Key points
- On an e visa, leaving does not extend your visa, but after you leave you can apply for a new e visa and get a new stay of up to 30 days.
- Russian citizens have 90 days per calendar year: a trip to Georgia pauses the count but does not reset it.
- Chinese citizens have 30 days per entry and at most 90 days in any 180; the temporary windows (Gulf, Japan, Korea and others) allow 3 entries of 30 days.
- Land borders are closed to passengers until 2 January 2027, so you must come back by air.
- Repeated visits are not a way to live in Azerbaijan. For a long stay, apply for a residence permit.
Contents
What is a visa run, and does it work in Azerbaijan?
A visa run means leaving a country for a short time and coming back to start a new stay. Whether it works in Azerbaijan depends on how you entered. Some rules are per trip, so a new trip gives new days. Others are per year or per 180 days, so leaving only pauses the clock.
Find your status in the table, then read the section for it. If you are not sure which rule applies to your passport, use the free visa checker or the visa free list.
| How you entered | Rule | Does leaving reset it? |
|---|---|---|
| ASAN e visa | Up to 30 days, single entry | The visa ends when you leave; a new e visa gives a new 30 days |
| Russian passport | 90 days per calendar year | No. Only 1 January resets it |
| Chinese passport | 30 days per entry, at most 90 in any 180 | Partly. A new entry gives up to 30 days, but the 180 day total still counts |
| Saudi, Kuwaiti, Omani, Bahraini, Japanese, Korean and other temporary windows | 3 entries, up to 30 days each, until the window ends | Yes, up to 3 times; the fourth entry needs a visa |
| Qatari passport | 30 days | Check with the State Migration Service |
| Other agreement countries (Georgia, Türkiye, Kazakhstan, UAE and others) | 90 days | The list does not say how repeat visits count; check before you rely on it |
| Residence permit | The date on the card | No need. But more than 90 days abroad in any 180 can cancel the permit |
On an e visa: leave, apply again, return
The e visa conditions say a new e visa can be issued only after you have left Azerbaijan. So the usual pattern is: leave before day 30, apply for a new e visa while you are abroad, wait for it, and fly back.
There is no published limit on the number of e visas a person may get. But each e visa is for a visit with a declared purpose. If you come back again and again and actually live or work here, border officers can ask questions, and breaking the purpose of a visa can bring a fine and an entry ban of up to 5 years.
- 1
Before day 30
Book a flight out. Count your entry day and exit day as full days.
- 2
Abroad
Apply on evisa.gov.az. Standard takes up to 3 working days; urgent takes 3 hours and costs about USD 59 in total, the form shows the exact amount.
- 3
Fly back
Enter with the new e visa printed. Your new 30 days start on the entry day.
The Georgia run in 2026: fly, do not drive
Tbilisi is the classic visa run destination: close, cheap and visa free for many passports. But Azerbaijan's land borders are closed to passengers until 2 January 2027 under a Cabinet of Ministers decision of 17 September 2026. You cannot come back by road at Red Bridge or Lagodekhi.
The Tbilisi to Baku train that restarted in May 2026 is for Azerbaijani citizens and visa free foreigners. Travellers on an e visa have reported being refused on the train, so do not count on it. Plan a flight both ways, or at least for the return. See Azerbaijan land borders for the details.
Check Georgia's own entry rules for your passport too. Georgia sets its own rules, and they differ by passport.
Russians and Chinese: why a run does not help much
Russians: you have 90 days in total between 1 January and 31 December. If you used 70 days by October, a weekend in Tbilisi leaves you with the same 20 days. More in Russians in Azerbaijan.
Chinese citizens: each entry allows up to 30 days, but all your days in the last 180 must not pass 90. Look back 180 days from the day you plan to enter and add up your days. A run lets you start a new 30 day stay only if the 180 day total still has room.
A counting example
| Trip | Status | Days | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 30 March | E visa | 30 | Must leave by 30 March |
| 31 March to 3 April in Tbilisi | Apply for a new e visa | Abroad | |
| 4 April to 3 May | New e visa | 30 | A new 30 day stay |
| Same dates for a Russian | Visa free | 30 + 30 = 60 | 30 days left until 31 December |
The entry day and the exit day both count as days in Azerbaijan.
When you should stop doing runs
If you find yourself planning the third or fourth run, you probably live here. The safe path is a temporary residence permit on a real ground such as work, study, family, a company or property. Apply at least 30 days before your current stay ends. Remote work from Baku on visits is a grey area; Azerbaijan has announced digital nomad rules from 2027, but they are only partly published.
Sroky counts your days for the calendar year and reminds you before your last legal day. It can also file a new e visa for you for a fee on top of the official one, or you can apply alone on evisa.gov.az. Sroky is a private company, not the government.
Let Sroky file your e visa
Check your passport for free, fill in the application in the app and we file it on the official portal. You pay our fee and the official fee as separate lines.
Frequently asked questions
Does leaving Azerbaijan reset my 30 days on an e visa?
The e visa ends when you leave. After leaving you can apply for a new e visa, which gives a new stay of up to 30 days.
Can I apply for a new e visa while I am still in Azerbaijan?
No. The conditions say a new e visa is issued only after you have left the country.
Can I do a visa run to Georgia by bus or car?
Not to come back. Land borders are closed to passengers until 2 January 2027, so you need to return by air.
Does a trip abroad give Russians new days?
No. Russians have 90 days per calendar year in total, and only 1 January resets the count.
How many e visas can I get in a year?
No limit is published. Repeated visits to actually live or work here can lead to questions at the border and refusal.
What is the safest way to stay long term?
A temporary residence permit on a legal ground, applied for at least 30 days before your stay ends.
Official sources
- ASAN Visa: e visa conditions
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs: visa free countries
- State Migration Service: temporary stay
- Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan: decisions
Sroky is a private service and is not part of the government of Azerbaijan. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change: the official source always applies. Disclaimer