Japan Visa from Azerbaijan 2026: eVISA, Embassy Visa and Who Is Exempt

Japan publishes one list of countries and regions whose citizens can visit without a visa for tourism, business meetings and family visits. If your passport is not on that list, you need a visa before you fly, even for a short holiday. Azerbaijan, Pakistan, India, Russia, Iran, Egypt, Nigeria, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are not on the list.

Your passport decides, not the country you live in. A German or a Korean who works in Baku travels visa free. An Azerbaijani with a long work history in Germany still needs a Japanese visa. For other destinations open to your passport, see where Azerbaijani passports can travel, travel from Pakistan or travel from India.

The table follows the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs list checked on 4 November 2026. Malaysian citizens also enter visa free with an ePassport. Read the notes on the official list for your own passport.

The JAPAN eVISA is an online visa for tourism. You apply on the official JAPAN eVISA website, pay online and get a single entry short term visa for up to 90 days. There is no sticker in your passport: at the airport you open the visa issuance notice on your phone with an internet connection. Screenshots, PDF files and printed copies are not accepted.

The eVISA is not tied to your passport but to where you live. In November 2026 it is open to people living in Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. People living in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Macao, Mongolia, South Korea, Singapore, the UAE, the Philippines and Vietnam can use it through accredited travel agencies, with extra conditions in some countries.

Azerbaijan is not on the list. So if you live in Baku, whatever your passport, you cannot use the JAPAN eVISA from here. You apply at the Embassy of Japan in Azerbaijan instead. If you live legally in one of the eVISA countries, for example a Pakistani citizen living in Saudi Arabia, you can apply online from there.

Japan warns about fake sites that look like the JAPAN eVISA website. Reach it from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan site, not from an advert.

Japan asks applicants to apply at the Japanese embassy or consulate with jurisdiction over their place of residence. For people living in Azerbaijan, that is the Embassy of Japan in Baku. The visa is a sticker in your passport.

1. 1

   Check the embassy page

   Open the Embassy of Japan in Azerbaijan website and read the current visa section: opening hours for visa submission, the document list for your purpose and any notices. The embassy changes its hours and rules from time to time.

2. 2

   Fill in the application form

   Download the visa application form from the official site, fill it in and sign it. Use the passport you will travel with.

3. 3

   Prepare a photo and documents

   You usually need a passport photo, your flight booking, a day by day plan, hotel bookings, proof of your job or studies and bank statements. Business trips and family visits need an invitation or a guarantee from Japan.

4. 4

   Add proof that you live in Azerbaijan

   If you are not an Azerbaijani citizen, bring your Azerbaijani temporary or permanent residence permit. Keep it valid for the whole process; the Sroky reminders can warn you before it expires.

5. 5

   Submit at the embassy

   Hand in your papers in person during the visa hours. Ask how long the case will take and whether you must leave your passport.

6. 6

   Collect your passport

   If approved, the visa is in your passport. Check the name, dates and number of entries before you leave the counter.

The visa fee is set by the embassy in local currency and some nationalities pay a different amount or none. Check the fee on the embassy site before you go. Embassy addresses are on our embassies page.

Many people in Baku hold Pakistani, Indian, Egyptian, Iranian, Turkish or Russian passports. The rule is the same for all of them: if your passport is visa exempt, you just fly; if not, you apply in Baku with proof of your Azerbaijani residence. A temporary residence permit is the usual proof.

If you only visit Azerbaijan on an e visa, you do not live here, so the embassy may ask you to apply in your home country. Ask the embassy before you book anything.

• Keep at least 6 months on your passport and on your residence permit. Short validity is a common reason to start again; read passport validity rules.
• Bring documents in English or with a translation. Japanese embassies often ask for originals and copies.
• Plan the trip after the visa. Buy refundable tickets until the visa is in your passport.
• Fill in Visit Japan Web before you land if you like. It is free and optional and saves time at the airport; see our guide to arrival cards.

The visa lets you travel to Japan. At the airport the immigration officer checks your passport, takes fingerprints and a face photo, and decides the length of stay. Carry your return ticket and hotel details in case you are asked.

If the embassy refuses your visa, it usually does not give detailed reasons. You can apply again later with stronger papers. Our guide on refusal reasons covers the points that matter for most embassies, such as ties to home, money and a clear plan.