Entry/Exit Requirements

You need a passport and a visa to enter Azerbaijan. Get your visa before you travel, and make sure the visa validity dates correspond with your travel. With limited exceptions (persons with invitations from high-ranking officials of the Government of Azerbaijan), you cannot get a visa upon arrival at an airport in Azerbaijan. Neither can you get a visa at the land borders with Georgia, Russia, Turkey, or Iran.

Currently, U.S. citizens may apply for a single- or double-entry visitor’s visa valid for up to 90 days or a one-year multiple-entry business visa. The cost is 160 USD. For either type of visa, you must have an invitation from a person or company in Azerbaijan. That invitation must be certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan in Baku. U.S. citizen tourists booking accommodations through a licensed Azerbaijani travel agency may receive a voucher that entitles them to receive a single-entry tourist visa valid for 30 days, which costs 20 USD. The Embassy of Azerbaijan in Washington, D.C. uses a visa courier service that charges 21 USD for processing and service fees in addition to the basic cost of the visa. Visa applicants are required to use this service. Please see the website of the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Washington, D.C. for more details. The Embassy of Azerbaijan states that visas take 10 business days to process, but travelers are encouraged to apply for their visas early to avoid possible delays, especially in the summer months.

Azerbaijan requires foreign visitors to register with the State Migration Service of Azerbaijan within three days of arrival. Visitors staying fewer than three days need not register. You must submit a completed registration form, a copy of the biographic page of your passport, and a copy of your visa to the State Migration Service either in person, by mail, or via e-mail. The required form (available only in Azerbaijani) should be e-mailed to qeydiyyat@migration.gov.az. Mailing the form via local mail may result in a delay in processing the registration. The form and additional information about the registration process may be found at the State Migration Service website (www.migration.gov.az).

Under a law passed in December 2014, foreigners and stateless persons, who have the right to stay in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan for up to 90 days, may work without a work permit in certain specializations. These specializations include:  all mining industries; all processing industries; electric power, gas, and steam supply, as well as air-conditioning; information and communication; finance and insurance; education; transportation; and water supply, sewage treatment, and waste management. Questions about any restrictions related to this law should be addressed to the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Washington.

Major hotels assist their guests with the registration process, but travelers staying in personal homes, private apartments, or smaller hotels must register themselves. Every individual traveler is responsible for ensuring that the registration has been done. Registration is free, but failure to register or registering late may result in a fine of between 300-400 AZN (380-500 USD). Travelers may be denied permission to depart Azerbaijan until they pay the fine and secure an exit permit from the State Migration Service. Exit permits are valid for 48 hours.

A valid visa is required in order to depart Azerbaijan. If your visa is expired, or you have exceeded the duration of stay authorized by your visa, you must pay a fine of between 300 – 400 AZN (380 – 500 USD). Travelers may be denied permission to depart Azerbaijan until they pay the fine and secure an exit permit from the State Migration Service.

Travelers may apply for exit permits at several State Migration Service locations. The main branch is located at 202 Binagadi Highway, 3123 Block, Binagadi District, Baku; tel: (994-12) 562-5623. The Baku regional branch is located at 53 Ataturk Avenue, Baku; tel: (994 12) 561-8754. There is also a branch office at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku that is open 24 hours. Travelers departing Azerbaijan overland via train to Georgia should secure an exit visa in Baku, or they will be removed from the train and must visit the regional office in Agstafa, located at 4 Heydar Aliyev Prospekti, Agstafa; tel: (994-22) 225-2736.

We recommend you carry at least a photocopy of your current passport and valid visa with you at all times if you do not normally carry your passport.

If you plan on staying in Azerbaijan more than the duration of stay indicated on your visa or wish to work in Azerbaijan, you must apply for a residency permit and work authorization card through the State Migration Service. Part of the application process is the submission of translated copies and originals of many state-issued civil documents like birth certificates and marriage certificates, as well as university diplomas. In order to translate such documents, local notaries require an apostille with these documents. Each state has its own procedures for providing an apostille. Please note that the U.S. Embassy is unable to provide an apostille or certify university transcripts.

U.S. citizens of Armenian ancestry – or even those with Armenian last names – have had their visa applications denied by the Government of Azerbaijan on the grounds that their safety cannot be guaranteed. In 2013, a traveler with an Armenian visa in his passport had his Azerbaijani visa application refused to be accepted for processing.

The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any restriction on entry to Azerbaijan for travelers with HIV/AIDS. However, medical tests, which must be performed at designated clinics in Azerbaijan, are required for those applying for temporary or permanent residence permits. Applications by people with health issues, including HIV/AIDS, are reviewed by the State Migration Service and approved on a case-by-case basis.

Information about dual nationality and the prevention of international child abduction can be found on our website. Azerbaijan does not recognize dual citizenship, and dual U.S.-Azerbaijani citizens could encounter problems living and traveling in Azerbaijan. Furthermore, the Azerbaijani national parliament recently passed a law which obliges Azerbaijani citizens to inform the proper authorities within one month of becoming a citizen of another country. Failure to do so may result in punishment under the Azerbaijani criminal code.

For additional information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information page.