Money in Azerbaijan for Visitors 2026: Cards, ATMs, Exchange, Tips

Azerbaijan uses the manat, written AZN or with the sign ₼. One manat has 100 qəpik. Prices in shops, taxis and restaurants are in manat, and you pay in manat. Dollars and euros are useful only for changing money.

The Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBAR) publishes the official rate on its website. When no new rate is published, for example on a weekend or holiday, the last rate stays in force. On the CBAR page we checked on 1 November 2026, USD 1 was AZN 1.70. Banks and exchange offices set their own buy and sell rates near the official one, so the rate you get is a little worse.

Check the official CBAR rates before you change a large sum, so you know what a fair rate looks like.

In Baku you can pay by Visa or Mastercard in most hotels, malls, supermarkets, chain cafes and many restaurants. Contactless payment is common in the city. Outside Baku, and in bazaars, small shops and some taxis, cash is still the safe choice. No official list says where cards are taken, so keep enough manat for a day in your pocket.

Your home bank may add a foreign transaction fee or a poor exchange rate for card payments. That fee is set by your bank, not by Azerbaijan. If a card terminal asks whether to pay in your home currency or in manat, choose manat: the conversion offered at the terminal is often worse.

ATMs of local banks are easy to find in Baku: in the airport, metro stations, malls and on main streets. Most accept foreign Visa and Mastercard cards and give manat.

Two fees can apply. The bank that owns the ATM may charge for a foreign card, and your own bank may charge for a cash withdrawal abroad. The ATM screen should show its own fee before you confirm. There is no official national limit on ATM fees, so if the fee looks high, cancel and try a machine of another bank.

Use ATMs inside banks or malls when you can, cover the keypad, and tell your bank before you travel so it does not block the card.

Under Central Bank rules, cash currency exchange is done by banks, their branches and their exchange offices. An exchange office is a unit of a licensed bank. That makes bank branches and the exchange points with a bank's name on them the right places to change money.

Do not change money with people on the street, even if they offer a better rate. You have no receipt and no protection if the notes are fake or the count is short. US dollars and euros are the easiest to change. Bring clean notes without tears or writing, because worn notes may be refused.

Keep the receipt from larger exchanges. It is your proof of where the money came from if anyone asks.

1. 1

   Check the official rate

   Look at the CBAR rate for the day, so you know roughly what to expect.

2. 2

   Compare two or three offices

   Exchange offices show their buy and sell rates on a board. The gap between them tells you how much you lose.

3. 3

   Count before you leave

   Count the manat at the window and ask for a receipt.

The State Customs Committee says you can bring in cash in any currency without a limit, as long as you follow customs procedures. Taking cash out has limits. For the full rules, see our post on cash rules in Azerbaijan.

• Foreign currency up to the equivalent of USD 10,000, and manat below AZN 20,000: you can take it out with an oral declaration.
• Manat of AZN 20,000 or more: written declaration.
• Foreign currency up to the equivalent of USD 50,000: only with customs documents that show you brought it in as cash.
• Foreign currency above USD 50,000: only by transfer through an authorised bank or the national postal operator.

If you arrive with a large amount of cash and may leave with part of it, declare it in writing when you enter. Without that paper you cannot take more than USD 10,000 out in cash.

The Baku metro does not take cash at the gate. The official metro site lists three ways to pay: a BakıKart (a plastic card or a QR ticket), the Metro app, and NFC payment, which it says works at all stations. You buy and top up a BakıKart at machines in stations. Fares change from time to time, so check the price on metro.gov.az or at the machine.

No law or rule says you must tip in Azerbaijan. In restaurants, first look at the bill: some places already add a service charge as a separate line, and then nothing more is expected. If there is no service line and you liked the service, many visitors leave a small tip in cash. Tipping is your choice, never a duty.

Arrive with one main card, one spare card kept in another bag, and some US dollars or euros in cash. Take a small amount of manat from an airport ATM for the taxi, a SIM card and the first day. Get a BakıKart for the metro.

For the SIM card, see our tourist SIM guide. If you have not got your visa yet, check if you need one with the free visa checker. If you stay for months, a local account may help: read opening a bank account as a foreigner.