Of late, Azerbaijan has been attracting many tourists from around the world. The spectacular design and architecture in the city of Baku amaze people as much as the country's religious and cultural history. To visit Azerbaijan, you must apply for a Visa depending on your nationality. You can check your country's eligibility using Azerbaijan's current visa policy. The majority of the countries need to apply for an e-visa. The e-visa application is quite easy provided you are aware of certain terms. While filling out my application, I came across a few vague fields that I will explain in this blog post.
Good to know: You need not attach air tickets, hotel reservations, ITR, etc. in the e-visa application. And, the visa validity is 90 days. So, you have the flexibility to plan your visit to Azerbaijan.
Steps to apply for Azerbaijan e-visa
1. Visit the official website to apply for Azerbaijan e-visa
The first and most important step is to go to the correct website of the official electronic visa portal. I use the word correct because when you search for one on Google, there are high chances that the first 3-4 results would show different agencies (all of them look like the official ones) to apply for e-visa, and, mind you, they are all genuine. I mean you would still get your e-visa when you apply through them.
However, they charge you $50-$70 for a standard visa while the actual fee that is charged by the government of Azerbaijan is $25.
Good to know: SEO is a powerful tool, and these websites are taking advantage of that by ranking their services on Google.
2. Fill in the basic details
Once you are on the official electronic visa portal, start by filling up the basic details - your nationality, type of passport (ordinary, diplomatic, refugee, etc.), and the verification code.
Good to know: You can also apply for an urgent visa that you receive within 3 hours. The fee for the same is $60.
3. Fill in the intended date of arrival in Azerbaijan
The next step involves filling up details like the purpose of the visit, and the starting date of e-visa validity. Please note that the visa is valid for 90 days. However, your stay in the country cannot exceed 30 days. So, you can travel to Azerbaijan anytime for a maximum of 30 days which falls in the validity period of the e-visa.
Also, it is a single-entry visa meaning you can enter the borders of Azerbaijan only once during the visa validity period.
Good to know: I would recommend you apply for the e-visa at least 5-7 days before the departure date. So, in case your e-visa gets rejected, you will still have an option to apply for an urgent visa.
After filling in the details, click continue.
4. Read the document carefully
Once you click continue, you will be redirected to the next page of the application. But, before you go ahead with the process, a tab will pop up. Make sure you do not close the window, and go through it in detail. It advises the correct way to insert your given name, and surname in the required format, and upload your visa. Do not skip reading this document.
5. Fill in the personal details carefully
Please fill in the final page of the e-visa application. In case you do not have a phone number, you can put your mobile number in that field.
In the field where you need to put the address of accommodation in Azerbaijan, you need to put the complete address of the hotel/ apartment/ hostel / where you are planning to stay. It is not compulsory that you have to have that hotel booked since they do not ask for any proof of stay. Click complete application.
You will be then asked to review and confirm the details that you have put. Do check the name spelling, passport number, various dates, etc. carefully.
Good to know: Now, with reserve now, pay later options these days, we usually only reserve the hotel temporarily. Or we could only plan to book once we receive the e-visa. If you plan to book another hotel than what you have mentioned while filling out the e-visa application, you need to apply to the management of the place you stay (hotel, sanatorium, rest home, guest house, camping, tourist base, hospital, or other similar places) or the owner of the apartment or other residential area to get registered upon place of stay by State Migration Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan without paying any state fee.
So, the hotel you finally stay at will do it for you, usually after you arrive.
Good to know: The address of the hotel needs to be typed out manually. Avoid copying and pasting it. I did that multiple times, and the system did not accept it.
Good to know: Ensure you put the email address that you have access to as the verification and the payment is going to happen through that only.
Good to know: The place of birth is mentioned in your passport. Put the same place without a comma. The system usually does not accept commas in this field. So, for example, if the passport says "Mumbai, Maharashtra", you will need to put it as "Mumbai Maharashtra" (without a comma)
6. Verify and make the payment
After you click complete application, you will receive an email to verify your email address. You will have to complete the verification process within 8 hours of receiving the email, otherwise, the e-visa request gets deleted from the system.
In the email that you receive, click Approve, and pay the fee. To make the payment, make sure you have enabled online international transactions on your credit card.
7. Sit back and wait for the outcome
Once the payment is made, you will get an email confirming the payment. The email mentions that the authority shall let you know within 3 working days if your visa has been approved or rejected. You cannot count Saturdays and Sundays here.
That's about it. Do fill out the e-visa application on your own as the process is not tricky at all. If you get it done by an agency, you will end up paying around $40-$45.
Good to know: You never know what document may be asked for at the immigration counter of the country you are visiting. But, here are some documents that you should always carry (hard or soft copies) - all travel tickets whether plane or train, valid visa, passport, hotel booking confirmation, and travel insurance.
8. Register with your country's embassy in the country that you are visiting
Registering with your country's embassy or consulate before traveling to a foreign country is generally a good idea, especially if you are planning to travel to a destination that may have a higher risk level due to political instability, natural disasters, or other potential hazards.
While it's not always mandatory to register with your embassy before traveling, it is a precautionary measure that can provide you with added security and support while you are in a foreign country.
I hope this post helped you. I have tried to make it as comprehensive as possible. Do you have any questions about applying for e-visa for Azerbaijan? Please leave a comment below and I'll try my best to help out.
You can follow @bulbulonthewing on Instagram and to get regular updates.
