Western Asia · UN member
Azerbaijan: Travel Guide & Requirements
Republic of Azerbaijan · Azərbaycan Respublikası · Азербайджанская Республика
Azerbaijan is a country in Western Asia with its capital in Baku. It has a population of 10.2 million (#94 in the world) and covers 86,600 km². The official languages are Azerbaijani and Russian. The currency is the Azerbaijani manat (AZN, ₼).
Where is Azerbaijan? Map of Azerbaijan
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range.
- Region
- Western Asia
- Coordinates
- 40.5° N, 47.5° E
- Neighbours
- 5 — see list
- Coastline
- Landlocked
- Azerbaijan
- Neighbours
- Capital
- Largest cities
Map of Azerbaijan showing Baku (capital) and the largest cities: Ganja, Yevlakh, Naxçıvan, Lankaran, Şirvan, Sheki, Xaçmaz and Göyçay.
Travel requirements
What you need to travel to Azerbaijan
- Passport
Azerbaijan's e-Visa portal says the expiry date of your passport or other travel document should be at least 3 months later than the expiry date of the e-Visa.
- Visa or eTA
Depends on your passport: of 198 passports, 27 need no visa, 79 need an eVisa, 91 need a visa from an embassy. Check yours or see Azerbaijan entry requirements for every passport.
- Return or onward ticket
No official requirement.
- Proof of funds
No official requirement.
- Travel insurance
No official requirement. Canada's travel advice says to make sure you get travel insurance that includes coverage for medical evacuation and hospital stays.
- Customs allowance
Azerbaijan's customs service says foreign currency can be brought in without any restrictions, by complying with customs procedures.
- Travel advice
High risk — US and UK advice.
Entry rules: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset (CC BY 4.0), each rule cited to an official government source. Always confirm with the airline and the official source before you travel.
Before you go
10 things to know before you travel to Azerbaijan
- Safety: Travel to Azerbaijan carries a high risk: the US State Department rates Azerbaijan Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”), and the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to parts of the country.
- Best time to go: June and September — when daytime highs in Baku are around 25°C.
- Money: the Azerbaijani manat (AZN) — 1 US dollar is about 1.7000 AZN.
- Plugs: type C and F, 220 V, 50 Hz — standard 220–240 V: devices from the US or Japan (110–120 V) need a converter unless they are dual voltage (100–240 V).
- Emergency numbers: Police 112 / 102, Ambulance 112 / 103, Fire 112 / 101.
- Language: Azerbaijani and Russian are official.
- Driving: on the right — speed limits are 60 km/h in built-up areas, 90 km/h outside built-up areas and 110 km/h on motorways.
- Time zone: UTC+4 in Baku.
- Capital: Baku. About 10.2 million people live in Azerbaijan.
- Outdoors: 10 national parks and 2 ski areas.
Key facts
Azerbaijan at a glance
Languages spoken: Azerbaijani 96.1%, other 1.4%; less than 1%: Russian, Avar, Talyshi, Turkish, Tatar, Sakhur, Tat, Ukrainian, Georgian, Hebrew (2019 est.)
