馃敟 Azerbaijan

Official government travel advice

Advice changes quickly. Check it before you travel and again before you leave.

Costs

Prices here are about 28% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.

Practical information

Entry

Visa requirements differ by passport; refer to the official site linked below. For those who need a visa, most sources name an online ASAN e-Visa while some mention a visa on arrival; as the sources disagree, check with an Azerbaijani embassy or on the official site for e-Visas before booking. Stick to the official site alone, since copycat sites will charge extra. A page for a security check sometimes appears when the official site is opened, before it loads. Make sure the passport has at least 6 months of validity left.

Culture and safety - take note

Azerbaijan is Muslim-majority, yet secular and relaxed, and Baku has a modern, European feel. Shoes should be removed on entering a home or mosque, and modest clothing is worn in mosques. Everywhere you go you will be offered tea (chai), and accepting is polite. About 10% is the usual tip. Landmines remain along the Armenian frontier and in former conflict zones, so avoid these areas unless a licensed guide goes with you and local advice is followed; before travelling, read the advice of your own government and of others. Crossings by land to some neighbours may be shut, so base plans on flights. Military sites must not be photographed. Halal meals are widely available.

Emergency

112 for all emergencies. Police 102. Ambulance 103. Fire 101.

Good to know

Cards, fraud and declarations

The manat is Azerbaijan's currency. Canadian advice says credit cards may not always be accepted outside major businesses, and card and ATM fraud occurs, so the keypad should be covered and well-lit machines in public areas or inside banks used. Several machines in major cities dispense both US dollars and manat. Foreign currency must be declared on entry, and visitors cannot leave with more than they brought in.

Local laws and customs

Drugs, military sites and drones

Illegal drugs, cannabis included, bring severe penalties, with long jail sentences and heavy fines, and airport scanning covers transit passengers, UK advice says. Visitors have been detained for trying to photograph or visit military sites. A drone cannot be imported without residence rights and is held at the border until departure. Canadian advice adds that promoting religion is not permitted and that a local SIM used beyond thirty days must be registered at a post office.

Taxis and scams

Fake police and card theft

Thieves sometimes pose as police officers and demand on-the-spot fines from tourists, Canadian advice says. If it happens, offer to walk with the officer to the nearest police station. UK advice adds that card details can be stolen without you noticing, so protect yourself from skimming at ATMs and card readers.

Who can help

local government

Police emergency number 102

Helps with: Azerbaijan's police number, listed with 103 for an ambulance and 112 for the Ministry of Emergency Situations on the national tourism site. No tourist police unit is shown there.

Who qualifies: Anyone in Azerbaijan who needs the police, including visitors.

Phone: 102

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

local government

Azerbaijan Tourism Board

Helps with: The national tourism body. The national tourism site names it as the contact for tourism-related issues and complaints, and gives a Baku phone number.

Who qualifies: Tourists with a tourism-related problem or complaint in Azerbaijan, and anyone planning a trip.

Phone: +994 12 505 8704

Address: Uzeyir Hajibeyli street 134, Baku AZ1010

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

ngo

Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society

Helps with: Azerbaijan's national Red Crescent society, a member of the international Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Its website has pages on its fields of activity and a contact page.

Who qualifies: People in Azerbaijan seeking humanitarian help; see its website for the programmes it runs.

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

un agency

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Azerbaijan

Helps with: The UN migration agency, present in Azerbaijan since 1996. Its site lists an office in Baku and one in Mingachevir.

Who qualifies: Migrants and partners working on migration in Azerbaijan. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.

Address: 31 Ibrahimpasha Dadashov Street, Baku AZ1069

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

embassy

Foreign diplomatic missions in Azerbaijan (foreign ministry list)

Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy. The Azerbaijani foreign ministry's protocol section publishes a diplomatic list of foreign missions and consulates in the country (July 2026).

Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or consulate.

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

local government

Ministry of Emergency Situations (hotline 112)

Helps with: Azerbaijan's emergency situations ministry. Its site names 112 as its telephone service and gives an administration phone and email.

Who qualifies: Anyone in Azerbaijan facing an emergency or disaster.

Phone: 112

Email: info@fhn.gov.az

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

local government

Tourist Info Points in Baku (Azerbaijan Tourism Board)

Helps with: Tourism Board information points in Baku: Nizami Street, the airport's Terminal 1, Maiden Tower and Shirvanshahs' Palace in the Old City. The page shows opening hours but no phone numbers.

Who qualifies: Anyone visiting Baku who wants tourist information.

Address: 69 Nizami St., Baku (Nizami info point)

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

Cities and places

Baku BakuOn the Caspian coast, the capital pairs a long seaside boulevard with the Flame Towers, and the walled Old City with Maiden Tower.Photo: Fuad2006, CC BY-SA 2.5 Gobustan GobustanThousands of ancient carvings fill this rock-art reserve near Baku, which is often visited together with the mud volcanoes close by.Photo: R蓹c蓹b Yax艧谋, CC BY-SA 4.0 Sheki ShekiLocal sweets like halva, an old caravanserai and the Khan's Palace with its stained glass are the draws of this mountain town.Photo: Sefer azeri, CC0 Gabala GabalaWaterfalls, Nohur Lake and the Tufandag cable cars feature in this green mountain area, which is popular as a cool summer escape.Photo: Fanti Salms, CC BY-SA 4.0 Quba and Shahdag Quba and ShahdagApple orchards and carpets mark this northern region, with the village of Khinalig and the Shahdag ski resort nearby.Photo: Gulustan, CC BY-SA 3.0 Yanar Dag Yanar DagNatural gas feeds flames that burn without pause on a hillside by Baku, best seen in the evening.Photo: Frokor, CC BY-SA 3.0

City selection based on: Azerbaijan Airlines travel blog, travel guides and UNESCO listings (no official city-level statistics found)

Festivals and events

culture

Novruz

20-24 Mar 2027 路 Baku

Bonfires and sweets are part of this spring holiday of five days.

sport

Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Baku)

around Sep 2027 路 Baku

Baku's old town is the route of an F1 race run on the streets.

Official site