A pair of Azerbaijani entry (right) and exit (left) stamps in a British passport

Visitors to Azerbaijan must obtain a visa from one of the Azerbaijani diplomatic missions, unless they come from one of the visa-exempt countries, countries eligible for electronic visa on arrival or countries eligible for electronic visa. Visitors must hold passports that are valid for at least 3 months beyond the intended period of stay.

Visa policy map

Visa policy of Azerbaijan for ordinary passport holders
  Republic of Azerbaijan
  Visa not required
  Visa on arrival or eVisa
  eVisa
  Visa required
  Admission refused

General visa requirements

A visa for Azerbaijan issued in Tehran, Iran

The applicant's passport must be valid for at least 3 months longer than the expected validity period of the visa applied for.[1] If there are less than 3 months left on the applicant's passport before expiry, a visa will not be granted.[2]

All entrants who plan to stay for more than 15 days are required to register their location with the State Migration Service upon arrival (except citizens of Kazakhstan, who are only required to register if they intend to stay more than 30 days).[3]

Visa exemption

Citizens of the following countries can visit Azerbaijan without a visa for up to 90 days, unless otherwise noted:[4][5]

ID – May enter with an ID card in lieu of a passport.

Non-ordinary passports

Visa policy of Azerbaijan for holders of diplomatic or service category passports
  Azerbaijan
  Diplomatic and (Official or Service or Special) passports
  Diplomatic passports
  Visa-free status temporarily suspended
  Admission refused

Holders of the following non-ordinary passports are also eligible for visa-free entry for 90 days unless otherwise noted:[4][5][9]

D - diplomatic passports
O - official passports
S - service passports
Sp - special passports
1 - 30 days
2 - 14 days
3 - Temporarily suspended

Visa on arrival

Citizens of the following countries can obtain an electronic visa on arrival to Azerbaijan, valid for a maximum stay of 30 days. The visa is obtainable at any international airport.[10][11]

The cost of a visa on arrival is US$30. Holders of Japanese passports can obtain a visa on arrival free of charge.[12]

Conditional visa on arrival

Travellers with a residence visa issued by the United Arab Emirates can obtain a 30-day tourist visa upon arrival in Azerbaijan. They must present their valid visa or residence permit along with their passport.[13]

Azerbaijan opens visa on arrival facilities to air travellers of all nationalities when the country hosts international events. For example, all air travellers could apply for a visa on arrival between 1 April and 15 May 2023 if travelling in connection with the 2023 Formula One World Championship. Travellers had to present either a ticket to the event or an accreditation card issued by the Baku City Circuit Operations Company or an organisation affiliated with Formula One.[14]

Travellers to the 2023 International Astronautical Conference in Baku could also receive a visa on arrival between 20 September and 7 October 2023 if they provided a confirmation of their registration for the event. This visa was available at a reduced cost of $20. [15]

Citizens of the United States could obtain a visa on arrival, valid for 30 days, in Azerbaijan if arriving on a direct Azerbaijan Airlines flight from New York City.[10][16] However, this route was cancelled in 2019,[17] so U.S. citizens can no longer receive a visa on arrival unless they meet another condition.

Electronic visa (e-Visa)

A photo of an Azeri e-visa issued to a British passport holder

Azerbaijan introduced electronic visas for citizens of designated countries in January 2017. The system is known as the ASAN viza and visas are issued for a single-entry visit of up to 30 days.[18] Electronic visas should be printed and presented together with the visitor's passport (which must be valid for at least three months beyond the expiry date of the visa) at the border checkpoint.[19]

There are two types of e-visa application: the standard application, costing US$20 and taking up to three working days, as well as the urgent application, costing US$55 and being processed within three hours.[20] In addition to the visa fee, applicants must pay a US$5 service fee.[21]

Nationals of the following countries and territories are eligible to apply for an electronic visa:[22]

In 2017, British travel magazine Wanderlust rated Azerbaijan's electronic visa as the easiest visa to obtain in the world.[23]

Travellers who are eligible for an unconditional visa on arrival can choose to obtain an electronic visa on arrival at Heydar Aliyev International Airport.[24]

There are plans to expand the ASAN system to issue electronic visas for Azerbaijani citizens travelling abroad. As of January 2018, Morocco was selected, and negotiations were also underway with Lithuania and the United Arab Emirates.[25]

Visa required in advance

Standard process

If a traveler does not meet the citizenship requirements for a visa exemption, visa on arrival, or electronic visa or wishes to work or study, they must apply for a visa with their nearest Azerbaijani diplomatic mission.[26] Visitors may apply by mail or appointment, and the application form may be filled out online.[1] Single-entry and transit visas cost US$20 and multiple-entry visas cost US$250.[27]

