Notably, though, before booking your flights and planning your journey to Yanar Dag’s eternal fire or the Palace of The Shirvanshahs, you’ll first need to examine Azerbaijan’s visa requirements. In particular, depending on your nationality, we may:
- Require what’s called an eVisa (Electronic Visa) to enter
- Be eligible for a Visa on Arrival (VoA) when you land.
- Be visa-exempt for this trans-continental destination
- Have to apply for a traditional visa at the nearest Azerbaijani embassy
In this article, we’ll discuss the entry regulations for Azerbaijan depending on what passport we hold. Read on to learn more!
About the Azerbaijan eVisa and Who’s Eligible
Since January 2017, Azerbaijan’s government offers an eVisa to eligible nationalities. This is a digital travel document that you apply for and obtain entirely online. To get it, you enter your personal and passport details into the website form, upload the supporting documents, pay the fee, and the eVisa then arrives in your email inbox for you to print and take on your trip.The Azerbaijan eVIsa permits visits of up to 30 days to this Eurasian Republic, and it’s valid for 90 days from the date of issue. It’s a single entry pass, meaning that you can enter and exit the country only once. You must apply at least three days before arriving in Azerbaijan.
To apply for the Electronic Visa, you’ll need:
- A passport that’s valid for at least three months after our intended stay- A scanned copy of our passport’s bio page (the page with the photo) in JPEG format, to upload
- Your personal and passport details, to enter into the form
- A valid email address, where your validated eVisa will be sent
- A debit or credit card, to pay for your application
You can learn more about the eVisa on the Azerbaijan page at Byevisa.com.
Here is the list of countries whose citizens can apply for this digital entry pass:
Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Holy See (Vatican City), Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea (South), Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Vietnam
About the Azerbaijan Visa on Arrival and Who Can Apply
Alternatively, the citizens of 16 other countries are eligible for Azerbaijan’s Visa on Arrival (VoA). You apply for a VoA when you get to the border, typically after disembarking from your flight. How it works is, you fill in the entry form for your travel pass there and then, show your passport, pay the fee, and the customs agent then approves your application.Azerbaijan’s VoA permits visits of up to 30 days. You can apply at any of the country’s international airports, namely:
- Heydar Aliyev International Airport (airport code: GYD) in Baku.
- Ganja International Airport (KVD) in Ganja.
- Lankaran International Airport (LLK) in Lankaran.
- Nakhchivan International Airport (NAJ) in Nakhchivan.
- Qabala International Airport (GBB) in Qabala.
- Zaqatala International Airport (ZTU) in Zaqatala.
To apply, your passport must have at least three months validity remaining after your planned stay.
Here is the list of nationalities that can apply for the VoA:
Bahrain, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Macau, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, United Arab Emirates
About the Visa Exemption for Azerbaijan and Who Qualifies
Furthermore, there are 11 countries whose citizens can visit Azerbaijan visa-free. In this case, you can enter this up-and-coming Eurasian destination for up to 90 days without prior authorisation. You only require a passport that’s valid for at least three months after your intended visit.These nationalities are:
Belarus, Georgia, Iran (for 15 days within the region of Nakhchivan only), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey (may enter with ID), Ukraine, Uzbekistan
About the Visa From the Azerbaijan Embassy and Who’s Eligible
You apply for a traditional visa to visit Azerbaijan from the embassy or consulate if you’re ineligible for the eVisa and the VoA, and you’re not visa-exempt. To do this, you first make an appointment to visit the nearest Azerbaijani diplomatic mission. Here, the staff will tell you what form you need to fill in, what supporting documents you must supply, the visa fee, and the typical application processing time. Then, once your application is approved, you’re given a paper visa which you show at Azerbaijan’s border when you arrive.What Else Should We Know About Visiting Azerbaijan Related to Visas?
By now you know which entry pass we apply for to enter Azerbaijan, depending on what passport you hold. In addition, though, there’s more information to be aware of related to travel documents to visit the home of the sophisticated Heydar Aliyev Centre and the stunning Bibi-heybat Mosque. In particular:You Must Register With the Authorities if You’re Visiting for More Than 10 Days
If you intend to stay in this former Soviet republic for more than 10 days, you must register with the State Migration Service. Fortunately, if you’re visiting as tourists, your hotel will normally do this for you. When booking your accommodation, you should confirm this in advance.
On the other hand, if you’re travelling to Azerbaijan for over 10 days to visit friends or family, or for another reason, then you’ll need to register yourself. In this case, you visit the State Migration Service’s website, select ‘E-Services’, then select ‘Registration Upon Place of Stay’, and fill in the form. This process only takes a few minutes and is free.
If You Want to Extend Your Visit, You Must Apply at the State Migration Service
If you’re having a fantastic time in Azerbaijan and would like to stay longer, then fortunately, it’s possible to extend the validity of your visa. You can increase the length of your trip from 30 days up to 60 days. To do so, visit the State Migration Service’s offices, and they will inform you of the steps to follow. This is ideal if you’d like to see more of this country, such as beautiful Bilgah Beach to bathe in the Caspian Sea!
With this information in mind, you know your visa requirements to travel to Azerbaijan. This makes planning your trip more straightforward, so you can spend less time on paperwork and more time organising the fun things you’ll see and do here.
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