Azerbaijan announces visa waiver for UAE nationals

The move, effective from November 10, is expected to boost Emirati visitor numbers to Azerbaijan

15 November 2015

Citizens of the United Arab Emirates will now be granted visas on arrival in Azerbaijan, it was announced on Sunday.

The government of Azerbaijan has lifted advance visa requirement for UAE passport holders effective from November 10, 2015.

Azerbaijan's ambassador to the UAE Elkhan Gahramanov said: “We are pleased that after many years of deliberation, the government of Azerbaijan has announced the approval by Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, to grant UAE passport holders entry tourist visa upon arrival at any of its airports.”

The visa waiver process for UAE nationals was under consideration over the past two years, officials said. “This is a historical milestone in the relationship between the two nations,” the statement added.

Around 13,000 tourists from the Emirates visited Azerbaijan in 2014, up 8 per cent compared to 12,000 in 2013. Out of that roughly 7,000 to 8,000 of them were UAE citizens.

Officials further expect the overall UAE tourist numbers to increase by 5,000 visitors – over 38 per cent – this year, with the visa waiver anticipated to play a key role in boosting visitor numbers.

“Definitely the visa waiver will make a big difference. UAE nationals already love visiting Azerbaijan because of its landscape – the country’s mountains, ski resorts, beaches are all very attractive,” a spokesperson said.

Atlantis Holidays – the official representative office of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture of Tourism in the Gulf region – is also now offering special packages to encourage more UAE nationals to visit.

Chairman of Atlantis Holidays Rashid Al Noori said: “Undoubtedly, this move will facilitate an excellent traffic flow by all categories of UAE nationals to visit Azerbaijan now.”

Located two and a half hours away, Azerbaijan’s capital Baku is served regularly from Dubai by Azerbaijan Airlines and flydubai.