Do you need a foreign passport to Azerbaijan: list of required documents (photo + video)

Are Azerbaijan's air borders open or not for Russians from February 15, 2021?

The authorities of Russia and Azerbaijan have officially resumed international flights from February 15, 2021, according to the website ria.ru. Flights take place on the Moscow – Baku route.
Citizens of Azerbaijan and people with a residence permit in the country can use these flights.
Ordinary tourists from Russia and persons who do not have grounds for entry cannot fly to Azerbaijan.
The following foreigners are officially allowed to cross the border: close family members of an Azerbaijani citizen, persons traveling for official work or study, as well as diplomatic representatives.

Azerbaijan's borders are closed to foreigners until March 1, 2021

In the spring of 2021, the Azerbaijani authorities closed all land borders of the country due to the spread of coronavirus. It was planned that the closure of borders to land and air transport would initially last until March 1.

Restrictions on entry into the country are constantly being extended. The official authorities of Azerbaijan stated that state borders will operate under restrictions until March 1, 2021. This is reported on the website tass.ru.

Entry rules for Russians

In order for Russians and citizens of CIS countries to visit here for up to 90 days, they do not need to apply for a visa. Upon arrival in the country, citizens of the Russian Federation must have a foreign passport with them, which will be valid for the entire period of the person’s stay in Azerbaijan.

Official information about entry into the country is available on the information portal of the Consular Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Rules for entering Azerbaijan with children

If Russians travel to Azerbaijan with children, they need to familiarize themselves with some rules. Thanks to this, no problems will arise. In this case, you need to take some documents with you:

child's birth certificate;
his international passport;
if the child arrives alone or as a third party, you must provide a power of attorney certified by a notary.

Information about a child under 6 years of age must be included in the parents’ passport. There must also be a photo of him there.

Sample of a child's passport

If the child is over 14 years old, then he must have his foreign identity card with him.

Entry restrictions

Restrictions apply for Russians, Ukrainians and citizens of some CIS countries. You should definitely familiarize yourself with them before your trip. Difficulties with entry may arise if a person of Armenian appearance comes to the country or when indicating the place of birth of this country.

Although this fact is denied here, in practice such problems still arise. Entry to Azerbaijan in 2021 may be prohibited if you have previously visited Nagorno-Karabakh. Tourists should not say anything here about politics, a trip to Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. Otherwise, there should be no problems crossing the border.

When entering Azerbaijan by car, it must have international insurance.

Features and nuances of border crossing

There are some subtleties that need to be taken into account when planning a trip to Azerbaijan.

Traveling with minor children

If the trip involves the presence of a child, then it is necessary to issue a foreign passport for him in Russia.

Other documents allowing the entry of minor children into the territory of Azerbaijan will not be suitable. In addition, you still need to issue other documents for the child:

Birth certificate.
When traveling with one of the parents, you must obtain a notarized travel permit.
Medical insurance (optional).

Registration at the place of residence of foreigners

According to the law of the country, every arriving person must register with the State Migration Service. This applies to those who come here for more than 14 days. During this time, the receiving institution where the tourist has settled must submit an application form and a photocopy of the passport for registration of the foreigner to the country's migration service.
Then this government body must provide a response regarding the tourist’s registration within 1 working day.
If entry occurs on a visa, then registration must be issued for the period of its validity. In case of stay in the country for a period of 90 days, the registration must be valid for this period.
To deregister a tourist, the receiving party must submit an application to this effect. This can also happen automatically after the document's validity period expires.

Visa entry: features

When the visit does not last more than 90 days, a visa is not required.
This condition applies to different purposes of the visit: tourism, visiting relatives, acquaintances or friends, business and work trips, etc.

If a longer stay in the country is required, a visa will be required, and its type depends on the purpose of visiting the country.

Important! Citizens of other states who are in the Russian Federation but do not have citizenship must apply for a visa at the official representative offices of Azerbaijan in Russia.

Regardless of the fact that a citizen of the Russian Federation does not require a special visa, it is still important to follow the established standards for foreigners who have entered the state:

It is imperative that the passport is valid for at least 3 months after the completion of the visit.
There should be no prohibited substances or goods among personal belongings.
After the end of the 90-day period (unless an extension procedure has been carried out), you are required to leave the country.

Customs rules for crossing the border

When visiting the country you can import into Azerbaijan:

bring 1 kg of tobacco products;
1.5 liters of alcohol and 2 liters of wine;
Perfumes;
Other goods worth up to $10,000;
Export personal belongings and handmade goods that were purchased in the country.

