Azerbaijan visa for US citizens: the e-visa, and the New York flight exception

Yes, US citizens need a visa for Azerbaijan. For most trips, that means the e-visa, applied for online before you travel.

There is one exception worth knowing. If you fly the direct route from New York to Baku, you can get a visa at the airport instead.

The e-visa: the default for Americans

The United States is on the official list of 87 countries eligible for the ASAN e-visa. We checked that list on 17 September 2026.

Option	Fee	Time
Standard e-visa	USD 20	3 working days
Urgent e-visa	USD 60	3 hours

The e-visa allows a stay of up to 30 days. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the urgent option works regardless of weekends and public holidays.

Apply only on evisa.gov.az. That is the official portal, and the one Azerbaijani embassies link to.

The New York flight exception

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs keeps a list of people who can get a visa at the country’s international airports. One line on it reads: “Citizens of the United States of America traveling by New York-Baku direct flight.”

Read it narrowly. It covers US citizens, on that direct flight. It does not cover a connection through Istanbul, Dubai, Doha or a European hub, even if your journey starts in New York.

Before relying on it, check two things with the airline. First, that the flight you are booking is the direct service to Baku. Second, that it operates on your dates.

If either answer is unclear, get the e-visa. It costs USD 20, and it removes any doubt at the border.

Which route to choose

Take the e-visa if you are flying any routing other than the direct New York service. Also take it if you want the visa confirmed before you leave home.

Consider the airport visa if you are on the direct flight and comfortable arranging your visa on arrival.

For most people the e-visa is simply less to think about. Three working days is not long, and the urgent option covers a late decision.

Two passports

If you hold a second citizenship, this rule matters.

Apply on the passport you will actually travel with. The ASAN Visa conditions say an e-visa is not valid if the travel document differs from the one used in the application. If your second passport is from a country that is not on the e-visa list, travel on your US passport.

Other types of visa

The e-visa is for short visits. If your trip is for work, study or something longer, it is the wrong document.

The Azerbaijani embassy in Washington lists the single-entry visa categories it deals with. They include official, business, science or education, medical, private visit, labour, humanitarian, cultural and sport, and tourist visas. Contact the embassy directly for those.

Those visas are outside what we handle, and we do not file visas of any kind.

After you arrive

Your stay cannot go past the period on your visa.

If you stay more than 15 days, you must be registered at your address with the State Migration Service. Your hotel, guest house or landlord arranges it, and there is no state fee.

Before you travel, read our page on safety in Baku. It sets out what official travel advice says about the city, the areas to avoid and the emergency numbers.

What we do

We do not file e-visas, and we do not add a fee to one. Your application stays yours.

What we handle is the ground once you land: airport pickup, transfers between cities and a route that fits the days you have. Send us your flight number, the number of travellers and where you are staying. We meet you at Heydar Aliyev Airport with a name board and wait until you come out, however long the queue runs.