Azerbaijan is wedged between the mountains and the sea, between modernism and traditions, between East and West. From pomegranate wine to tea with lemon slices, there’s a surprise in the familiar and genuine hospitality that has been long lost in the overcrowded hotspots of other countries. You can find untouched mountains, hike alone on a well-established trail and look for specialty coffee shops in vain, even in larger cities. Baku’s boulevards rival those of Paris. Complete with Chanel and Baby Chanel shops, and the museums are second to none in terms of interaction and level of detail. With this Azerbaijan travel guide, you’ll have everything you need for a smooth stay in Azerbaijan as a digital nomad.
Leaving the city behind reveals a whole other side of the country. The mountains are spectacular, the towns and cities untouched by tourism, safe for Sheki, and doner and ayran are a staple food. Sheki, on the old Silk Road, is the exception to this rule. It captivates with its cobblestoned old city and overwhelms with busloads of people, which had become so rare since Baku.
5 Things That Surprised Me About Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan registration: Penalty if you forgot
Azerbaijan visa requirements
Getting to the country was easy, leaving it not so much. Azerbaijan’s e-visa gives you 30 days in the country, but you can only arrive by plane. The land and sea borders have been closed since 2020. Rumors of them opening soon frequently flare up, then die down. If you stay longer than 15 days, you absolutely have to register with the migration services. You can register at any ASAN Service Center or send an email with this form and passport copy to qeydiyyat@migration.gov.az. Apparently, many hotels do this automatically for you but mine did not, I did not check and had to pay a fine of 300 manat (150€) before I was allowed to leave the country.
Azerbaijan travel guide
30 days seemed plenty of time when I was doing research at home. A few days in Baku, a quick visit to the mountains, Sheki, and then over to Georgia. But surprise, we enjoyed Azerbaijan so much. The longer we stayed, the more things we found that we wanted to do. Azerbaijan was also much cheaper than I thought, which helped with the decision to stay longer.
Azerbaijan for digital nomads
Azerbaijan is not your typical destination for digital nomads. Baku is a really underrated city and I really enjoyed just walking around. There are some great coffee shops for working, which I needed, because our hotel room didn’t have windows. Generally Wi-Fi is widely available, even at homestays in the mountains, and mobile coverage is amazing. I used my eSIM throughout. It worked wonders as a hotspot when I worked from doner shops for lack of cafés. If you don’t mind being the only one taking out your laptop at a tea shop, Azerbaijan is definitely an option.