Philippine passport holders are required to get a visa to Armenia. However, Armenia only requires either visa on arrival (VOA) or electronic visa (e-visa), so it means that there are less requirements and preparations needed.

Filipinos are allowed to stay short-term for 21 days in Armenia, which is valid for 90 days within the period of your requested date of entry to Armenia. I decided to get an e-visa so that I can plan my trip ahead. It's very easy since it's done online. This article discusses my personal experience on how I got this type of visa.

WHAT YOU NEED TO PREPARE
- Valid passport. Make sure it’s valid for at least 6 months. Scan the bio page of your passport.
- Passport size photo. Sample of valid photos here.
- Date of arrival in Armenia. This information is important to decide early on as it will dictate the validation period of your visa.
- Proof of accommodation. Take a screenshot of it. Note the address and contact number.
Tip: It’s better to reserve an accommodation first before purchasing it. Go to booking.com and choose an accommodation that doesn’t charge any amount for reservation and early cancellation.

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
1. Go to Armenia’s E-Visa Issuance System website (https://www.evisa.mfa.am/) and click APPLY FOR E-VISA.


2. Enter your citizenship, ID type, email, and the captcha. Then, click Next.


Once you click next, this page above will appear.

3. Check your email. Click CONFIRM to proceed to the next steps.

4. Fill in the Passport information, Personal data, Contact information at place of residence, and Contact information in Armenia. For your guide, check the screenshot above.

5. Attach your passport size photo, bio page photo of your passport, and proof of accommodation.

6. Next, choose TOURISM/VISIT RELATIVE/FRIEND, tick Short-term (21 days), and enter your date of arrival in Armenia. Once completed, the visa type, price, validity dates, and number of days will auto-populate. Then, click Next.

7. Double check the summary of application, read through the Terms and Condition, and then tick it. Once done, click Proceed to Payment. 


8. Pay the visa fee of 6 USD (+ 1 USD commission fee) by entering your credit card or Paypal details. An e-receipt will be issued via email.

9. Check your email to get the Application ID, which serves as reference when checking the status of the E-Visa.
* To check the status of application, go to the main page and click CHECK APPLICATION STATUS. 

10. Wait for at least 3 working days. Once approved, an email will be sent with the link to DOWNLOAD E-VISA. Make sure to print this to present to the Armenian immigration in the airport.

Informative personal experience:
I applied on a Tuesday. Since it says that processing time takes 3 working days, I waited until Friday, but the visa status was still pending. Honestly, I got a bit paranoid, thinking that they might have found the bio page of my passport unclear (because I just used an iPhone camera! So avoid doing this!). With that, I decided to email them ([email protected]) attaching a clearer copy of the bio page and re-attaching the other documents.

When someone replied on Monday, I was glad to know that my visa is ready. Also, upon checking the website, the status had changed to approved. So even though the visa approval was one working day late, I'd definitely take it and I'm very thankful! Hello Armenia!