In this case it is prohibited:

import and export various types of weapons;
goods related to drugs;
animals;
import photographs and printed publications that are prohibited by law;
vegetables and fruits;
export antiques without special permission;
handicraft goods.

The customs declaration must be kept throughout the entire trip to avoid complications. Baggage control is mandatory on every train into the country.

Upon arrival in Azerbaijan, there is no need to pay additional fees at the airport.

Import and export of currency

When crossing a country's border, everyone needs to follow local rules. They must be observed by all tourists.

When entering the country, you can take with you foreign currency without declaration, no more than $10,000. You need to have a declaration with you if the import amount is larger.
You can also export currency without declaration in an amount not exceeding 10,000 US dollars.

This is what the new Azerbaijani money looks like - manats

Local currency can only be imported and exported by Azerbaijani citizens.

What money and currency should you take with you?

Every tourist needs to know information about the country’s money. In Azerbaijan, the local currency is the manat. You can exchange money at local banks and exchange offices.

Trading establishments and shops accept manats, as well as dollars and rubles.

The most popular means of transport for traveling to the country is considered to be an airplane. Nowadays there are large airlines that constantly offer people great deals and discounts. Flights operate regularly from Moscow, as well as from other major Russian cities.

You can travel around the country by plane and train, but the most convenient way is by bus. Taxi services are also actively developed here.

Do Russians need a foreign passport to enter Azerbaijan?

Gone are the days when Russia and Azerbaijan were part of the same republic of the USSR. Now every country protects its borders even from friendly neighbors. And if earlier entry into Azerbaijan was carried out using an internal passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation, then by the Decree of March 5, 2005, it was decided to introduce a foreign document. That is, the entry of Russians into Azerbaijan is still carried out without visas, but with a foreign passport.

Sunny Azerbaijan

Russian citizens do not require a visa to enter Azerbaijan for up to 90 days. However, Russian citizens are required to show a foreign passport (or official, diplomatic, or sailor’s passport).

Border control of Azerbaijan puts a stamp on the document indicating border crossing. On its basis, visitors are entered into the migration register at their place of stay.

The validity of a foreign passport at the time of travel must be at least three months. This is the validity period of the entry stamp - up to 90 visa-free days.

If a Russian plans to stay in a sunny country for more than three months, he will have to apply for a visa at the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Migration Service requires visitors to register at their place of residence after three days. Those staying at the hotel will not have to apply for an account. This responsibility is assumed by the hotel administration.

Migration Service Baku

Registration in the migration register begins with a regular application, which can be submitted in three ways:

by regular mail;
by email;
personally in hands.

As soon as 90 days of stay in the country have expired, the entry in the register will be canceled. The owner of the apartment into which the visitor has moved in has the right to personally remove the guest from the migration register.

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Entry to Azerbaijan with children

When entering the territory of Azerbaijan with children, parents must comply with a number of rules regarding documents for the child to travel abroad.

Admission of teenagers from 14 to 18 years is carried out only with a foreign passport!

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The advantage of visa-free entry

Countries that have concluded a bilateral agreement with Azerbaijan fall into the visa-free entry category. Namely, 11 former members of the USSR - Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Belarus. That is, almost all CIS countries, except Turkmenistan and Armenia.

As an exception, people are allowed through without a passport:

stateless, traveling on traveler documents;
refugees;
passenger aircraft crew;
German children under 15 years of age with a Kinderausweis certificate.

Citizens of countries other than Russia can enter Azerbaijan only with a visa.

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We issue a passport through the electronic website

Do you need to urgently apply for a passport? The State Services website (https://www.gosuslugi.ru) accepts applications for the issuance of international passports to citizens of the Russian Federation. To order a service, you first need to fill out an application, after which the system will send the request to the Federal Migration Service for consideration. When the information is processed, the applicant will receive either approval for the issuance of a passport or a refusal.

Documents required for a foreign passport when submitting an application through the State Services Portal:

Passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation.
Proof of the need for urgent registration of a passport. Such documents include: letters from medical organizations about the need for urgent travel for treatment, messages from abroad confirming a serious illness or death of a relative.
A foreign passport that has already expired (if you have one).
Receipt for payment of state duty.
Four photographs (3.5x4.5 cm).
A completed application form to the Administrative Regulations on the issuance of a foreign passport (for adults – Appendix No. 1 in two copies, for children – Appendix No. 3 in one copy).
If a citizen is undergoing military service, then permission from the command is required.
Men from 18 to 27 years old - a military ID or a certificate from the military registration and enlistment office.
If a citizen applies for a second international passport (with electronic media), he will need to attach a petition from the organization that is sending him abroad.

