notarized translated copy, a photograph, a health certificate, a criminal record reference from the country of residence, and a work-experience record. A person who marries a citizen of the Republic of Armenia is also required to submit a Certificate of Marriage.
A person can establish a business and own property by obtaining a 10-year residency card. He/she may even vote in local elections. The main right granted by owning a passport is the privilege of holding office or voting in national elections.
