Guidance

Mental Health support for British nationals in Armenia

Published 28 March 2025

Disclaimer

The information contained in this note is intended for your general guidance only, it is not a substitute for obtaining your own medical and legal advice. While all due care has been taken in compiling this information, accuracy cannot be guaranteed and the applicable law and procedures may occasionally change. For these reasons neither His Majesty’s Government nor any member of the British Embassy Consular staff can accept liability for any costs, damages or expenses which might be incurred.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office holds and uses data for purposes notified to the Information Commissioner under GDPR and the Data Protection Act 1998. Such personal data may be disclosed to other UK Government Departments and public authorities.

FCDO consular support

Whenever possible we will seek your permission before taking any action on your behalf.

We can:

• listen to you and help you look at your options
• help you to contact friends and family members if you want to
• visit you in hospital or prison in line with our usual procedures
• raise any concerns about your treatment or welfare with the responsible authority (such as a hospital or prison)
• help overseas medical staff contact medical staff in the UK who may be able to provide advice on your medical history
• give information about local medication suppliers
• be available, as appropriate, to offer you assistance if you choose to remain overseas
• liaise with your travel representative or travel insurance company, if you want us to

We cannot:

• give advice on mental health issues
• buy or supply medication
• withhold or remove a passport
• stop you from travelling abroad
• require you to return to the UK
• pay for you to return to the UK
• pay for food, accommodation or medical bills
• get you better treatment in hospital or prison than is given to local people

What to do if you need help

In Armenia, provision of psychiatric support and the rights of individuals are governed by Armenian law. All foreign nationals in Armenia are also subject to this law.

If there is an emergency or urgent need for medical attention, call 911 for general emergency assistance.

Calls to 911 are handled by the state providers. Call operators are unlikely to speak English and you may need assistance from an Armenian speaker.

By Armenian law, if there is an immediate threat to a person’s life, emergency medical services are provided free of charge to everyone, including foreign nationals. This includes psychiatric services.

Most healthcare providers don’t speak English, although some private ones may have English speaking doctors.

Your UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) are not valid in Armenia.

Normally, psychiatric support is provided in Armenia by specialised medical institutions, which are separate from the mainstream facilities. The staff of these clinics are unlikely to speak English, so you may need an Armenian speaker to accompany you.

Unless your health issue poses an immediate threat to your life, you or your health insurance will have to cover the cost of psychiatric or psychological services.

The psychiatric hospitals Avan Mental Health Center, National Center for Mental Health in Yerevan; and Sevan Mental Health Center in Gegharkunik offer inpatient mental health treatment options free of charge (even if there is no threat to life). These hospitals have paid services as well.

The following private facilities offer psychological and psychiatric support.

Clinics in Yerevan

Vardanants Center for Innovative Medicine

+374 11592100

Somnus Neurology Clinic

+374 96519641

Wigmore clinic

+374 12345678

AYG Center for Psychological Services

+374 77585814

Clinics in provinces

Dilijan Polyclinic

+374 26826077

Ijevan Polyclinic

+374 26343661

Syunik Regional Neurosurgical Dispensary

+374 28554445

Gugark Central Polyclinic in Vanadzor

+374 32222459

You can book an appointment with a GP, who would make a first assessment, provide initial support and refer you to the relevant medical specialist. If you have a pre-existing mental health condition, you can make an appointment directly with a psychiatrist, as no formal reference from a GP is required.

In smaller clinics there are no mental health specialists - you will need to go to the nearest regional polyclinic.

You can also make an appointment with a psychologist or a psychiatrist at a private commercial clinic, which may have English-speaking doctors.

If you are concerned about a general state of your family member’s mental health, you should try to convince them to see a psychiatrist and assist them with arranging a psychiatrist’s appointment.

If the mental health state of your family member makes giving consent impossible, and they require urgent psychiatric assistance, then you, their guardian if they have one, or other third party (including police) need to call 103 or 911 for an ambulance. The emergency psychiatric specialists will assess the patient’s psychiatric condition and decide if urgent hospitalisation is required.

No third party can request hospitalisation either from the UK or from Armenia, unless the person has been deemed by an Armenian court as lacking mental capacity and a guardian has been appointed for them.

