A passport valid for at least 1 month after date of return is required for all foreigners visiting Azerbaijan.

Visas are required by all except nationals of: Bulgaria, CIS, Hungary, Romania and Vietnam. Georgian visas are valid for transit through Azerbaijan for a period of up to 5 days.  If you have a valid visa for another CIS country, you will be allowed to stay in Azerbaijan for 24 hours without having a visa.

The cost of visas varies according to nationality; travellers should check with the Consulate (or Consular Section at the nearest Azeri Embassy) for further information.

Visa application requirements:
For all types of visa you need to present a completed application form, including 2 recent passport-size photos and a valid passport, as well as pay the corresponding fee.  For a Tourist visa you also need a letter of invitation from a travel agency in Azerbaijan or evidence of a confirmed hotel reservation.  For a Private visa, a letter of invitation, processed through the Ministry of the Interior, from a person resident in Azerbaijan is required.  For a Business visa, an invitation from the organisation, department or institution to be visited in Azerbaijan or an introductory company letter indicating purpose of planned business activity is needed.

Travellers resident in countries where there is an Azeri Embassy should obtain a visa before  travelling. Those travellers resident in countries where there is no Azeri Embassy may travel  without a visa, but on arrival your passport will be retained by the port passport authority. If you are in the second case, you should proceed to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs  to purchase a visa and reclaim your passport.  Supporting documents will be required e.g. an invitation from an individual or organisation in Azerbaijan. For travellers that do not manage to obtain an invitation there is the last resource solution of obtaining an emergency visa (valid for one week and non extendible).

The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Tourism introduces special vouchers for overseas tourists coming to Azerbaijan as of April 2003, visas obtained this way cost 20 USD. Contact a travel agency to obtain the voucher.

Airport Visas
Some nationalities, including EU and US citizens can obtain a visa on arrival at Baku airport. No invitation letter is required. Cost: 100$. The procedure is a bit odd, as you need to go to border control, obtain a stamp there, then go to the visa desk and then a second visit to border control. Good luck!

E-Visas
Since 2013 the Azeri Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been operating an online visa application system. To get an electronic visa you will have to fill a questionnaire at their page, www.mfa.gov.az.

Consular Department
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Controlny Street 2 (near Fountain Square)
Baku
Tel: (99 412) 939919, 935940
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10.00 - 13.00 and 17.00 - 18.00

Keeping to Soviet tradition, visitors planning to remain in Azerbaijan for more than 30 consecutive days are required to register at:

OVIR (Interior Ministry)
Visa and Registration Department
58 Rashid Beybutov Street
Baku
Tel: (99 412)  909117

All extensions to valid visas are dealt with by the Consular Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, see address above.  The Consular Department will also transfer a multiple entry visa from an old passport to a new one free of charge.

If you are interested in the legal fine print, consult the English version of the law "about exit from the Country, entry into the Country, and about Passports". In case of need  you can contact the Minister of Foreign Affairs, his telephone number is 938231.

Traveling to the Southwest of the country:

Internal travel to several regions close to the Armenian border or the cease-fire line is restricted; travellers must obtain special permission from the Ministry of the Interior to visit these areas, justifying the need for the trip.

Although Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh, for Armenians) is under the eyes of the international community Azeri territory, travellers wishing to go there must go via Yerevan in Armenia and obtain a Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) visa. To enter the territory of  Nagorno-Karabakh, it is necessary to have an officially  registered visa.

There are two ways to obtain such a visa:

1. By applying to the Nagorno-Karabakh Representation office in Yerevan, at least 3 days prior to departure, to register you need to present your passport and pay 25 USD + 1000 drams, for 7 days, or 40 USD + 1000 drams for 14 days (here we assume that you already have an Armenian visa).
2. By applying to the Consulate of the Nagorno-Karabakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs  in Xankandi/Stepanakert on arrival, to register you need to present your passport and pay a fee.

In Xankandi/Stepanakert the Nagorno-Karabakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs  is located on Azatamartikneri st. 28, e-mail: info@mfa.nk.am, tel (37420) 285501.

See also the section on international disputes and the information about  Xankandi (Stepanakert) and Shusha (Shushi).
 

Traveling to the Azeri provinces in Iran (South Azerbaijan):

If you are going to visit South Azerbaijan probably you will need an Iranian Visa. (Required by all except the following: nationals of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia and Turkey).
 
 

see also: places, photos, Baku airport, law on foreigners, Iranian visas, Georgian visas, Russian visas, Armenian visas, Turkish visas, summary

A to Z of Azerbaijan / A dan Z ye Azerbaycan

www.azerb.com