Azerbaijan: visa and entry rules

Azerbaijan's borders: every crossing point

All the land border crossings are closed. The quarantine regime has been in force since March 2020 and is extended time after time. The crossings with Russia (including Samur - Yarag-Kazmalyar), with Georgia (Red Bridge, Lagodekhi, Vakhtangisi) and with Iran are closed. They work neither for pedestrians nor for private vehicles.

Freight moves by land, people do not. Goods traffic with Russia, Georgia, Iran and Turkey has been maintained, and that is what the confusion is built on: lorries are crossing, so "the border is open". For a passenger it is not.

With Armenia there is no border at all - not closed for a time, but non-existent as a working one.

Only the air route is open. The main point of entry is Heydar Aliyev international airport in Baku, and there are other airports as well. By law (article 15.1) the border may only be crossed at official checkpoints.

Leaving by land is possible in certain cases. The restriction concerns entry above all; leaving the country overland is permitted in a number of cases. It is not worth building a route on that: the rule changes each time the regime is extended.

Bringing a car into Azerbaijan

You cannot enter in your own car. The land borders are closed, so the question of temporary import does not arise for a tourist: the vehicle simply will not cross the border.

The temporary import rules are not published while the borders are closed. The available sources do not describe the procedure for passenger cars under the present conditions, and quoting time limits or amounts would be an invention.

If you were planning to drive Tbilisi - Baku, there is no such route: the car has to be left in Georgia and you fly. The flip side of the same thing is that leaving Azerbaijan for Georgia by land is possible in a number of cases, so the two directions are not symmetrical here.

Travelling to Azerbaijan with a pet

Only through Heydar Aliyev airport in Baku. Live animals are brought in by air; the land crossings are closed to them as well.

The rabies vaccination is required for all cats and dogs over three months old, no later than 21 days before entry. Azerbaijan does not recognise three-year vaccines: the vaccination must have been given within the last 11 months.

The veterinary certificate is drawn up by a licensed vet in the country of departure and then endorsed by the state veterinary service.

No import permit is required for personal pets.

There is no quarantine provided the documents and vaccinations are in order. If they are not, the animal is returned to the sender or placed in quarantine at the owner's expense.

Overstaying your visa in Azerbaijan

There is a fine both for overstaying and for failing to register, but the amounts are not named in the Migration Code - they are set by the Code of Administrative Offences. The figures circulating on forums are not backed by anything.

Registration is a separate violation. It is not only the length of stay that can be overrun: if you fail to register within 15 days you are breaking the rules, even if you have not yet used up your 90 days.

Count the days across the whole calendar year. The limit is cumulative, the stamps in your passport only show the dates of entry, and you have to keep track of the balance yourself.