# Visa policy of Azerbaijan

Visitors to Azerbaijan must obtain a visa from one of the Azerbaijani diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries, or citizens eligible for an electronic visa on arrival, or citizens eligible for an electronic visa.
All visitors must have a passport valid for at least 3 months.
Azerbaijan's visa and other migration policies are also implemented in accordance with the mobility rights arrangements within the Commonwealth of Independent States.

## Overview

The applicant's passport must be valid for at least 3 months longer than the expected validity period of the visa requested.
If the applicant's passport has less than 3 months remaining before the expiry date, the visa will not be issued.
All entrants who plan to stay for more than 15 days are required to register their location with the State Migration Service on arrival (except citizens of Kazakhstan, who are only required to register if they intend to stay more than 30 days).

## Visa exemption
### Ordinary passports

Holders of ordinary passports of the following countries may enter Azerbaijan without a visa for up to 90 days (unless otherwise noted):
| Albania$^2$  Belarus  Bosnia and Herzegovina$^U$  China$^{U4}$  Georgia  Kazakhstan  Kyrgyzstan | Malaysia$^{U1}$  Moldova  Montenegro$^U$  Morocco$^2$  Qatar$^1$  Russia$^3$  Serbia$^2$ | Tajikistan  Turkey$^{ID}$  Ukraine  United Arab Emirates$^2$  Uzbekistan |
$_{ID-MayenterwithanIDcardinlieuofapassport.}$ $_{U-unilateralexemption.}$ $_{1-30days.}$ $_{2-90dayswithinany180dayperiod.}$ $_{3-90dayswithinonecalendaryearperiod.}$ $_{4-TemporaryVisa-FreeSchemefromJuly202024toJuly202025for3entriesintotaland30daysperentry,Chinesecitizensonly.}$
* Date of visa changes
* Citizens of Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan have never required a visa to enter.
* September 2019: Turkey
* November 2021: Qatar
* July 2023: United Arab Emirates
* November 2023: Serbia
* March 2024: Albania
* 20 July 2024 - 20 July 2025: China
* 28 August 2024: Morocco
* Cancelled:
* 1992: Armenia
* 1993: Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechia, Hungary, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Vietnam
* 1995: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
* 1999: Turkmenistan

### Non-ordinary passports

Holders of diplomatic, official, service or special passports of the following countries and territories may enter Azerbaijan without a visa for up to 90 days (unless otherwise noted):
| Albania$^{DS}$  Argentina$^{DOS}$  Austria$^{DS}$  Belarus$^{DOS}$  Belgium$^D$  Bolivia$^{DOS}$  Bosnia and Herzegovina$^{1DOS}$  Brazil$^{DOS}$  Bulgaria$^{DS}$  Cambodia$^D$  Chile$^{DOS}$  China$^{1DSPA}$  Colombia$^{DOS}$  Croatia$^{DS}$  Cuba$^{DOS}$  Cyprus$^D$  Czech Republic$^D$  Egypt$^{1DSSp}$  Estonia$^D$  Finland$^D$ | France$^D$  Georgia$^{DOS}$  Germany$^D$  Greece$^D$  Hong Kong$^{2DS}$  Hungary$^D$  India$^{DOS}$  Indonesia$^{1DS}$  Iran$^{1DS}$  Iraq$^{1DOS}$  Israel$^{DS}$  Italy$^{DS}$  Japan$^D$  Jordan$^{DS}$  Kazakhstan$^{DOS}$  Kuwait$^{DSSp}$  Kyrgyzstan$^{DOS}$  Laos$^{1D}$  Latvia$^{DS}$  Libya$^{3DSSp}$ | Liechtenstein$^D$  Lithuania$^{DS}$  Luxembourg$^D$  Malta$^D$  Malaysia$^{1DOS}$  Mexico$^D$  Moldova$^{DOS}$  Mongolia$^{DOS}$  Montenegro$^{DS}$  Morocco$^{DOSSp}$  Netherlands$^D$  Norway$^D$  Pakistan$^{1DS}$  Palestine$^{1D}$  Peru$^{DSSp}$  Poland$^D$  Portugal$^{DSSp}$  Qatar$^{1DSSp}$  Paraguay$^{DOS}$  Romania$^{DS}$ | Russia$^{DOS}$  San Marino$^{DS}$  Serbia$^{DOS}$  Singapore$^{DOS}$  Slovakia$^{DS}$  Slovenia$^{DS}$  South Korea$^{1DOS}$  Spain$^D$  Sweden$^D$  Switzerland$^{DS}$  Syria$^{1DSSp}$  Tajikistan$^{DOS}$  Turkey$^{DSSp}$  Turkmenistan$^{1DS}$  Ukraine$^{DOS}$  United Arab Emirates$^{DSSp}$  Uruguay$^{DOS}$  Uzbekistan$^{DOS}$  Venezuela$^{1DOS}$  Vietnam$^{1DOS}$ |
$_{D-Diplomaticpassports}$ $_{O-Officialpassports}$ $_{S-Servicepassports}$ $_{Sp-Specialpassports}$ $_{PA-Passportsendorsedfor"publicaffairs"}$ $_{1-30days}$ $_{2-14days}$ $_{3-Temporarilysuspended.}$
Azerbaijan signed visa exemption agreements for holders of diplomatic and service passports with Rwanda in September 2023 and Saudi Arabia in September 2024 and they are yet to be ratified.

