Universities in Azerbaijan for Foreigners: Admission Guide

Most state and private universities in Azerbaijan accept international students. The Sroky app lists 52 institutions from the Ministry of Science and Education lists, with their official websites and contacts read from each institution's own site. Most are in Baku, with others in Ganja, Sumgait, Lankaran, Mingachevir, Nakhchivan and regional branches.

Some well known names for international students:

• Baku State University (BSU)
• ADA University
• Khazar University
• Azerbaijan Medical University (AMU)
• Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC)
• Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University
• Baku Higher Oil School
• UFAZ (French Azerbaijani University)
• Azerbaijan University of Languages (ADU)
• Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts (ADMIU)
• Azerbaijan Technical University
• Ganja State University and Sumgait State University

Military academies admit citizens only. Check each university's own website for current programmes, as lists change from year to year.

Every foreign applicant goes through portal.edu.az, the Study in Azerbaijan central application service run by the Ministry of Science and Education. The rules come from Cabinet Decision No. 125 of 1 May 2015, and the portal became the official route from 1 January 2022.

1. 1

   Create an account

   Register on portal.edu.az. Do not use edu.gov.az, which is the ministry's information site.

2. 2

   Choose up to 3 programmes

   You can apply to up to 3 institutions or programmes in one application. It is free.

3. 3

   Upload documents

   Usually passport, diploma or school certificate, transcript, language proof, and sometimes a personal statement.

4. 4

   Answer the university

   The university checks your level and language. It may ask for more papers, an online or in person interview, or a payment.

5. 5

   Read the decision

   The decision appears in your portal account. There is no official time limit; expect days to a few weeks.

6. 6

   Pay and plan your visa

   Tuition can be paid online through the portal. Then follow the student visa and arrival guide.

Some universities add their own form. For example, ADA graduate admissions ask for the portal application plus ADA's own form. People with Azerbaijani citizenship or permanent residence cannot apply as foreign students; they go through the State Examination Centre.

Programmes run in Azerbaijani, Russian, English or Turkish, depending on the programme. Each university sets its own language rules. For example, Baku State University waives its own language test for English taught bachelor programmes at IELTS 5.0 or TOEFL 40, and at IELTS 5.5 or TOEFL 50 for higher levels.

If you cannot prove your level, the university may place you in a preparatory course first. These run from a few months to a full year and end with an exam and a certificate. Ask your university whether a preparatory year gives you a student residence permit; universities issue the letter in practice, but the law does not name the preparatory year. A private language course usually does not qualify.

Degree programmes generally start in September. The Study in Azerbaijan FAQ says admissions typically open in April and close in August, with dates that vary by institution. Spring starts exist mainly for preparatory courses. Examples from university pages for the current cycle:

Each university sets its own fees, and fees for foreigners at public universities are set by the ministry. ADMIU lists USD 2,000 a year for a bachelor, USD 2,500 for a master and USD 1,000 for the preparatory year. ADU lists USD 2,500 to 2,800. Fees are often paid in AZN at the official rate, in full at the start of each semester, and may not be refunded if you leave. Living costs are about USD 300 to 500 a month, according to the Study in Azerbaijan FAQ.

The Heydar Aliyev International Education Grant offers 100 grants a year for students from OIC, Non Aligned Movement and small island developing states. Grant students have their visa and registration covered. Check the official Study in Azerbaijan site for this year's call.

Keep the originals with you. You show them when you enrol, and the university letter you get then is the key paper for your student residence permit.

• Passport valid at least 1 year (some universities ask for this), and in any case 3 months beyond your future permit
• Diploma or school certificate with apostille or legalisation
• Notarised Azerbaijani translation of your diplomas
• Recognition of a foreign bachelor diploma for master's study, through tkta.edu.az
• Health certificate including HIV, hepatitis B and C
• Photos (ADMIU, for example, asks for six 3 x 4 cm photos for admission)

Only a few institutions publish an international students office email, among them ADA, Ganja State University, Sumgait State University and Azerbaijan Medical University. For others, use the general email or phone on the official site. The Guide in the Sroky app shows each university's official website, phones, emails and address, taken only from the institution's own site, so you can call before you travel. A working phone number for your arrival day is worth having.

When you write, ask three things: whether your programme accepts students on an e visa with the purpose Education or only on an embassy education visa, when the letter for the migration service is issued, and whether the university helps with the student residence permit documents. The answers decide your first weeks.