Armenia may soon begin the process of submitting a formal application for membership of the European Union. This was announced on 24 August by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a debate on the government’s programme for 2026–2031 in the National Assembly. Applying to the EU will initiate a formal procedure, but will not automatically grant candidate status or lead to accession.
Briefly about the main points
- Yerevan may begin the process of applying for EU membership.
- A referendum is possible once Brussels has responded and a roadmap has been drawn up.
- The 2025 Act set the exchange rate, but did not grant candidate status.
- It is not possible to combine full membership of the EU and the EAEU.
- The Armenian Government is aiming to achieve visa-free travel with the EU by 2029.
A referendum may be held following the European Union’s response
Nikol Pashinyan stated that, before a vote on the country’s European future, the country must first make an official application to the EU. In his view, a referendum would be appropriate once Brussels has responded and a clear roadmap for the way forward has been set out.
Preparing the application requires a great deal of work. Under the procedure set out in Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union, the application is examined by the Council of the European Union; for it to proceed further, it requires an opinion from the European Commission, the consent of the European Parliament and the unanimous agreement of the Member States.
The Law on European Integration did not imply candidate status
The Law «On the commencement of the process of the Republic of Armenia’s accession to the European Union» came into force in 2025. It formally enshrined the European Yerevan exchange rate, but this did not mean that candidate country status was automatically granted.
Following the official application, candidate status could be the next major step. To this end, Armenia must complete the required procedures and obtain the consent of the European states.
The European course raises the question of membership of the EAEU
Armenia’s membership of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union remains the most difficult political dilemma. Pashinyan has previously acknowledged that full membership of both the EAEU and the European Union is not possible.
At the same time, Yerevan has no plans to leave the EAEU immediately and intends to continue cooperating until European integration requires a definitive choice to be made. The Prime Minister linked Russia’s concerns about Armenia’s rapprochement with the EU to a broader transformation in Yerevan’s relations with Moscow.
The visa-free dialogue with the EU is being pursued separately
At the same time, Armenia is working towards visa liberalisation with the EU. The dialogue officially began in 2024, and in November 2025 the European Commission submitted to Yerevan an action plan for reforms in the areas of biometric documents, border control, migration, security and the protection of human rights.
In December 2025, the first EU assessment mission took place in Yerevan. The visa-free regime is a separate process from accession, and the Armenian government is aiming to achieve it by 2029.
