Azerbaijan's national currency is the Manat, divided into 100 gapiks (q) with coins available in 10q, 20q and more rarely 50q denominations. The manat, roughly equivalent to a Euro, is written with a M symbol that looks like the Euro E swivelled through 90 degrees.
A large number of banks offer exchange services, many at small booth-shops. Especially in central Baku you can find remarkably low buy-sell rate splits for Euros, Pounds, Roubles and especially US Dollar cash. Reconverting any extra mantas back to dollars or Euros is not problematic. Rates at hotels tend to be significantly poorer.
Service charges are included in some but not all restaurants. Adding around 10% is appropriate. Porters at the airport or in a good hotel might expect around AZN 5 to 10 according to the amount of luggage. In taxis where you have to negotiate a fare then that sum should suffice. However, in London-style cabs working on the meter, it is polite to round up the fare to the nearest Manat for a short ride.
Credit cards are accepted in boutiques, better restaurants and upper-range hotels, but not generally in grocery stores, cafes, guesthouses or small local shops. Visa and MasterCard are most widely accepted, with Amex also respected in some establishments. The start of China Union Pay card acceptance in Azerbaijan has been mooted for 2014-15.
Cash machines are widespread throughout central Baku and increasingly common all across Azerbaijan with at least one ATM in even the smallest regional centre.
There are two major domestic bill-payment systems in Azerbaijan. MilliÖn (www.million.az) has a nationwide network of terminals in public locations allowing for direct payments. GoldenPay (www.goldenpay.az) is an online service along the lines of PayPal.
If you're bringing in more than US$1000 or the equivalent in other foreign currencies, you should declare that sum on a customs declaration and get that declaration stamped on arrival. Should you have over US$50,000, you might be asked to provide bank statements to explain its provenance. On leaving the country you are not allowed more than the total amount you initially declared on arrival. However, this does not apply to sums less than US$1000. Nationals of Azerbaijan are allowed to export up to US$10,000 in foreign currency without documentation other than the customs form
International country code: +994
Baku-code: (0)12
Dial-out code: 00
Sometimes it seems that every Azerbaijani has their ear soldered to a mobile phone. Indeed many people have more than one phone, or use dual-SIM phones to allow for cheaper calls to different networks. Coverage is remarkably comprehensive even in rural areas, though some villages do still have only single network coverage. Some key points:
Azərpoçt (AzerPost) operates the national postal system. Most domestic customers receive their mail through the nearest post office rather than by door to door delivery. Service provided is usually reliable, and seems to be getting faster: mail from North America that used to take up to a month now usually arrives in less than two weeks. For faster delivery there are a considerable range of courier service providers. All major international post and courier service companies are operating in Azerbaijan.
The main gateway to Azerbaijan is Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD), 20km east of central Baku via a big new multi-lane highway. There are also modest international airports at Ganja, Nakhchivan, Lenkoran and Gabala and a domestic airport at Zaqatala.
There are numerous air links to Russia. Most of the airlines below offer a range of further destinations given a connecting flight. You could also fly via Minsk (on Belavia), Riga (Air Baltic) or Kiev (Ukrainian International).
No visa is required for citizens of Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Maximum stay is 90 days; registration is required within three days.
Visa on arrival is available for citizens of Turkey and Israel and for a very small number of others, mostly visitors with special status or very high level invitations.
Pre-arranged Visa - Nationalities other than those listed above should arrange their visas in advance. Generally this will mean either visiting an Azerbaijani embassy/consulate/visa service or organizing an e- visa through a travel agency. For either system you will need either an approved invitation letter or pre- booked tourist accommodation. Apply at least two weeks in advance or else you might need to pay extra.
Your passport must be more than three months before its expiration date or else the visa will not be granted.
Be aware that within ten days of your arrival in Azerbaijan you will need to register. It's a simple formality and if you stay in a hotel, the registration will usually be done for you. If not, then you can register online through www.migration.gov.az or but do be aware that you will need access to a printer and scanner as the online form' needs to be signed by your landlord/landlady before being submitted (by e-mail).
Visa Validity and Application. Most single entry visas are valid for one entry of up to 30 days, and must be used within 90 days.
Double entry visas are available for business but not tourist purposes, cost no more than single entry ones. Each entry allows stays of up to 30 days within a period of 90 days from the visa's issue.
Multiple-entry visas are usually valid for a year but usually require a considerable degree of preparation and telexed approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Some such visas allow a total of just 90 days in- country during the year of validity.
E-Visas. Instead of applying at an embassy or consulate, you can apply for an e-visa. Details are available through this link but do be aware that you will still need to go through a travel agency, and usually book at least a percentage of your stay through them as well as paying a fee. Even then the procedure can take two weeks yet the visa applies for an entry not later than 30 days after approval so the timing of the application will be important.
Once the e-visa is approved you will receive a pdf file which you should print out. This will be valid for entry via any legal immigration station whether arriving by land, sea or air. It's important to understand that the main application for such visas is handled by approved Azerbaijan-based travel agencies not by the applicant him/herself.
The list of these agencies you can find here: www.azerbaijan.travel
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