Warden Messages

February 28, 2007

Police Registration and Visa Information for American Citizens

Recently, the Consular Section has received reports of American citizens and other foreign nationals in Baku being questioned or detained by police officers for not carrying valid local identification cards. We would like to remind American citizens about the following provisions of Azerbaijani law for long-term visitors:

1.      U.S. citizens planning to stay in Azerbaijan for more than 30 days should register their presence with the local police within 3 days of their arrival. Foreign citizens should approach the passport section of the local district police office and fill out an application form. The registration fee is AYM 9.90. For more information, please visit the web-site of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at:  :  http://www.mia.gov.az/ecnebi_vetendash_en.html, .

2.   U.S. citizens who obtain a one-entry visa at the airport are permitted to remain in Azerbaijan for up to 30 days, after which an extension of stay must be requested.  For persons in Azerbaijan, visa applications, extensions or renewals are made at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Shikhali Gurbanov Street 4, in Baku. For more information, please contact the MFA Consular Section at (+994 12) 492 3401 or visit their web-site at:  http://www.mfa.gov.az.

Please ensure that your visas and/or local identification cards are current and valid, and that you carry your identification card, if applicable, with you at all times. If you do not carry your passport as well, or if your passport or identification card is with the MFA or police station for processing, or is unavailable for any other reason, it is advisable to carry a photocopy of your current passport and valid visa with you. If you have been in Azerbaijan for less than 30 days, this will demonstrate that you do not require a local identification card.

The U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan is located at 83 Azadlig Prospect in Baku. .  The web-site is: http://baku.usembassy.gov http://baku.usembassy.gov . The Consular Section can be reached by phone at 498-0335/6/7 or by e-mail at consularbaku@state.gov.  In the event of an emergency please call the above number and ask for the Duty Officer.