How to Open a Free Visa or MasterCard Debit Card in Armenia in 2025?

If you live in Armenia, travel here frequently for work, or are simply looking for a convenient international debit card with no extra fees — this guide is for you. We’ve gathered up-to-date information on how and where to open a free Visa or MasterCard debit card at Armenian banks. You’ll learn which documents you’ll need, what fees may apply to non-residents, and which banks offer same-day card issuance.

International payment system cards — Visa and MasterCard — are issued by almost every bank in Armenia. However, the service conditions vary: unfortunately, not all banks offer cards with zero issuance and maintenance fees.

AFM is a platform that helps you find the most suitable debit card, including cards with cashback or interest on balance. Use AFM filters to compare and select the card that offers the best and most convenient conditions for your needs.

What is a free debit card?

By free, we mean a bank card with no issuance or annual service fee. However, other charges may still apply — such as account opening fees, card reissuance, cash withdrawal, or interbank transfer fees.

What documents are required to open a debit card?

This depends on your residency status in Armenia.

1. For residents, only a passport is required. In some cases, a social card may be requested, but it’s not mandatory.
2. For non-residents, additional documents are needed:
3. Proof of address in Armenia (e.g. a rental agreement or residence registration)
4. If necessary, proof of income source

Many banks charge additional fees specifically for non-residents.

How to Know If You’re Considered a Resident or Not

Residency criteria vary from bank to bank in Armenia. Some institutions determine your status based on the length of your stay in the country, while others rely on whether you hold Armenian citizenship. You can view a detailed overview of how Armenian banks define customer residency status.

If you are considered a resident by the bank, you gain access to its full range of financial products under standard rates and conditions, with minimal documentation required.

However, non-residents and foreign nationals often face additional fees at Armenian banks. Typically, these are one-time account opening fees or recurring maintenance charges.

Let’s take a closer look at the potential costs you might face as a non-resident or foreign national when opening a bank account in Armenia.

As you can see, Fastbank is the only bank that does not charge any additional fees for non-residents in Armenia.

Can You Open a Debit Card Remotely?

You can submit an online application via the bank’s website or by phone, but to finalize the card issuance, you’ll need to visit a branch in person with a minimal set of documents.

Unfortunately, Armenian banks do not currently offer card delivery services to a customer’s preferred location, so visiting a branch is almost always required.

Now that you know the general conditions, let’s explore specific examples of free debit cards in Armenia. For clarity, we’ve listed them in ascending order based on the number of available features and benefits.

As of 2025, Ardshinbank offers the widest selection of free debit cards in Armenia. Other banks may issue free cards only for pension disbursements, within payroll projects, or offer digital-only cards without access to a physical card.

Visa Individual Card by Ardshinbank

A standard Visa debit card with free annual maintenance.

Key benefits:

1. Free cash withdrawals at ATMs for amounts up to 100,000 AMD per day.
2. For daily withdrawals above 100,000 AMD, a 0.5% fee applies.

Required documents:

1. Residents need a passport and a social card.
2. Non-residents must also provide a rental agreement or official residence registration, and pay a one-time account opening fee of 15,000 AMD.

Visa Classic Card by Ardshinbank

A standard Visa debit card with the same conditions as the previous one: free annual maintenance and free ATM withdrawals up to 100,000 AMD per day.

For amounts exceeding 100,000 AMD in a day, a 0.5% fee applies.

Required documents:

1. Residents need to present a passport and social card.
2. Non-residents must provide a rental agreement or residence registration, and pay a one-time account opening fee of 15,000 AMD.

Visa Gold Card by Ardshinbank

A Gold-class Visa debit card with free maintenance. It also allows free ATM withdrawals up to 100,000 AMD per day.

Withdrawals over this daily limit are subject to a 0.5% fee.

The key difference compared to the previous cards is the Gold status, which may come with additional privileges depending on the bank’s internal benefits system.

Required documents:

1. Residents: passport and social card.
2. Non-residents: residence registration or rental agreement, plus a 15,000 AMD one-time account opening fee.

Master Debit Card by Ardshinbank

A standard MasterCard debit card with free maintenance.

You can withdraw up to 100,000 AMD per day from ATMs without fees. For amounts exceeding that, a 1% fee applies.

Additionally, the card offers 2% annual interest on your positive account balance.

Required documents:

1. Residents need to provide a passport and social card.
2. Non-residents must also present a rental agreement or residence registration. A one-time account opening fee of 15,000 AMD applies for non-residents.

AEB & Telcell Card by Armeconombank

A standard Visa debit card with free annual maintenance, co-branded with Telcell Wallet, a popular Armenian e-wallet.

This integration allows you to make all payments through the wallet without any fees.

However, cash withdrawals from ATMs incur a 1% fee, so the card is more advantageous for non-cash payments.

You also earn 3% annual interest on your positive account balance.

Required documents:

1. Residents: passport and social card.
2. Non-residents: rental agreement or residence registration may be required.
3. A 50,000 AMD one-time account opening fee applies for non-residents.

Non-Personalized Debit Cards

You can also apply for a non-personalized free debit card. The main difference from standard cards is that it’s issued on the same day, right at the branch when you apply. This is possible because the card does not display your name, but all standard debit card functions remain available.

This is a convenient solution if you need a card urgently.

Visa Classic Non-Personalized Card by Ardshinbank

A standard Visa debit card with free maintenance, but a 0.3% fee for ATM cash withdrawals.

Required documents:

1. Residents: passport and social card.
2. Non-residents: rental agreement or residence registration required.
3. A 15,000 AMD one-time account opening fee also applies for non-residents.

MasterCard Debit Non-Personalized Card by Ardshinbank

A standard MasterCard debit card with free maintenance, but with a 1% ATM cash withdrawal fee.

Required documents:

1. Residents: passport and social card.
2. Non-residents: must additionally provide a rental agreement or residence registration.
3. A 15,000 AMD one-time account opening fee is required for non-residents.

As you can see, Ardshinbank offers the widest selection of free Visa and MasterCard debit cards in Armenia.

If you need a debit card urgently, we recommend choosing a non-personalized one. While they come with some limitations and higher withdrawal fees, even at the bank’s own ATMs, they are issued on the spot, which saves you time.

AFM is the platform that helps you choose the most cost-effective banking products in Armenia.

Use AFM filters to find the best debit card for your needs.