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Armenia: fintech & payments regulation

Regulated

Armenia: CBA regulates payments; crypto licensed under Reg 7/01; FX via exchange licenses

Lead regulator
Central Bank of Armenia (CBA)
Also involved
NFIU (AML/CFT supervision)
Core law
Law on Payment and Settlement Systems
Entry capital
empty
Approval timeline
30 days (statutory review period)
Customer assets
Licensed custodian or PSO only
Data protection
Law on Personal Data Protection · PDPA
Sandbox
No
Monthly snapshots:2026-07

The Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) is the primary supervisor for fintech and payments. The regulatory landscape is defined by the Law on Payment and Settlement Systems for traditional payment services and the newly approved Regulation 7/01 (2026-01-21) for crypto assets. Foreign exchange activities are licensed separately under the Law on Currency Regulation. The CBA actively issues and reissues licenses for Payment and Settlement Organizations (PSOs), exchange offices, and crypto service providers.

Which licence do you need?

Your activityRequirementCapitalTimelineAuthority
Payment processing / gatewayLicencePayment and Settlement Organization License[1][2]

Required for payment processing and settlement services

emptyemptyCentral Bank of Armenia
E-money & wallet issuanceLicencePayment and Settlement Organization License[3][4]

Issued to entities like UPAY and Easy Pay for wallet services

emptyemptyCentral Bank of Armenia
Domestic money transferLicencePayment and Settlement Organization License[5]

Domestic transfers covered under PSO license

emptyemptyCentral Bank of Armenia
Cross-border remittanceLicencePayment and Settlement Organization License[5]

Cross-border remittance requires PSO license and foreign cooperation permits

emptyemptyCentral Bank of Armenia
Agent networkLicencePayment and Settlement Organization License[3][4]

PSOs register branches/agents with the CBA

emptyemptyCentral Bank of Armenia
Open banking / account informationUncertainverify with regulator

No specific open banking framework identified in documents

———
Foreign-exchange servicesLicenceForeign Exchange Trades Activity License[1][6]

Separate license required for currency exchange operations

emptyemptyCentral Bank of Armenia

New — what changed recently

  • 2026-01-21Regulation 7/01 on Crypto Assets Service Provider Licensing — Established the regulatory framework for licensing and registering crypto assets service providers in Armenia.[7]
  • 2025-09-09Amendment to Resolutions 50-N and 377-N — Introduced a mandatory 'Note on Money Transfers' report for reporting banks to enhance AML/CFT monitoring.[8]
  • 2025-07-29Regulation 10/41 on Non-Public Investment Fund Management — Approved procedures for granting permission to manage non-public investment funds, updating existing board resolutions.[9]

Market-entry checklist

  1. 1Apply for PSO License via CBASubmit application for Payment and Settlement Organization license to the Central Bank of Armenia for processing and wallet services.
  2. 2Secure FX License for Currency ExchangeObtain a separate Foreign Exchange Trades Activity License from the CBA if offering currency exchange services.
  3. 3Register Crypto Service ProviderUnder Regulation 7/01, register or license crypto assets service activities with the CBA.
  4. 4Register Branches and AgentsFile petitions with the CBA to register any branches or agent networks for payment services.
  5. 5Obtain Foreign Cooperation PermitsSecure CBA permission to cooperate with foreign payment systems for cross-border remittance services.

Sources

  1. Granting an Activity License to “Rezon” Limited Liability Company (License No. 890) for the Branch of the Exchange Office · 2025-12-30
  2. Resolution on Reissuing License No. 27 for Zender CJSC Payment and Settlement Organization · 2025-10-23
  3. Registration of the Best Life Branch of UPAY Closed Joint-Stock Company · 2025-11-18
  4. Registration of the Easy Pay-Gyumri Branch of Easy Pay LLC · 2025-11-07
  5. Central Bank of Armenia Grants Cooperation Permit for Ubpay with Uremit and Isend · 2025-07-29
  6. Resolution on Granting a Foreign Exchange Purchase and Sale License to Vastand LLC · 2025-11-18
  7. Central Bank of Armenia Approves Regulation 7/01 on Crypto Assets Service Provider Licensing · 2026-01-21
  8. Amendment to CB of Armenia Resolutions 50-N and 377-N Regarding Money Transfer Reporting · 2025-09-09
  9. Approving Central Bank Regulation 10/41 on Non-Public Investment Fund Management Permission and Amending Board Resolutions · 2025-08-01
This guide is compiled automatically from 9 primary-source documents published by Armenia's regulators, reviewed by RegAlert, and refreshed monthly (last updated 2026-08-01). It is not legal advice — always confirm requirements with the regulator or local counsel before acting.