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On a trip with children

Birth certificate and an extract from the place of registration confirming the citizenship of the child. If the citizenship mark is on the birth certificate, then you do not need to show the extract.
Documents of the child’s legal representative – adoption certificate, documents establishing guardianship or trusteeship.
To include a child in the parent’s passport, you will need to fill out one copy of Appendix No. 2b to the Administrative Regulations. To obtain a separate children's passport, fill out Appendix No. 3.
Four photos of the child (3.5x4.5 cm).
Receipt of payment of the state fee for a child’s passport. Payment of the state duty can be made through the State Services Portal.
If you have one, an old child’s passport for removal.
Application from a child 14-18 years old for consent to leave the Russian Federation to live in another country.

The specified list of documents remains the same if a person decides to issue a new passport. Only the passport application form changes.

The electronic form of government services allows you to save time for the applicant for a foreign passport and get rid of the waiting list at migration service offices. Currently, half of the Russian population uses the services of the Unified Public Services Portal (UPSP).

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Have the entry features changed?

Customs control checks each entry not only for the presence of documents. In principle, the inspection procedure by Azerbaijani border guards is no different from the Russian inspection. However, there are some exceptions that are important to know before traveling.

It is interesting to know that in almost every corner of Azerbaijan you can pay in American dollars, and in cash. This is the currency that the country prefers. It is somewhat more difficult to exchange rubles for manats (the monetary unit of Azerbaijan). It is useless to take credit cards with you - they are accepted only at the hotel.
The Azerbaijani authorities ask that imported funds be declared so that there are no problems when leaving. This is done to reconcile the imported amount with the exported amount. Thus, customs officers make sure that no money is taken out of the country.
The import of animals, birds, fresh vegetables and fruits is prohibited.
The import of alcohol and cigarettes is allowed in limited quantities. Alcoholic drinks – no more than 1.5 liters of strong drinks and 2 liters of wine. Cigarettes – no more than 1 thousand pieces.
Due to the Nagorno-Armenian conflict, the customs service does not allow people of Armenian appearance to enter. Even if a person does not have Armenian citizenship, the border guards will still not allow him into the territory of the Azerbaijan Republic. The refusal is motivated by the fact that the state cannot provide him with security. The same applies to individuals with Armenian surnames.
Objects of art and culture are allowed to be imported into the territory of the Azerbaijan Republic without customs duties and restrictions on quantity.

On August 16, 2014, a new requirement for cars was introduced. A car that does not meet the Euro 4 standard must be accompanied by supporting documents from the owners. This is a declaration, a passport, documents on permanent registration of the vehicle, a power of attorney from the real owner of the car. Such tougher measures are needed to ensure that non-ecological transport will be removed from the territory of the Azerbaijan Republic.

Border guards oblige owners of cars without a Euro-4 certificate to pay a deposit - up to 40% of the cost of the vehicle. You can collect this money upon departure.

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Possible problems

The conflict situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan led to the closure of the common border. Therefore, foreigners whose international passports contain Armenian visa stamps will face an unpleasant surprise at the border of the Azerbaijan Republic. Most likely, they will be allowed through, but the border guards will first conduct an interrogation and a thorough inspection of their belongings. By the way, you won’t be able to enter Armenia through Azerbaijan either.

For the same reason, Nagorno-Karabakh was blacklisted. Azerbaijan did not recognize the separation of Karabakh to Armenian lands, calling Armenia an aggressor country. Therefore, if a mark about Karabakh is found in the passport of foreigners, it will be more difficult to enter the Azerbaijan Republic.

Moreover, any evidence of visiting the forbidden region found by border guards (photos, maps, descriptions in the route) is regarded as a crime. “Hard evidence” can even lead to jail time.

Electronic visa for foreign tourists

Currently, there is a presidential decree in Azerbaijan, on the basis of which tourists have the right to receive electronic visas. This was done to facilitate the registration process so that as many tourists as possible would come to the country. As a result, they need to contact a travel agency, and they submit an application to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After processing the application (which takes about 15 days), the tourist receives an electronic visa. Only before visiting the country, the document must be presented at the border in printed form.

Sample of an electronic tourist visa

This document is valid for 30 days. Its price is $20 US. Today, many travel companies in Azerbaijan work with an electronic program.

How to enter Azerbaijan without problems: do you need a foreign passport?

Azerbaijan is a very interesting and fascinating country for Russians, which attracts with its culture, traditions, and the opportunity to do business. But not everyone knows what the features of entering this country are, whether you need a foreign passport to Azerbaijan in 2021, when to apply for a visa, etc.

In 2005, the governments of both countries signed agreements to simplify the visa regime for residents of their countries. Since then, Azerbaijanis can enter Russia on the basis of a foreign passport, just as Russians have the right to visit Baku by presenting a foreign passport at the border.