When applying for a visa, the applicant must present the following:[1][28]

  • A completed application form
  • A valid travel document and a photocopy of its information page
  • Two color, passport-regulation photographs
  • Proof of legal status in the country of application, if applying from a country other than one's own
  • Payment for visa application fees (by certified check)

Invitation

In addition, for all visas except transit visas, the applicant must present a valid invitation.[28][29] The required invitational documents differ depending on the type of visa applied for. For tourist visas, the applicant must provide proof of a hotel booking within Azerbaijan and confirmed flights in and out of the country.[1] For private visit visas, the applicant's host in Azerbaijan must provide a notarized copy of both their identity card and an invitation letter.[30] For all other visa types, they must receive permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before applying for a visa.[1]

To obtain permission, the inviting party in Azerbaijan must file the following documents in person at the MFA office in Baku:[31]

  • A completed application form (available online)
  • A letter from the inviting person or organization stating the purpose of the visa sought after, the length of the invitation, the number of required entries, and the diplomatic mission that the invitee will apply for a visa from
  • A copy of the passport of the invitee
  • Proof of payment of the ₼4 application fee, paid through a bank or online

If a legal representative submits the documents, they must also provide proof of the power of attorney and a copy of their identity card. If the inviting party is an individual, they must also present a copy of their tax number registration letter and proof of address.[31]

Visa facilitation

In 2013, Azerbaijan concluded a visa facilitation agreement with the European Union (excluding Denmark and Ireland) which reduces the number of documents sufficient for justifying the purpose of the trip, envisages issuance of multiple-entry visas, limits the length of processing and reduces the issuing fee or waives it entirely for many categories of EU citizens.[32]

Entry restrictions

Due to a state of war with the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh,[33] Azerbaijan denies entry and transit to Armenian and Artsakh nationals, as well as citizens of any other country who are of Armenian descent.[34][35][36] There have been exceptions, most notably for Armenia's participation at the 2015 European Games held in Baku.[37]

The government of Azerbaijan strictly bans the entry and transit of foreign citizens to and through Nagorno-Karabakh (the de facto Republic of Artsakh) and the exclaves of Karki, Yuxarı Əskipara, Barxudarlı and Sofulu, which are de jure part of Azerbaijan but under control of Armenia, without prior consent of the Government of Azerbaijan. Foreign citizens who enter these territories without permission are subject to being refused entry and transit to Azerbaijan and being included in the "list of persona non grata". The same policy applied to the Armenian-occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh until they returned to Azerbaijani control as a result of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.[38]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the issuance of electronic visas and visas on arrival was suspended.[39]

Visitor statistics

YearVisitors[40][41]
1992—2001
No data
2002
Increase 576,000
2003
Increase 768,000
2004
Increase 989,000
2005
Decrease 693,000
2006
Increase 682,000
2007
Increase 732,000
2008
Increase 1,043,000
2009
Decrease 1,005,000
2010
Increase 1,280,000
2011
Increase 1,562,000
2012
Increase 1,986,000
2013
Increase 2,130,000
2014
Increase 2,160,000
2015
Decrease 1,922,000
2016
Increase 2,044,000
2017
Increase 2,454,000
2018
Increase 2,635,000
2019
Increase 3,170,000
2020
Decrease 796,000
2021
Decrease 792,000
Total (2002—2021)29,418,000

By country

Nationality[41]20212020
 RussiaIncrease 258,315225,201
 TurkeyIncrease 197,907160,504
 IranIncrease 125,35872,783
 GeorgiaDecrease 62,666184,228
 UkraineIncrease 17,42816,953
 UAEIncrease 17,3207,951
 United KingdomIncrease 9,4287,051
 Saudi ArabiaDecrease 8,83411,945
 KazakhstanDecrease 6,9288,498
 IsraelIncrease 6,6554,238
 GermanyIncrease 5,9223,531
 BelarusDecrease 5,7306,036
 IndiaDecrease 5,11712,731
 USAIncrease 4,4092,604
 UzbekistanDecrease 4,2135,283
 ItalyIncrease 3,4982,820
 PolandIncrease 3,3311,198
 PakistanDecrease 3,2248,752
 IraqDecrease 3,2126,119
 JapanIncrease 3,0812,201
 TurkmenistanDecrease 2,7388,257
 FranceDecrease 2,2781,506
 ChinaIncrease 1,7811,532
 South KoreaDecrease 413681
United Nations Other countries
and Statelessness		Decrease 27,121167,284
TotalDecrease 791,751795,722

