Yerevan is one of the easier cities to land in. You don’t need a visa to enter for most passports, the airport is 20 minutes from downtown, and you can be online, fed, and settled into an apartment within a day or two. This is the short version of what actually matters when you arrive.

1. Money and exchange

The local currency is the Armenian dram (AMD). In mid-2026 the rate hovers around 375–385 AMD to the USD and 410–430 AMD to the EUR, but check the day you arrive.

A few things worth knowing:

• Don’t exchange at the airport. Rates are noticeably worse. Take out a small amount from the ATM if you need cab money, and exchange properly in town.
• Best rates are in supermarkets and small exchange kiosks, not banks. SAS Supermarket and Yerevan City have 24/7 exchange counters with razor-thin spreads. Bring USD or EUR — RUB and GBP are accepted but with wider margins.
• Yerevan is largely cashless. Cafés, restaurants, supermarkets, taxis through apps: all card or QR. Outside the capital (Dilijan, Goris, villages), cash is still king. Carry 20,000–30,000 AMD before any trip out of the city.

2. SIM card

You’ll want a local SIM if you’re staying more than a few days. Data is cheap and coverage is solid.

• Three operators: Viva-MTS, Ucom, Team. Kiosks for all three are in the arrivals hall at Zvartnots, open 24/7.
• Bring your passport — registration is mandatory.
• What to pay: a SIM with 15–30 GB of data and some minutes runs around 2,500–4,000 AMD per month. Ucom tends to have the cheapest data and decent 5G in central Yerevan.
• eSIM: all three operators now offer eSIM activation via QR code at the airport booths. Airalo and Holafly also work if you want to be online the moment you land, but they’re more expensive, and you don’t get an Armenian number.

If you’re staying a month or longer, get a physical local SIM. An Armenian number makes everything easier — banking, taxis, deliveries.

3. Payment cards and banking

For short stays, your existing cards are fine. Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere in Yerevan. AmEx is rare.

• Wise and Revolut work well for daily spending and give you the best exchange rates at terminals.
• ATMs are everywhere in central Yerevan. Ameriabank, Ardshinbank, Evocabank, ACBA, and IDBank all accept foreign cards. Withdraw bigger amounts less often; many ATMs charge a flat fee per withdrawal.
• Idram is the local payment app. You’ll see Idram QR codes at markets, small shops, and Vernissage. If you have a local bank account, link it; if not, it’s not essential.

Opening a local bank account is realistic but no longer instant. Banks now want to see some connection to Armenia — typically a rental agreement, a sole proprietor registration, or a work contract. Ameriabank, Evocabank, and IDBank are the most foreigner-friendly. Bring your passport, a local SIM (for OTPs), and your rental agreement. Expect 1–3 visits.

4. Finding an apartment

Short-term: Airbnb works, but it’s the most expensive route. Booking.com has a surprising number of monthly-stay apartments in Yerevan.

Medium- and long-term (1+ month), the local routes are cheaper:

• list.am — the main classifieds site. Most listings are in Armenian or Russian, but Google Translate handles it. Filter by district, price, and term.
• Facebook groups — “Rent in Yerevan,” “Yerevan Apartments for Rent,” and several expat groups have daily listings, often direct from owners.
• Telegram channels — a few active rental channels post new listings hourly.
• Real estate agents — typically charge 50–100% of one month’s rent as a one-time fee. Worth it if you want something specific quickly.

Districts at a glance:

• Kentron (Center) — most central, walkable, best for short and medium stays. Higher rent.
• Arabkir — quieter, leafier, popular with longer-term residents. 10–15 min from center.
• Davtashen, Ajapnyak — cheaper, more residential, you’ll want transport.
• Nor Nork, Erebuni — more local, less expat infrastructure, lower prices.

Rough rent: a furnished 1-bedroom in Kentron runs 400–700 USD/month long-term, 800–1,500 USD/month short-term. Prices have stabilized in 2026 after the spikes of 2022–2024.

5. Getting around

• Yandex Go and GG are the two main taxi apps. GG is local, slightly cheaper. A ride across central Yerevan rarely costs more than 1,500 AMD.
• Metro has one line, runs end to end in 20 minutes, costs 100 AMD per ride.
• Walking is the real answer for central Yerevan. The center is small and flat.

6. Top places to see in Yerevan

Skip the listicle and just hit these in your first week:

• Republic Square — Soviet-era grand square, fountains run in the evenings in summer.
• Cascade Complex — sculpture garden, city views from the top, free to walk up.
• Northern Avenue and Abovyan Street — pedestrian spines connecting the main sights.
• Saryan Street — wine bars and the Yerevan Wine Days street if you happen to be here in May/June.
• Vernissage — open-air weekend market for crafts, carpets, vintage Soviet objects, and books. Cash only.
• GUM Market — old food market with dried fruits, spices, cheese, and lavash. Worth the visit even if you don’t buy.
• Matenadaran — manuscript museum, more interesting than it sounds.
• History Museum of Armenia — gives you the 3,000-year context for everything else you’ll see.
• Genocide Memorial (Tsitsernakaberd) — sobering, important, and the views over the city are exceptional on clear days.
• Mother Armenia and Victory Park — go at sunset for the panorama with Ararat in the background.

One half-day trip from Yerevan: Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery, easily combined in a single afternoon. Tours run from 5,000 AMD per person; a private taxi for half a day costs around 15,000–20,000 AMD.

7. A few small things people wish they’d known

• Tap water is safe to drink. The street fountains (pulpulaks) are clean and free.
• Tipping is appreciated but not expected. 10% at sit-down restaurants if service isn’t included.
• English gets you through central Yerevan. Russian helps for negotiating, especially with taxis and landlords. A few Armenian words go a long way.
• Power plugs are European Type C/F, 220V.
• Sundays are quiet. Many small shops close or open late.

Once you’re set up, the rest is figuring out where you actually want to spend your days. If you’re working remotely and want a quiet place with good wifi and people around, Ереван Коворкинг is on Zarobyan 18/1, a few minutes from Cascade.