Features of 2021

But is a foreign passport to Azerbaijan always necessary for residents of the Russian Federation? According to the country's visa legislation, Russians can show any type of identification document that is suitable for traveling abroad when crossing the border. Among the features of the stay of visitors from Russia in one or another Azerbaijani city, it should be noted:

You are allowed to stay in the country for no more than 90 days.
A foreign passport for travel must be valid for the entire period of visiting Azerbaijan.
You do not need a visa for a tourist trip.
When a person intends to stay in Baku for more than one month (30 days), then he is required to go through a mandatory registration process with the migration service. To obtain a certificate, you need to bring the original and a copy of the pages of your foreign passport, a completed application form with the correct dates and purpose of the trip.

Do Russians need a foreign passport to Azerbaijan for long trips? If a foreigner plans to stay in the republic for more than three months (90 days), then he will need to apply for a visa. To do this, Russians are required to collect a package of documents, which includes a foreign passport, and take them to the Azerbaijani Embassy in Moscow.

If the reason for the long stay is documented and justified, then the person will receive a visa. After arrival, a foreigner is obliged to go to the migration service at his place of residence in the republic within three days. This will allow you to receive a registration certificate, the validity of which will be equal to the period of the visa provided.

To Azerbaijan with children

Russians often take tourist trips to Baku or other cities with children. To do this, you must show the following documents at the border:

Original birth certificate of the child.

If children have their own identity cards for foreign travel or a passport, then these documents must be shown at the border checkpoint.
Passport of one of the parents, if the photo of the child (under 6 years old) and his data are included in the foreign passport of the mother or father.
Notarized permission to take a child abroad if the child enters Azerbaijan with only one of the parents. The same requirement exists for guardians or other accompanying persons.

Important nuances

Using a foreign passport to travel to the republic is suitable for traveling by car, plane, train or bus.
You cannot enter Azerbaijan from Armenia, which is due to the lack of diplomatic relations between the countries. In addition, the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is officially considered closed. When tourists try to enter Azerbaijan from Armenia, border guards have the right to arrest, interrogate and search.
You can import any amount of foreign currency into the country, the details of which are entered in the customs declaration. The document is kept until the end of the journey and shown to border guards. When leaving Azerbaijan, the amount of currency should not be more than that indicated in the declaration.

Types of visas for visiting Azerbaijan

When preparing documents for a trip to the country, you must clearly indicate the purpose of your visit. Depending on this, the type of visa is determined:

official;
diplomatic;
working;
student;
business;
for temporary residence.

In case of deviation from the visa regime and the legislation of the country, administrative and criminal liability is provided for Russians and citizens of other states.

Work Visa

If visiting Azerbaijan is related to work or business, then a work visa is issued. At first it can be issued for a short period. But later it can be extended for the required time.

Sample of Azerbaijani work visa

Most employees here receive high salaries by the standards of other Asian CIS countries. Everyone can find a suitable job in Azerbaijan according to their profession.

Documents for obtaining a long-term visa

To obtain a visa, a tourist must visit the Azerbaijani embassy. In this case, you need to have the following documents with you:

questionnaire;
This is what the visa application form looks like
photo size 3x4, 2 pcs.;
photocopy of international passport;
invitation letter;
a receipt confirming payment of the state duty.

The form must be filled out in the state or English language. Importance is given to the literacy and legality of documents. To avoid any difficulties with registration and registration, it is best to contact a law firm. Here you can take advantage of legal support for the preparation of documents, which is a guarantee of a positive decision. If the visa is refused, then the fee does not need to be paid.

It must be remembered that if the passport expires after 3 months, then visiting the country will not be allowed.

It is expected that an electronic visa issuance system will be actively operating in Azerbaijan. This significantly simplifies the entire registration procedure for tourists, since they will not need to visit the embassy and spend a lot of time in queues.

Example of Azerbaijani visa

All information of interest about electronic forms can be found on the website of the Azerbaijani Embassy.

Documents for a visa to Azerbaijan

This is what a visa to Azerbaijan looks like.
To apply for a visa to Azerbaijan you will need:

completed application form;
international passport, the validity period of the certificate must exceed the period of stay in Azerbaijan;
internal passport of a resident of Russia;
invitations from a place of work, study or from an individual
2 photographs, size 3 by 4 cm;
notification of fees at the consulate.

Return flight tickets or a hotel voucher are not included with the main package of documents. This is very convenient if the trip turned out to be unplanned and it was not possible to book a hotel in advance.

Visa application form to Azerbaijan (137 Downloads)