Visa nationals travelling to Azerbaijan for the purposes of business, science, education, labour, culture, sports, humanitarian, medical treatment, personal trip, and official trip purposes may now use an E-Visa, issued with a validity of 90 days, permitting a maximum stay of up to 30 days. The E-Visas are processed by the State Agency on Public Services and Social Innovations (ASAN).  Although there are no restrictions on cooling-off periods between stays, foreign nationals can apply for a new E-Visa only after departing Azerbaijan.

The visa is issued through the ASAN Visa System , which became available for tourist visas in January 2017. The system requires applicants to complete an online form and pay fees (amounting to USD 23), after which it issues electronic visas within three business days. Applicants are then e-mailed an electronic visa that they should print and present with their passport upon entry to Azerbaijan. If the applicant will stay longer than 10 days in Azerbaijan on the E-Visa, then he or she must register with the State Migration Service.

The ASAN Visa System allows for submission of applications for families (of 2 to 10 people) and groups (of 10 to 300 people), as well as individuals. The expiry date of applicants' passports or travel documents must be at least three months after the expiry date of the visa.

What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals Visa nationals travelling to Azerbaijan for Work Permit-exempt activities, and staying no longer than 30 days, can now avoid consular and port-of-entry processes by utilizing the E-Visa instead. This will make the process significantly more convenient.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to emea@fragomen.com.

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