Geography & history
About Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan -- a secular nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Shia Muslim population -- was briefly independent (from 1918 to 1920) following the collapse of the Russian Empire; it was subsequently incorporated into the Soviet Union for seven decades. Beginning in 1988, Azerbaijan and Armenia fought over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which was populated largely by ethnic Armenians but incorporated into Soviet Azerbaijan as an autonomous oblast in the early 1920s. In the late Soviet period, an ethnic-Armenian separatist movement sought to end Azerbaijani control over the region. Fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh escalated after Armenia and Azerbaijan gained independence from the Soviet Unio…
Read the full history
Azerbaijan -- a secular nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Shia Muslim population -- was briefly independent (from 1918 to 1920) following the collapse of the Russian Empire; it was subsequently incorporated into the Soviet Union for seven decades. Beginning in 1988, Azerbaijan and Armenia fought over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which was populated largely by ethnic Armenians but incorporated into Soviet Azerbaijan as an autonomous oblast in the early 1920s. In the late Soviet period, an ethnic-Armenian separatist movement sought to end Azerbaijani control over the region. Fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh escalated after Armenia and Azerbaijan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By the time a ceasefire took effect in 1994, separatists with Armenian support controlled Nagorno‑Karabakh and seven surrounding Azerbaijani territories. After decades of cease-fire violations and sporadic flare-ups, a second sustained conflict began in 2020 when Azerbaijan tried to win back the territories it had lost in the 1990s. After significant Azerbaijani gains, Armenia returned the southern part of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding territories to Azerbaijan. In September 2023, Azerbaijan took military action to regain the rest of Nagorno-Karabakh; after a conflict that lasted only one day, nearly the entire ethnic Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh fled to Armenia. Since gaining its independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has significantly reduced the poverty rate and has directed some revenue from its oil and gas production to develop the country’s infrastructure. However, corruption remains a burden on the economy, and Western observers and members of the country’s political opposition have accused the government of authoritarianism. The country’s leadership has remained in the ALIYEV family since Heydar ALIYEV, the most highly ranked Azerbaijani member of the Communist Party during the Soviet period, became president during the first Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1993.
Location
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range
Climate
dry, semiarid steppe
Terrain
large, flat Kur-Araz Ovaligi (Kura-Araks Lowland, much of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus Mountains to the north, Qarabag Yaylasi (Karabakh Upland) to the west; Baku lies on Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) that juts into Caspian Sea
Highest point
Bazarduzu Dagi 4,466 m
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, bauxite
Natural hazards
droughts
National symbols
flames of fire
Driving
Speed limits & road rules in Azerbaijan
The default speed limits in Azerbaijan are 60 km/h in built-up areas, 90 km/h outside built-up areas and 110 km/h on motorways. Posted signs always take priority over these defaults.
- 2020 km/hResidential zonesLiving streets & residential areas
- 6060 km/hBuilt-up areasTowns and cities
- 9090 km/hOutside built-up areasCountry roads
- 110110 km/hMotorwaysMotorways / freeways
- International Driving PermitRecognised: 1968 ViennaCarry the IDP together with your national licence
- Driving sideDrive on the rightOvertake on the left
- Seat beltsRequired by law
- Child seatsNo national child-restraint law
- Motorcycle helmetsRequired for riders
- Road deaths (2021)17.2 per 100,000 peopleHigher than most countries (median 12.4)
Speed limits: OpenStreetMap wiki — Default speed limits (CC BY-SA 2.0). Road-safety laws: WHO Global Health Observatory. Compare speed limits and alcohol limits by country. Defaults for cars; local signs, weather and vehicle type can lower them.
Safety
Is Azerbaijan safe to visit?
Travel to Azerbaijan carries a high risk: the US State Department rates Azerbaijan Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”), and the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to parts of the country.
US State Department
UK Foreign Office (FCDO)Latest update: New information about entry requirements for the upcoming FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival 2026 and travelling on a UK Emergency Travel Document to Azerbaijan. Updated information about visa requirements and entering Azerbaijan across the land border from Iran ('Entry requirements' page).
Updated 23 Oct 2026 · Full travel advice
Sources: US Department of State travel advisories (public domain) and UK FCDO foreign travel advice (contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0). Checked daily. Advice can change quickly — always read the official page before you travel.
Weather
Best time to visit Azerbaijan
The best time to visit Azerbaijan is June and September, when daytime highs in Baku are around 25°C. July to August are also a good time to go. August is the warmest month (29°C by day), February the coldest (4°C at night).
- Jan8°C5°C
- Feb7°C4°C
- Mar10°C6°C
- Apr13°C9°C
- May20°C15°C
- Jun25°C21°C
- Jul28°C24°C
- Aug29°C25°C
- Sep25°C21°C
- Oct19°C16°C
- Nov14°C11°C
- Dec10°C7°C
Best time Good Less ideal
Before you go
Plugs, voltage & emergency numbers in Azerbaijan
Plugs & sockets
220 V, 50 Hz · Standard 220–240 V: devices from the US or Japan (110–120 V) need a converter unless they are dual voltage (100–240 V).
