What You Need to Know When You’re Moving to Yerevan

Relocating to Yerevan

About the City

A move to Yerevan means relocation to the capital and largest city of Armenia. Yerevan is a wonderful place to discover and a destination of contrast. Originating as a small town in the 8th century BC, today Yerevan is a large city with a population of over 1 million.

Until Armenia gained independence from the Soviet Union, the population of Yerevan was mostly Armenians with minorities of Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Iranians and Russians. After the Nagorno-Karabakh War many of the Azerbaijanis left, and following the economic crisis in the 1990’s, a large part of the Russian community fled. In 2015 the majority of the Yerevan population is Armenian.

Yerevan is in an inspiring location, situated in the center-west of Armenia, northeast of the Ararat Plain and in view of the biblical mount of Ararat. The city is between approximately 860 and 1390 meters above sea level and the upper part of Yerevan is contained by mountains on three sides, forming the shape of a Roman amphitheater.

Yerevan is the cultural home of Armenia, with many libraries, museums and art galleries, including the National Gallery of Armenia, the Matenadaran Library of ancient manuscripts, and the Children’s Picture Gallery. The city is also home to The State Opera House and the famous Moscow Cinema, which hosts the annual Golden Apricot International Film Festival. With tourism on the increase, Yerevan has numerous luxury hotels, and the Zvartnots airport has recently been renovated.

The Climate in Yerevan

Expats will find the weather in Yerevan hot and dry in the summer and cold and snowy in the winter. As a guide, the average summer temperatures can reach up to 40°C (104°F) and the winter can be harsh and as cold at -15°C (5°F). Yerevan is a sunny city with around 2,700 sunlight hours per year and the city has very little rain, seeing less than 320 mm in a year.

Finding Accommodation in Yerevan

Finding a suitable property for an expatriate and their family can be easy. There are numerous housing search engines, including Estate.am, Bnakaran.com (website in Armenian and Russian only), and Kentron. Foreigners can only rent land for up to 99 years, but they can purchase a house. If you are an expat moving to Yerevan and registering a company as an Armenian business, you can use that business to buy land.

If you are looking to purchase a property in Yerevan, the central area has some of the most expensive houses and apartments in Armenia, with movers paying prices from 50,000 USD. Other popular downtown areas of the city include Babhramyan Street, Zeytoun, Daytashen, Komitas Avenue and Ajapnyak, with property prices starting from 35,000 USD.