Tbilisi to Baku Train 2026: Who Can Board and Border Control

Yes. The overnight passenger train between Baku and Tbilisi came back in late May 2026, after it stopped in 2020. The State Migration Service says entry and exit by rail on this route restarted at 00:00 on 25 May 2026, following a decision of the Cabinet of Ministers. The trip takes roughly nine and a half hours, and the train runs at night in both directions.

The train is the only way for passengers to cross a land border into Azerbaijan right now. All road crossings remain closed to passengers under the special quarantine regime, which runs until 2 January 2027. Read more in our guide to Azerbaijan's land borders.

The official rule is short: the route is open to citizens of Azerbaijan and citizens of foreign countries entitled to visa free entry to Azerbaijan. If your passport needs any kind of visa, including the ASAN e visa, you are not covered.

Visa free passports are listed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Some are open all the time under an agreement, others have a window that ends on a set date. If your country has a time limited window, check it is still running on your travel day.

The table gives examples, not the full list. Check your own passport with the free visa checker or the visa free countries guide.

No. An e visa is a visa, so it does not make you visa free. The rail exception was written for people who need no visa at all, and travellers from e visa countries report that they cannot buy tickets or cross.

If you need an e visa, book a flight from Tbilisi or Batumi to Baku. The government reviews the border rules from time to time, so check again before a later trip in case e visa holders are added.

The train stops at the border on both sides. The Azerbaijani station is Boyuk Kesik, where passports are checked during the stop and the State Migration Service has officers on duty. Georgian control happens on the Georgian side. Plan for a long stop at each border while the checks take place.

Have your passport ready and know your answers: where you will stay, how long, and why you are coming. The officer checks that your stay fits the visa free limit for your passport.

1. 1

   Before the trip

   Make sure your passport is visa free for Azerbaijan on your travel date and valid long enough. If you were in Azerbaijan before, check for unpaid migration fines in the electronic services on migration.gov.az.

2. 2

   Buy the ticket

   Tickets are sold through Azerbaijan Railways. Prices and classes change, so check the current offer on the official site before you go.

3. 3

   At the border

   Show your passport to the Georgian and then the Azerbaijani officers. Answer questions calmly and keep your hotel booking or host address handy.

4. 4

   After arrival

   If you stay more than 15 days, you must be registered at your address within 15 days of arrival. Hotels usually do this for you.

• Your passport, the same one you will use to leave.
• The address of your hotel or host in Azerbaijan.
• Your return or onward ticket, if you have one.
• Some cash in manat or US dollars for the first hours in Baku.
• If you are Russian: count your days. The limit is 90 days in a calendar year, not per trip.

The State Migration Service reminds train passengers of three things. Anyone staying more than 15 days must register at the place of stay. A visa free stay cannot be longer than 90 days unless an agreement says otherwise. And if you think you broke a migration rule, sort it out at a migration office or an ASAN service centre before you leave, so you are not held up on the train.

If you plan to stay longer, for work, study or family, you need a residence permit. Sroky can remind you of your registration and permit deadlines so you do not miss a date. See address registration and the residence permit guide.