Baku Airport Arrival 2026: Passport Control, Customs, SIM and Taxi

Most international flights arrive at Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 North of Heydar Aliyev International Airport, about 20 km east of central Baku. Before you board, make sure you have the right entry for your passport. Your airline may check it at check in.

If you need an e visa, print it and keep a copy on your phone. The e visa is linked to your passport number, so travel with the same passport you used to apply. If your visa is late, read e visa delayed: what to do.

• Passport valid at least 3 months beyond your visa.
• Printed e visa, if you need one.
• Hotel booking or the full address where you will stay.
• Return or onward ticket.
• A bank card and a little cash for the first hours.

1. 1

   1. Leave the plane

   You leave by jet bridge or by bus. In Terminal 1 the visa and immigration area is on the second level; in Terminal 2 North it is on the first level. Follow the signs and the crowd.

2. 2

   2. Visa desks (only if you get a visa on arrival)

   Visa desks and self service kiosks are before passport control. They are only for nationalities on the airport visa list, such as Oman, Japan, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Singapore and Israel. With an e visa or a visa free passport, walk past them.

3. 3

   3. Passport control

   Choose the line for foreign citizens. Show your passport and, if you need one, your visa. The officer may ask why you came, where you stay and how long. Short, honest answers are best.

4. 4

   4. Baggage claim

   Collect your bags on the first level. If a bag is missing or damaged, go to the Lost and Found desk in the baggage hall before you leave.

5. 5

   5. Customs

   Customs is right after baggage claim. If you carry goods that must be declared, tell the officer. If you have nothing to declare, take the exit for that, but bags can still be checked.

6. 6

   6. Phone registration, if it applies

   The desks are on the left side of the exit corridor after customs, in both terminals. The airport says a local SIM works only after the phone is registered for first time visitors staying over 30 days and for people who visit many times.

7. 7

   7. Arrival hall

   Here you find ATMs, currency exchange, bank branches and the transport exits.

The cheapest way is the Aeroexpress bus from both terminals to the Baku railway station at 28 May metro, with stops at Surakhani bridge and Koroglu metro. The ride takes about 30 minutes, more in traffic. You pay with a BakıKart, which you buy and top up at machines near the bus stops outside the terminals. One card can be used by a group.

Taxis and ride apps pick up at the kerb outside the terminal exits. The airport lists Uber, Bolt, Yango and the official Baku Taxi. Using an app shows the price before you ride.

Fares are from the airport website on 1 November 2026 and can change. Bus fares are paid only by BakıKart, not cash to the driver.

You can buy a local SIM from Azercell, Bakcell or Nar with your passport. If you stay more than 30 days, or come back often, your phone itself must be registered by its IMEI number, or the network will block it. The phone registration guide and our page on phone registration in Azerbaijan explain the fee and the steps.

For cash, the airport has ATMs and exchange desks. Cards work widely in Baku. Keep some manat for small shops and for topping up the BakıKart.

Foreigners staying more than 15 days must be registered at their place of stay within 15 days of arrival (citizens of Kazakhstan have 30 days). A hotel normally does it for you. In a rented flat, the landlord or you file it online on migration.gov.az, by email, or at an ASAN service centre. It is free. See address registration.

Also note your last allowed day. An e visa lets you stay up to 30 days. Sroky can remind you before your registration deadline and your last day, so you do not pay a fine.