Registration at the place of stay within 15 days, a temporary residence permit applied for in good time, a tax number, a bank account, a SIM and health cover, with the rules sources agree on and the ones we could not confirm.
In brief
As of 6 November 2026, the first 30 days in Azerbaijan turn on one deadline: a foreigner who stays more than 15 days must be registered at the place of stay, and registration is free (migration.gov.az and several guides; one source gives citizens of Kazakhstan 30 days). Press reports say Russian citizens' visa-free stay was cut to 90 days in a year from 2025, so check your own limit before you plan a long stay. A temporary residence permit has to be applied for at least 30 days before your temporary stay ends. We found no 2026 change to these rules, and we could not confirm the bank, tax-number and health-cover details below. This is a checklist, not legal advice: confirm every rule with the State Migration Service or the bank.
What depends on your passport and status
The same checklist looks different for a short stay and for a move.
- A tourist or visa-free visitor needs registration only once the stay passes 15 days, a phone number and a place to sleep.
- A person who plans to live in the country for months needs a legal basis for the stay beyond the visa-free period, which means a temporary residence permit, and usually a lease or ownership document that can be shown as proof of address.
- Working for an employer needs a work permit in addition to the residence permit (Migration Code, one summary).
Russian citizens: press reports (Snob, BFM, RTVI) say the visa-free stay was shortened to 90 days in a year from 2025, down from up to 180 days before. Tour-operator pages for 2026 do not agree in every detail, so treat the number as a reason to check the embassy or the State Migration Service site, not as the final answer. We found no reliable rule for Belarusian, Kazakh or Ukrainian citizens in this pass. Your own passport decides the limit; do not rely on what a friend with another passport did.
If you are buying property, read buying property in Baku as a foreigner first. It does not replace this checklist, because owning a flat does not by itself change your right to stay.
Days 1 to 3: the minimum that cannot wait
- Keep the passport, the entry record and the address of your accommodation together in one folder. Every office asks for them.
- Get a local SIM card. Azernews reports that a foreigner who passes passport control and buys a SIM, for example at the airport, is identified automatically, and the operators are Azercell, Bakcell and Nar. A commercial page says a passport is required to register a number. We found no 2026 operator rules, so ask the shop what it needs.
- Fix the address. Registration at the place of stay needs an address where you really live, and the host or landlord may have to take part. Ask the landlord to confirm in writing that they agree to your registration.
- Take photos of every document and store them online. Replacing a lost passport abroad takes weeks.
- Buy private health cover for the first weeks (see the health section below). Do not wait until you are ill.
Week 1: registration at the place of stay
Registration is the one rule that sources agree on. According to the State Migration Service's pages and several guides, a foreigner staying more than 15 days has to be registered at the place of stay, there is no state fee, and you can do it through the electronic services of the State Migration Service site, at an ASAN service centre, at a regional migration office, or by e-mail (qeydiyyat@migration.gov.az is listed). One source gives citizens of Kazakhstan 30 days instead of 15.
The practical order: - Count 15 days from your arrival date, not from the day you got the keys. - Prepare the passport, the entry record, a copy of the lease or the owner's confirmation, and the address in writing. - Register online or at an ASAN centre, and keep the confirmation. You will need it for the bank, the residence permit and the landlord. - If you move to another address, check whether you must re-register. We found no clear rule, so ask.
The registration page of the State Migration Service was last updated in November 2025 according to the search result, and we found no 2026 amendment of the 15-day rule. A fine for missing registration is not stated in the sources we found, so we do not give an amount.
Weeks 2 to 4: temporary residence permit, tax number, bank and health
The temporary residence permit
Registration is not a residence permit. If you plan to stay beyond the visa-free period, the sources say the application should be filed at least 30 days before the temporary stay expires, which means you should start in week 2 rather than on the last day. A university migration guide gives the same one-month timing.