## Visa on arrival

Citizens of the following countries may obtain an electronic visa, valid for a maximum stay of 30 days, on arrival at any international airport:
| Bahrain  China  Hong Kong  Indonesia  Israel | Japan  Kuwait  Macau  Malaysia  Oman | Saudi Arabia  Singapore  South Korea |
The cost of an electronic visa on arrival is US$30, except for nationals of Japan, who are exempt from visa fees.
Citizens of the United States could formerly obtain a visa on arrival in Azerbaijan if arriving on a direct flight from New York City, valid for a maximum stay of 30 days. As of 2024, no airline operates direct flights between New York and Baku, so U.S citizens are not eligible to obtain a visa on arrival unless they meet another condition.

### Conditional visa on arrival

* Citizens with a residence visa issued by the United Arab Emirates may obtain a 30-day tourist visa on arrival in Azerbaijan. They must present their valid visa or residence permit along with their passport.
* Citizens with a valid permanent residence card issued by any country of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) may obtain a 30-day tourist visa on arrival. They must present their valid residence permit along with their passport.
* Travellers holding a letter of consent from the State Migration Service may obtain a visa on arrival in Azerbaijan.

## Electronic Visa (e-Visa)

Azerbaijan introduced an e-visa 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. The e-visa 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.
There are two types of e-Visa application: a standard application, which costs US$25 and takes up to 3 working days, and an urgent application, which costs US$60 and is processed within 3 hours, in both cases including an unavoidable US$5 "service fee".
Citizens of the following countries and territories may obtain an e-Visa:
| Algeria  Andorra  Argentina  Australia  Bahamas  Bahrain  Barbados  Bolivia  Bosnia and Herzegovina  Brazil  Brunei  Canada  Chile  China  Colombia  Costa Rica | Cuba  Djibouti  Ecuador  Guatemala  Honduras  Hong Kong  Iceland  India  Indonesia  Iran  Israel  Jamaica  Japan  Jordan  Kuwait  Liechtenstein  Macau | Malaysia  Maldives  Mauritius  Mexico  Monaco  Mongolia  Montenegro  Morocco  Nepal  New Zealand  North Macedonia  Norway  Oman  Pakistan  Panama  Paraguay | Peru  San Marino  Saudi Arabia  Seychelles  Singapore  South Africa  South Korea  Sri Lanka  Switzerland  Thailand  Trinidad and Tobago  Turkmenistan  United Kingdom  United States  Vatican City  Vietnam |
In 2017, British travel magazine Wanderlust rated Azerbaijan's electronic visa as the easiest visa to obtain in the world.
There are plans to expand the ASAN system to issue electronic visas for Azerbaijani citizens traveling abroad. Negotiations are underway with Lithuania.