Sources: Wikipedia — Mains electricity by country and List of emergency telephone numbers (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Ski resorts
2 ski resorts in Azerbaijan
- 44 km of slopes
- 17 lifts
- up to 2,550 m
Biggest: Şahdağ Xizək Kompleksi · Tufandag Mountain
National parks
10 national parks in Azerbaijan
- 3,344 km² protected
- oldest from 2003
Largest: Shahdag National Park · Shirvan National Park · Zengezur National Park
Currency · 26 October 2026
Azerbaijani manat exchange rates today
Azerbaijan uses the Azerbaijani manat (AZN, ₼). One US dollar buys 1.7000 AZN; over the last 30 days the AZN has gained 0.0% against the dollar.
What other currencies cost in AZN
Currency converter
Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0), 26 Oct 2026. Banks and exchange offices add a margin.
World rankings
Where Azerbaijan ranks
How Azerbaijan compares with the rest of the world — open any card for the full ranking.
Airports
Airports in Azerbaijan
38 airports and airfields — 3 large, 11 medium and 19 small, plus 5 heliports. 6 have scheduled passenger flights.
Military
Azerbaijani armed forces
Azerbaijan ranks #57 of 145 in the Global Firepower military strength ranking, with a defence budget of $4.9 billion (2025).
People
Population & society
Religion
Largest cities: Baku (2.4 million)
Economy
Economy
Main industries
petroleum and petroleum products, natural gas, oilfield equipment; steel, iron ore; cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles
Export partners
Italy 37%, Turkey 19%, Israel 5%, Greece 4%, Russia 4% (2023)
Top exports
crude petroleum, natural gas, refined petroleum, plastics, electricity (2023)
Travel tools
Handy before every trip to Azerbaijan
Next public holiday
Victory Day — Sunday, 8 November 2026. Then National Flag Day (9 Nov).
Azerbaijani passport
Ranked #138: 34 countries visa-free, 37 with visa on arrival, 4 with an eTA and 33 with an eVisa.
Azerbaijani passport photo
Exact size, head position and background for Azerbaijan's passport and visa photos — make one free with AI checks.
Calling Azerbaijan
Dial +994 before the local number. Internet domain .az.
Climate footprint
39.8 million tonnes of CO₂ in 2024 — 3.85 t per person.
Entry requirements
Visa rules for every passport visiting Azerbaijan: visa-free stays, eVisas, visas on arrival and documents to bring.
News
Latest travel news about Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani passport ranks 76th for visa-free travel worldwide
Azerbaijan shares 76th place with the Philippines in a global passport ranking by Swiss company Henley & Partners, with Azerbaijani citizens able to …
Bosnian Travellers to Azerbaijan No Longer Need Visas, 30-Day Stays Allowed
Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has published a list of nine countries whose ordinary passport holders can enter visa-free, staying up to 30…
Armenia begins return of Azerbaijani citizen who crossed border near pastures
Armenia's National Security Service confirmed on 22 October that an Azerbaijani citizen, reportedly a shepherd who got lost, entered Armenian territo…
Frequently asked questions about Azerbaijan
What do I need to travel to Azerbaijan?
How long must my passport be valid for Azerbaijan?
Where is Azerbaijan?
What is Azerbaijan known for?
What is the capital of Azerbaijan?
What language is spoken in Azerbaijan?
What currency does Azerbaijan use?
What is the calling code of Azerbaijan?
Which countries border Azerbaijan?
How strong is the Azerbaijani passport?
What is the speed limit in Azerbaijan?
Is Azerbaijan safe to visit?
When is the best time to visit Azerbaijan?
What plug type does Azerbaijan use?
How many airports does Azerbaijan have?
Sources: CIA World Factbook (public domain); World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0); names, languages and currencies: mledoze/countries (ODbL); flag: flag-icons (MIT); coat of arms: Wikimedia Commons (file page); exchange rates: Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0); airports: OurAirports.