Before you start

Valid foreign licence
Transport card or contactless payment for buses and metro

Step-by-step

1
Walk the centre — it is smaller than it looks
Kentron, the central district, is crossable on foot in about thirty minutes, and almost everything a newcomer needs — the registry, the banks, the coworking, Republic Square, the Cascade — sits inside it. Yerevan was rebuilt on a radial plan in pink tuff stone, so orientation is easy once you fix on the Cascade to the north and Republic Square in the middle. Most residents in Kentron never own a car.
In personWho: AllImmediateFree
2
Use the metro and buses at AMD 100 a ride
The Yerevan metro is a single line of ten stations running roughly north-south under the centre — limited, but fast and cheap. The bus network was overhauled with new vehicles and a unified fare, and covers far more of the city. A ride costs AMD 100 (about US$0.25). Pay with the transport card or contactless. Marshrutka minibuses are being phased down in favour of the new buses.
In personWho: AllImmediateAMD 100 per ride
3
Ride-hail with Yandex Go or GG
Yandex Go and the local GG app dominate, and fares are very low — most central trips run a few hundred to a couple of thousand dram. GG is the homegrown option and is worth having as a fallback when surge hits. Drivers often call to confirm; sharing a pin avoids the conversation. Street taxis exist but agree the fare in advance.
Mobile appWho: AllImmediateAMD 600-2,500 for typical city trips
4
Exchange your licence once you have residence — no driving test
Visitors drive on a foreign licence; an International Driving Permit alongside it smooths rentals and traffic stops. Once you hold a residence permit you are expected to exchange for an Armenian licence within roughly 60 days. Armenia does not require you to re-sit a driving examination for the exchange, which makes it one of the easier swaps in the region. You will need a translation of your licence, a medical certificate and your PSN. Rules here were revised in 2025 — confirm the current position before you plan around a specific document set.
In personWho: Residence permit holdersDaysState duty plus medical certificate and translation

Documents you’ll need

Foreign driving licence and a translation
International Driving Permit (useful for rentals)
Medical certificate (for the exchange)
Public Services Number and residence permit
Transport card or contactless bank card

Things most newcomers don’t know

Armenia does not make you re-sit a driving exam to exchange a foreign licence — unlike Kazakhstan, which reinstated a theory test in 2023.

Two neighbouring post-Soviet systems that look identical from outside diverge sharply here. If you are choosing between regional bases and you drive, this is a real difference: an Armenian exchange is a document exercise, a Kazakh one means a 40-question road-rules test in Kazakh or Russian.

Source: Armenian road police / migration guidance

Yerevan is the rare capital in this dataset where the walkable core genuinely covers everything a newcomer needs.

The centre was rebuilt to a radial plan and is compact and flat enough that a car is a liability rather than an asset in Kentron — parking is scarce and the streets are narrow. That is why café culture functions as the office stock: everyone can walk to everyone. The corollary is that living outside the centre changes your daily life much more than the map suggests.

Driving out of Yerevan means mountain roads and closed borders — the only overland exits are Georgia and Iran.

Both the Turkish and Azerbaijani borders are closed. Any road trip out of Armenia goes north to Georgia or south to Iran, and the southern route through Syunik is long, high and slow. Plan regional travel by air through Zvartnots unless Georgia is the destination.

Winter driving in Yerevan is manageable; winter driving on the passes is not something to improvise.

The city sits around 1,000 m and gets real snow, but it is cleared. The passes toward Sevan, Dilijan and the south ice hard and close in storms. Rental firms fit winter tyres in season — confirm it, and confirm whether the policy covers the mountain routes, which some exclude.

Common mistakes to avoid

Continuing on a foreign licence after obtaining a residence permit — the roughly 60-day exchange window starts then
Renting a car for a Yerevan-only stay when the centre is walkable and parking is scarce
Planning an overland Caucasus loop through Azerbaijan or Turkey — both borders are closed
Taking a street taxi without agreeing the fare, when Yandex Go and GG are cheaper and metered
Driving the southern passes in winter without confirming tyres and insurance coverage

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.