What the sources also say: - A permit is not granted or extended if you have spent more than 90 days outside Azerbaijan within 180 days (one source cuts off here, check the full text). - If the state fee for a permit is not paid within 30 days of the decision deadline, the permit is cancelled. - Paid work needs a separate work permit.
We did not find the list of documents or the fee amounts. Do not copy a number from a forum; ask the migration office or an ASAN centre which basis fits you: employment, study, family, property, business.
The tax number (VOEN)
A VOEN is a 10-digit taxpayer code. One portal says it is free and issued at ASAN centres and that it helps with business bank accounts. Whether a private individual needs one to open an ordinary account is not clear: sources conflict. If a bank asks for it, get it before you go to the bank.
The bank account
Sources disagree. A law-firm page says a foreigner without a residence permit can open and keep an account. Guides say many banks want a residence card or at least proof of address. The documents named most often are the passport or residence card, an application form and a utility bill or a registered lease. One source says a tax certificate must be sent to the bank in advance; another lists a tax document for foreigners; which applies to a private person is unclear.
We found no requirement lists for Kapital Bank or PASHA Bank. Visit two or three banks with a copy of the registration, the lease and your passport and ask in writing what they require. For general bank checks that Russian-speaking customers meet in many countries, see the resident bank account guide.
Health cover
Azerbaijan has a law on medical insurance (Law No. 725-IQ of 28 October 1999, consolidated version of February 2026). We could not find whether a foreigner with a residence permit must be insured or how to join the system. Until you know, buy private cover that includes hospital care and evacuation. For how to choose a policy and what residence usually requires, see health insurance and doctors after moving abroad.
Driving, school and other things not covered here
We did not research the driving licence, school registration or utility contracts for this country in this pass, so we do not state any rule. For licences in general, see driving licence abroad: exchange or new exam. Your tax residency is a separate question from your right to stay; it starts to matter when you live in the country for long periods, see tax residency when relocating.
Mistakes people make
- Counting the 15 days from the wrong date, or assuming the hotel registered you when it did not.
- Assuming the visa-free period is the same for every passport, and planning a long stay on a friend's experience.
- Leaving the residence permit application for the last week, when the sources say to file at least 30 days before the stay ends.
- Spending more than 90 days in 180 outside the country and then asking for an extension.
- Paying a state fee late, because an unpaid fee cancels the permit after 30 days.
- Going to a bank without proof of address and without checking that bank's list first.
- Relying on forum numbers for fees and documents.
One-page checklist
- Day 1: passport, entry record, address in writing, SIM card.
- Day 1 to 3: private health cover, copies of documents stored online.
- Before day 15: registration at the place of stay, confirmation saved.
- Week 2: ask the migration office which residence basis fits, and the document list.
- At least 30 days before the stay ends: file the temporary residence permit.
- Week 2 to 4: VOEN if the bank asks, then the bank account.
- Keep: every receipt for fees, with dates.
- Ask in writing: any rule you could not confirm here.
FAQ
How soon after arrival must I register in Azerbaijan? Sources say a foreigner staying more than 15 days must be registered at the place of stay, free of charge, and one source gives citizens of Kazakhstan 30 days. Count from the arrival date and confirm with the State Migration Service.
How long can a Russian citizen stay without a visa? Press reports say the stay was cut to 90 days in a year from 2025, down from up to 180 days. Tour-operator pages do not agree in every detail, so check the embassy or the State Migration Service before planning a long stay.
When should I apply for a temporary residence permit? According to the sources, at least 30 days before the temporary stay ends. The permit is not granted or extended if you were outside the country more than 90 days within 180 days, and work needs a separate permit.
Can I open a bank account without a residence permit? Sources conflict. One law-firm page says yes, guides say many banks want a residence card or proof of address. Ask two or three banks for their requirements in writing.
Do I need health insurance? We could not confirm whether it is compulsory for a foreigner with a residence permit. Buy private cover for hospital care and evacuation until you know, and ask the State Migration Service or an insurer.