Visa policy of Azerbaijan

Visa policy of Azerbaijan
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 visas on arrival or countries eligible for electronic visas. Visitors must hold passports that are valid for at least 3 months beyond the intended period of stay.
Visa policy map
General visa requirements
The applicant's passport must be valid for at least 3 months longer than the expected validity period of the visa applied for. If there are less than 3 months left on the applicant's passport before expiry, a visa will not be granted.
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).
Visa exemption
Citizens of the following countries can visit Azerbaijan without a visa for up to 90 days, unless otherwise noted:
ID – May enter with an ID card in lieu of a passport.
Azerbaijan agreed to a mutual visa waiver with Serbia on 1 February 2022. However, this has not yet gone into effect.
Non-ordinary passports
Holders of the following non-ordinary passports are also eligible for visa-free entry for 90 days unless otherwise noted:
Obtaining a visa
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.
The cost of a visa on arrival is . Holders of Japanese passports can obtain a visa on arrival free of charge.
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.
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.
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.
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. However, this route was cancelled in 2019, so U.S. citizens can no longer receive a visa on arrival unless they meet another condition.
Electronic visa
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. 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.
There are two types of e-visa application: the standard application, costing and taking up to three working days, as well as the urgent application, costing and being processed within three hours. In addition to the visa fee, applicants must pay a service fee.
Nationals of the following countries and territories are eligible to apply for an electronic visa:
In 2017, British travel magazine Wanderlust rated Azerbaijan's electronic visa as the easiest visa to obtain in the world.
Travellers who are eligible for an unconditional visa on arrival can choose to obtain an electronic visa on arrival at Heydar Aliyev International Airport.
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.
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. Visitors may apply by mail or appointment, and the application form may be filled out online. Single-entry and transit visas cost and multiple-entry visas cost .
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 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 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.
Entry restrictions
Due to a state of war with the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh, Azerbaijan denies entry and transit to Armenian and Artsakh nationals, as well as citizens of any other country who are of Armenian descent. There have been exceptions, most notably for Armenia's participation at the 2015 European Games held in Baku.
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.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the issuance of electronic visas and visas on arrival was suspended.
Visitor statistics
By country
See also
Azerbaijani passport
Travel visa
Visa requirements for Azerbaijani citizens
References
External links
Republic of Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
State Migration Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Electronic Visa System of Azerbaijan Republic
Azerbaijan
Foreign relations of Azerbaijan