Armenia
Currency in Armenia: what to use and how to exchange
Armenia uses the Armenian dram (AMD, ֏), roughly 380–400 to the US dollar in 2026 (check). Bring some clean USD or EUR cash for exchange, withdraw dram from bank ATMs in Yerevan, and treat cards as backup outside the capital. Exchange rates and ATM fees change, so check before you fly.
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GuideArmenia
Key facts
- Currency
- Armenian dram (AMD, ֏); 100 luma = 1 dram, luma coins rarely used
- Rough rate
- About 380–400 AMD to 1 USD in 2026 (check)
- Best rate
- Bank branches and exchange offices in Yerevan, not hotels or airports
- Cards
- Widely accepted in Yerevan; carry cash for small towns, marshrutkas and markets
- ATMs
- Common in Yerevan and larger towns; fees and limits vary by bank (check)
- Cash to bring
- Clean, unmarked USD or EUR notes; damaged or old notes may be refused
- Tipping
- Service charge often on the bill; otherwise about 10%
- Time zone
- UTC+4 all year, no daylight saving
Details
The dram is a closed currency: you cannot buy it before you arrive, and you cannot spend leftover notes at home. Plan to arrive with a small amount of USD or EUR cash for your first taxi or bus, then exchange or withdraw once you are in the city.
Yerevan has the deepest market. Bank branches and dedicated exchange offices post daily buy and sell rates in their windows, and spreads are usually tight. Hotels, the airport and tourist-area kiosks are convenient but cost more per unit. Outside Yerevan, rates get thinner and opening hours shorter, so change enough before you leave the capital for a multi-day loop.
Cards work well in Yerevan: hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, larger shops and many tour operators take Visa and Mastercard. Smaller guesthouses, village cafés, marshrutka drivers and market stalls are cash-only. Keep a few thousand dram in small notes for those cases.
ATMs are easy to find in Yerevan and in most towns on the main routes. Withdrawals are in dram. Your home bank may add a foreign-transaction fee and the Armenian bank may add its own; the screen should show the fee before you confirm. Decline the ATM's or terminal's own conversion offer and let your bank do the conversion if you want the better rate.
Summary table
| Method | Where it works | Cost or catch |
|---|---|---|
| USD or EUR cash, exchanged | Yerevan banks and exchange offices | Best spread; bring clean, undamaged notes |
| ATM withdrawal | Yerevan and larger towns | Home-bank fee plus possible local fee (check) |
| Card payment | Yerevan hotels, restaurants, supermarkets | Widely accepted; foreign-transaction fee may apply |
| Card in small towns and villages | Guesthouses, cafés, markets | Often refused; carry dram |
| Airport or hotel exchange | Arrival points | Convenient but weaker rate |
| Leftover dram | Before you leave | Hard to exchange abroad; spend or change back in Armenia |
Tips
- Bring a mix: some USD or EUR cash plus a card, so one failure does not strand you.
- Ask for smaller notes when you exchange; 10,000-dram notes are awkward at small stalls.
- Count your change in busy markets and taxis, and agree the fare before you get in.
- Keep a receipt or photo of the exchange slip if you may change dram back.
- Tell your bank you are travelling so your card is not blocked on the first withdrawal.
- Prices in tourist areas are sometimes quoted in dram and sometimes in dollars; confirm which before you pay.
FAQ
Questions people ask
What currency is used in Armenia?
The Armenian dram, code AMD, symbol ֏. It is a closed currency, so you get it after you arrive and generally cannot buy it before you travel. Roughly 380–400 dram to the US dollar in 2026 (check).
Where is the best place to exchange money in Armenia?
Bank branches and exchange offices in Yerevan, where rates are posted and spreads are tightest. Hotels, the airport and tourist kiosks are convenient but cost more. Change enough cash before heading to smaller towns, where options are fewer.
Is it better to bring cash or use a card in Armenia?
Both. Cards work in Yerevan hotels, restaurants and supermarkets, but small guesthouses, village cafés, marshrutkas and markets are cash-only. Bring clean USD or EUR notes to exchange, plus a card for larger bills and ATM backup.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialCentral Bank of Armenia
- secondaryWikivoyage – Armenia