See also

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Azerbaijan.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in London - Visa Information". Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  2. ↑ "Republic of Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Visa Requirements - Documents required for granting visa". Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  3. ↑ "Registration upon place of stay". The Republic of Azerbaijan State Migration Service. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Visa free countries". Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  6. ↑ "Agreement between the government of the Republic of Turkey and the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan on mutual visa exemption signed in Baku on 25 February 2020" (PDF). Resmî Gazete. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  7. ↑ "Visa requirement for Azerbaijan ends on 1 September". Haberturk (in Turkish). 25 July 2019. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023.
  8. ↑ Maryana Ahmadova (8 July 2023). "Azerbaijan, UAE initiate visa-free travel". Trend.Az. Trend News Agency. Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  9. ↑ "List of visa free countries for the citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan and relevant foreign countries holding diplomatic or service (or official/special) passports" (PDF). Republic of Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. December 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  10. 1 2 "International arrival procedures". Heydar Aliyev International Airport. Archived from the original on 5 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  11. ↑ "Visa centers to open in Azerbaijani airports". news.az. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  12. ↑ "Exemption from state fees". Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  13. ↑ "Important information for UAE residents". Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Dubai. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  14. ↑ "Embassy of Azerbaijan to the United Kingdom - Visa information for Formula 1 2023 visitors". Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  15. ↑ "Visa Policy for Registered Participants of the 74th IAC Simplified". IAC 2023 Baku. 10 August 2023.
  16. ↑ "Visa upon arrival for US citizens". Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United States of America. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  17. ↑ Singh, Jay (15 June 2019). "Azerbaijan Airlines is cancelling their only U.S. route". Simple Flying. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  18. ↑ "Azerbaijan announces rules of e-visa issuance through ASAN Visa system". apa.az. Archived from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  19. ↑ "Azerbaijan to launch ASAN Visa portal on Jan. 10". apa.az. Archived from the original on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  20. ↑ "Conditions for issuing electronic visas". evisa.gov.az. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  21. ↑ "The electronic visa system of Azerbaijan Republic". evisa.gov.az. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  22. ↑ "Countries eligible for e-visa". evisa.gov.az. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  23. ↑ Moore, Peter (12 August 2017). "You're welcome! The 5 easiest visas to get in the world". Wanderlust. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  24. ↑ "Terminals for issuing visas to foreigners have opened at the airport in Baku". RIA Novosti (in Russian). 15 May 2018.
  25. ↑ "Head of section: ASAN service will also issue visas to Azerbaijani citizens". report.az. 15 January 2018. Archived from the original on 17 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  26. ↑ "Republic of Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Visa Requirements". Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  27. ↑ "State fees". Republic of Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  28. 1 2 "Business visa information". Embassy of Azerbaijan to the United States. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  29. ↑ "Transit visa information". Embassy of Azerbaijan to the United States. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  30. ↑ "Private visit visa information". Embassy of Azerbaijan to the United States. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  31. 1 2 "Documents required for the invitation of foreigner or stateless person to the Republic of Azerbaijan". Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  32. ↑ "AGREEMENT between the European Union and the Republic of Azerbaijan on the facilitation of the issuance of visas". Archived from the original on 29 May 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  33. ↑ "Republic of Azerbaijan Country Report 2014" (PDF). NCSEJ. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  34. ↑ Kucera, Joshua (21 January 2019). "Azerbaijan and Russia in escalating dispute over ban on Armenians". Eurasianet. Archived from the original on 9 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  35. ↑ "Russia criticizes Azerbaijan's travel ban on Armenians from Russia". Armenian National Committee of America. 6 July 2017. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  36. ↑ McMahon, Bobby (31 August 2018). "Why Henrikh Mkhitaryan's Europa League 'Ban' From Azerbaijan Is A Red-Herring". Forbes. Archived from the original on 9 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  37. ↑ "Azerbaijani MFA: Mkhitaryan will be able to play in the Europa League final". football.ua (in Russian). 11 May 2019. Archived from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  38. ↑ FS. "Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Romania". azembassy.ro. Archived from the original on 16 August 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  39. ↑ "Coronavirus outbreak - Update 14.03.2020". International Air Transport Association. 14 March 2020. Archived from the original on 14 March 2020.
  40. ↑ "International tourism, number of arrivals: Azerbaijan". data.worldbank.org. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  41. 1 2 "Number of foreigners and stateless persons arrived to Azerbaijan by countries [sic]". stat.gov.az. Archived from the original on 25 June 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2023.


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