Citizens of Azerbaijan do not need a Russia visa, but «visa-free» does not mean «rule-free» here. Over the past two years Russia has tightened the regime considerably for visa-free arrivals: the 90-day limit is now counted per calendar year, biometrics are taken at airports, the registration window has been shortened and an electronic notice before travel has been introduced. Anyone visiting family in Moscow, travelling on business or simply transiting should know about these changes.
Below: the new terms of the visa-free regime, the migration card and registration, the RuID notice, the land-border situation and flight options from Baku to Moscow.
Do you need a Russia visa?
No. A bilateral agreement between Azerbaijan and Russia allows visa-free entry on an ordinary passport. The key change took effect on 1 January 2025: you may now spend a total of 90 days in Russia within a single calendar year. The old 90/180 rule is gone, which means someone who uses up 90 days early in the year cannot re-enter until the next one. The count is the sum of all separate trips. The list published by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs puts it plainly: 90 days within one calendar year. The Russian side sets out its rules on the website of the Russian embassy in Baku.
| Visa required? | No |
| How long can you stay? | 90 days in total per calendar year |
| On arrival | Migration card; biometrics at the airport |
| Registration | Within 7 working days of arrival; hotels handle it for you |
| Before travel | Electronic notice via the RuID app, 72 hours ahead; voluntary for now, but recommended |
| Direct flights | Baku–Moscow with AZAL and Russian carriers, several a day |
| Currency | Russian rouble |
No visa, but there is RuID and there are biometrics
Since December 2024, Moscow’s airports take fingerprints and a photograph from visa-free foreign arrivals; it takes a few minutes and costs nothing. From June 2025 an advance-notice system was launched through the «Gosuslugi RuID» app: you register in the app and submit your trip details up to 90 days and at least 72 hours before travelling. The plan had been to make this compulsory for all visa-free arrivals from 1 July 2026, but the Russian government extended the pilot until 31 December 2027, so for tourists the notice remains voluntary; only professional drivers are obliged to file it. Even so, registering in RuID before your flight is worth doing to avoid trouble at the border. Citizens of Belarus and children under six are outside the system.
The migration card and registration
The migration card issued at the border stays with your passport for the whole trip and is handed back on the way out; losing it means a fine and delays. Within seven working days of arriving you must be registered at the address where you are staying. In a hotel, the hotel does this and gives you the registration slip. If you are staying with relatives, the host goes with you to an MFC or the migration office. On longer trips, staying unregistered can bring a fine and a ban on your next entry.
The land border: is the Samur crossing open?
Azerbaijan has kept its land borders closed to passenger traffic since 2020, and the restriction has been extended repeatedly. In practice only limited categories of traveller cross into Dagestan at Samur–Yarag-Kazmalyar, and coming back into Azerbaijan overland is not possible. Travel to Russia is therefore planned by air for the time being; anyone considering the Derbent or Makhachkala route should check the current status of the border before setting off.
How to fly from Baku to Moscow
Baku–Moscow is one of the busiest routes out of Azerbaijan: AZAL flies several times a day, Russian carriers serve the route as well, and the flight takes about three hours. There are also direct flights to St Petersburg, Kazan, Yekaterinburg and Mineralnye Vody. Baku–Moscow fares spike around Novruz, the summer holidays and New Year; February and November are the cheapest months.
Moscow and St Petersburg remain popular short city breaks from Azerbaijan; a St Petersburg tour is usually scheduled for the White Nights in June and July, and needs no visa paperwork.
Frequently asked questions about travel to Russia
Can you work in Russia without a visa?
No. Work requires a patent or a work permit, and those arriving to work must give fingerprints and pass a medical examination within 30 days. The 90-day visa-free regime covers tourism, family visits and business meetings only.
Can you leave and re-enter once the 90 days are up?
No. The limit is 90 days in total per calendar year; re-entry is not possible until the year turns. For a longer stay you need a temporary residence permit.
Do children need extra documents?
A child needs their own passport. When travelling with one parent, the other parent’s notarised consent may be requested on the way out of Azerbaijan, and a separate RuID notice can be filed for children over six.
In closing
No Russia visa is needed, but the 90 days per calendar year, the airport biometrics and the seven-day registration each carry a fine if you get them wrong; the RuID notice is still voluntary, yet worth filing. The Viza.az team helps with RuID registration, with counting the days correctly and with registration on longer trips.
Read more about Russia as a destination, or fill in the application form.
Note: the information here is accurate as of the publication date. Russian migration rules change often, so check the official sources again before you travel.