## 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 physical visa with their nearest Azerbaijani diplomatic mission. Visitors may apply by mail or appointment, and the application form may be filled out online. Single-entry and transit visas cost 20 USD and multiple-entry visas cost 250 USD.
When applying for a visa, the applicant must present the following:
* 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. 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. For private visit visas, the applicant's host in Azerbaijan must provide a notarized copy of both their identity card and an invitation letter. For all other visa types, they must receive permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before applying for a visa.
To obtain permission, the inviting party in Azerbaijan must file the following documents in person at the MFA office in Baku:
* 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.

## Visa facilitation

In 2013, Azerbaijan concluded a visa facilitation agreement with the European Union (excluding Ireland) which reduces the number of documents required to justify the purpose of the trip, provides for the issuance of multiple-entry visas, limits the processing time and reduces or eliminates fees for many categories of European Union citizens.

## Admission restrictions

Due to the state of war with Armenia, Azerbaijan prohibits entry and transit to citizens of Armenia and other countries of Armenian descent. Exceptions have been made during certain high-profile international events, such as the Europa League.
The Government of Azerbaijan strictly prohibits the entry and transit of foreign citizens to the exclaves of Karki, Yuxarı Əskipara, Barxudarlı and Sofulu, which are de jure part of Azerbaijan but under the control of Armenia, without the prior consent of the Government of Azerbaijan.
Foreign citizens who entered these territories without permission may be denied entry and transit to Azerbaijan and may be included in the "list of persona non grata".
Entry and transit is refused to citizens of Kosovo, even if not leaving the aircraft and proceeding by the same flight. Azerbaijan also does not recognize the passports of Abkhazia, the Sahrawi Republic, Somaliland, South Ossetia and Transnistria.

## Visitor statistics

| Year | Visitors |
| 1992—2001 | No data |
| 2002 | 576,000 |
| 2003 | 768,000 |
| 2004 | 989,000 |
| 2005 | 693,000 |
| 2006 | 682,000 |
| 2007 | 732,000 |
| 2008 | 1,043,000 |
| 2009 | 1,005,000 |
| 2010 | 1,280,000 |
| 2011 | 1,562,000 |
| 2012 | 1,986,000 |
| 2013 | 2,130,000 |
| 2014 | 2,160,000 |
| 2015 | 1,922,000 |
| 2016 | 2,044,000 |
| 2017 | 2,454,000 |
| 2018 | 2,635,000 |
| 2019 | 3,170,000 |
| 2020 | 796,000 |
| 2021 | 792,000 |
| Total (2002—2021) | 29,418,000 |
Most visitors arriving in Azerbaijan were from the following countries of nationality:
| Country | 2021 | 2020 |
| Russia | 258,315 | 225,201 |
| Turkey | 197,907 | 160,504 |
| Iran | 125,358 | 72,783 |
| Georgia | 62,666 | 184,228 |
| Ukraine | 17,428 | 16,953 |
| UAE | 17,320 | 7,951 |
| United Kingdom | 9,428 | 7,051 |
| Saudi Arabia | 8,834 | 11,945 |
| Kazakhstan | 6,928 | 8,498 |
| Israel | 6,655 | 4,238 |
| Germany | 5,922 | 3,531 |
| Belarus | 5,730 | 6,036 |
| India | 5,117 | 12,731 |
| United States | 4,409 | 2,604 |
| Uzbekistan | 4,213 | 5,283 |
| Italy | 3,498 | 2,820 |
| Poland | 3,331 | 1,198 |
| Pakistan | 3,224 | 8,752 |
| Iraq | 3,212 | 6,119 |
| Japan | 3,081 | 2,201 |
| Turkmenistan | 2,738 | 8,257 |
| France | 2,278 | 1,506 |
| China | 1,781 | 1,532 |
| South Korea | 413 | 681 |
| Other countries and Statelessness | 27,121 | 167,284 |
| Total | 791,751 | 795,722 |