Data protection

Just like in the UK, in Armenia there are a number of laws restricting access to personal data, including medical records, without prior explicit consent. If the data holder lacks capacity, the consent should be given by their designated guardian.

Travelling to Armenia with your medication

Armenian regulations on the use of psychoactive substances are strict. If your medication contains narcotic or psychoactive substances, you must carry a prescription in your name with a certified Armenian translation. Contact the British Embassy Yerevan or check the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia for details.

Repeat or replacement prescriptions

If you are visiting Armenia and require a repeat or replacement prescription, you need to approach a certified psychiatrist directly or through a GP. In Armenia, you can buy prescription medicines only with an Armenian prescription. If your prescribed medication does not exist in Armenia, psychiatrists in Armenia will prescribe a similar product.

Carrying a copy of your UK prescription can help local doctors to find the exact or similar medication.

Hospitalisation

Compulsory hospitalisation

As in the UK, you can be hospitalised and detained without your consent if you are considered to be a threat to yourself or others. In Armenia, compulsory hospitalisation can be involuntary or forced. This is comparable to the UK’s ‘sectioning’ procedure but there are significant differences in procedure and law.

Consular staff cannot make decisions for you or influence any actions or decisions made by the medical professionals in Armenia.

Involuntary hospitalisation

Involuntary hospitalisation takes place if your mental state makes you unable to consent to treatment while you need immediate psychiatric assistance and continued monitoring. Involuntary hospitalisation is facilitated by medical specialists based on the request of your family, guardian or the police. Any involuntary hospitalisation has to be authorised through a local court hearing which should be arranged within 72 hours. You will normally be discharged from the hospital through a decision by a commission of psychiatric specialists or a court order.

Forced hospitalisation

If you have committed a crime and you have been deemed mentally unsound through an expert psychiatric assessment you may be forcibly hospitalised.  A local court may then sentence you to forced psychiatric treatment in a specialised psychiatric institution as an alternative to a prison sentence.  In this case, you can only be discharged from the hospital through a court verdict.

Costs of hospitalisation

You should take out health and travel insurance through a global insurance company before travelling to Armenia. Make sure you declare any pre-existing conditions to your insurance company to guarantee your insurance is valid. If you are planning to stay in Armenia for a longer period, you may want to arrange for your health cover through a local insurance company.

Whether your hospitalisation is consensual or at the request of a third person or the State, you may be required to pay some or all of your hospital costs. Any dispute arising from provision of health services to a foreign national or delayed payment for those will have to be resolved in accordance with Armenian law, as there is no superseding international legislation in place. The reciprocal healthcare agreement between the UK and Armenia ended on 1 January 2016.

The UK Government does not cover any hospitalisation costs regardless of your circumstances. Consular staff can help contacting your family/friends to ask for financial support to cover your hospitalisation costs or obtain details on your insurance.

Guardianship

If you are deemed unable to perform daily tasks due to poor health of any kind, a legal guardian may be appointed to look after your interests.

The court evaluates petitions from the government agency of guardianship and custody, and/or psychiatric facility and makes a verdict.

Suicide

In Armenia, attempting suicide or reporting suicidal thoughts publicly carries no liability. However, pushing or provoking someone to take their own life is a criminal offence. If someone’s life is at immediate risk from themselves, you need to call the police and emergency medical or rescue services (dial 911).

A suicide survivor is usually subject to a visit to a state psychiatric facility.

Return to the UK

The cost of a medical repatriation must be covered by your travel insurance or personal funds. The UK Government does not organise or fund medical repatriation. The Armenian authorities do not organise or fund medical repatriation even if the hospitalisation was at their request.

Once the medical team or doctors have decided that you are able to travel and have provided written consent, the repatriation (by air) can be organised through a medical repatriation company. If you need to be hospitalised in the UK, the transfer will be to your local hospital or institution.

Find a UK repatriation company here.

Armenian organisations giving initial free-of-charge counselling advice:

• Armenian Caritas – headquartered in Gyumri, operating in Shirak, Lori, Gegharkunik, Ararat, Yerevan
• Millennial Psychology – allows booking of a free initial counselling session over the phone
• Mental Health Awareness Initiative NGO – a helpful tool for locating and accessing mental health care services in Armenia, along with free-of-charge tools, workshops, and other resources