With about 9.7 million people residing in Azerbaijan, this place is opening its doors to tourism and the people are now allowed to roam around freely without any problems. However, an entry to this place might be as easy as it seems. A person especially a foreigner might have to take a visa in order to get permission to enter the country. With a variety of visas available, a lot of people do tend to get confused as to which one is the best and hence this article will be covering all the types of Azerbaijan visas and the information you need to know regarding them in order to get to know whether it is a perfect match for you or not!
Azerbaijan has a land of approximately 86,600-kilometer square which is as big as Austria while it may be a bit smaller than the US. The high amount of oil and gas exports has also been a pride to this nation which gives a huge opportunity for the outsiders to conduct businesses and has a lot of employment opportunities. Having such opportunities is rare and hence going to Azerbaijan is sure a chance that no one should miss and here is a list of the types of visas.
Content:
- Types of visa for foreigners
- Other types of visas
- Points to be noted
- FAQs
Types of visa for foreigners:
There are in total 5 main visas which are mostly applied for when people visit Azerbaijan. They can be listed as follows:
1. Tourist visa:
This visa is also known as the ordinary visa and is given to a foreigner or a stateless person. This visa has a validity of 30 days in which the foreigner can reside in the country. This visa can be issued either through an embassy or through an online method or even when you arrive at the airport. This visa when applied through Tourist Visa Online, a person can get it in as fast as three hours to three working days. The prices can vary depending on the speed at which you need the visa. Once a person takes this type of visa he or she is only allowed to enter the country with intentions of tourism and if a person enters Azerbaijan with any other intentions he or she may not get an entry.
2. Business visa:
This visa is issued for those foreigners who have come to Azerbaijan to either attend a meeting or conduct a business-related matter. This visa doesn’t mean that the person can continue to work for a long time in Azerbaijan as there is another type of visa which allows this long term working. This is the second most applied visas when a foreigner is traveling in Azerbaijan. This visa has a validity of three months if the foreigner wishes to apply for a single or double entry. However, if the foreigner has applied for multiple entries then the validity will be extended to 12 months. To get this business visa a letter of invitation is a must without which the application might be rejected.
3. Employment visa:
If a foreigner comes to Azerbaijan and works on a paid labor then the person will need to have an employment visa. For getting this type of visa a work permit must also be available to the foreigner. The foreigner can apply for a work permit provided that they fulfill the following two conditions:
If the foreigner who applies for a work permit has passed 18 years of age then he or she will be granted the permit
The position that needs to be filled in cannot be done by an Azerbaijani the work permit is provided to the foreigner.
If both of these conditions are fulfilled then only can the foreigner apply for a work permit in Azerbaijan. A single entry Azerbaijan employment visa will have a validity of six months but the allowed time to stay for a foreigner can only be for 90 days. However, a multiple entry visa is valid for twelve months and on each entry, a foreigner can stay for 90 days in total.
4. Student visa:
The student visa is issued to those international students who wish to go to Azerbaijan to study further in any of the fields related. This visa can be acquired only if a student possesses the invitation letter from the university. A copy of this letter must be provided in order to get an admission. The student might also have to apply for a temporary resident card which will allow the stay in Azerbaijan during the span of study. This visa is valid for one year and can be obtained only if the students contain all the important documents required in hand.
5. Transit visa:
This type of visa is granted to foreigners who are to transit through Azerbaijan while they go to their final destination. This visa has validity for 15 days from the day the visa has been issued and must be carried along with them before the departure. The onward flight ticket which will be taken by the foreigner also needs to be shown in order to get this visa. This visa will only be available if the confirmed round trip ticket has been shown. Seamen entering Azerbaijan through seaport can also avail of the transit visa provided they have a valid passport along with them.
Other types of visas:
Apart from these 5 main types of visas, one can find other types of visas which can be given as follows:
1. Family visit visa:
This visa is provided to the family of the foreigners who is currently residing in Azerbaijan. This allows the family of the foreigner to come to Azerbaijan to meet them and will also allow a stay.
2. Sports visa:
Provided to those foreigners who will be going to Azerbaijan for some sports tournament or to attend sports meet.
3. Science visa:
This visa is given to those foreigners who will be going to Azerbaijan for a science-related exhibition or a science research study that has been conducted.
4. Official visa:
Those foreigners who are coming to Azerbaijan for official matters such as for an NGO organizational meet-up or so.
5. Diplomatic visa:
Those foreigners who arrive in Azerbaijan for diplomatic services such as for national ministries related work.
6. Visa on arrival:
This visa is available for those people who will be landing in Azerbaijan without a visa. these people are mostly those foreigners who might have an emergency work in Azerbaijan or those who are stateless and those foreigners who could not apply for a visa as they did not have an embassy or couldn’t access to the e visa facilities.
These above-stated ones are the types of visas that foreigners can look out for.
Points to be noted:
While applying for a visa is quite easy, there might be some restrictions that need to be followed when it comes to entry into the country. The following points are to be noted:
- The people who will be traveling to Azerbaijan must have a visa unless and until they are the nationals of Azerbaijan or are Azerbaijani citizens.
- The people who want to gain entry must have a valid passport along with them.
- The foreigners who will be entering Azerbaijan must keep in mind that entering the Nagorno-Karabakh area which is under the ruling of Armenia before entering Azerbaijan will lead to breaching of rules.
- This means that a foreigner who will enter the above-specified area before coming to Azerbaijan without stating it to the authorities will be denied entry into the Republic of Azerbaijan.
FAQs:
1. If I am an Indian going to Azerbaijan will I need a visa?
As an Indian traveler has not been specified in the visa exempted countries list, an Indian will have to take a visa to go to Azerbaijan.
2. Is it possible for me to go to Azerbaijan for a scientific research on a tourist visa?
A tourist visa issued to a foreigner will allow entry to the foreigner for only tourism purposes. However, if you are going to attend a scientific research in Azerbaijan then taking a science visa is recommended.
3. Can a student apply for a student visa if he or she has not yet got the admission letter?
If an international student wishes to apply for a student visa, then it becomes necessary that the student obtains an admission letter without which a visa will not be provided.
4. My husband is a citizen of Azerbaijan will I still need to apply for a visa?
If you have a husband who is the national of Azerbaijan then you need not apply for a visa.
5. Are there any points that I need to keep in mind while going to Azerbaijan?
Keeping the above-mentioned points in mind, selecting carefully from the types of Azerbaijan visas is necessary as this visa will be the one that you will carry for the travel. While the conversion of one visa to another is possible, there are chances that you will have to exit the country in order to gain a new one.
