1968 IDP required alongside UK/EU licence
RequiredAzerbaijan recognises the 1968 Vienna Convention IDP; carry it with your home licence, passport and visa (e-visa available via evisa.gov.az for most UK/EU nationals).
Country driving guide · 2026
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into Azerbaijan: 10 legal requirements + 6 other things worth knowing.
Required
Recommended
Good to know
Tick before you go
10 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
1968 IDP required alongside UK/EU licence
Azerbaijan recognises the 1968 Vienna Convention IDP; carry it with your home licence, passport and visa (e-visa available via evisa.gov.az for most UK/EU nationals).
Local third-party insurance compulsory at border
Green Card is NOT valid in Azerbaijan; buy compulsory MTPL insurance (icbar.az) at the border crossing, typically 50-100 AZN (25-50 EUR) for short stays.
V5C and notarised owner permission for own car
Bring the V5C logbook; if the car is not registered in your name you need a notarised letter of authorisation from the owner, translated into Azerbaijani or Russian.
Temporary vehicle import declaration
Customs issue a temporary import permit (up to 1 year) at the border free of charge; you must exit with the same vehicle or pay heavy duties.
Drive on the right, overtake on the left
Right-hand traffic; right-hand-drive vehicles are legal to drive but discouraged and may be refused entry at some land borders.
Speed limits 110 / 90 / 60 km/h
Motorway 110 km/h, rural roads 90 km/h, urban areas 60 km/h (often 40 km/h in residential zones); fixed and mobile speed cameras are widespread, especially on the Baku-Quba and Baku-Ganja highways.
Zero-tolerance alcohol limit (0.00 g/L)
Any detectable alcohol in the blood is illegal; penalties include heavy fines, licence confiscation and potential detention.
Dipped headlights mandatory outside cities
Dipped headlights required at all times on rural roads and motorways year-round; seatbelts compulsory front and rear, no phone use without hands-free.
Warning triangle and first aid kit required
Carry a warning triangle, first aid kit and fire extinguisher in the vehicle at all times; hi-vis vest is recommended but not legally mandated.
Cash declaration over 10,000 USD equivalent
Declare cash above 10,000 USD (or equivalent) on entry; failure to declare can result in confiscation. No tipping expected at fuel stations.
Azerbaijan recognises the 1968 Vienna Convention IDP; carry it with your home licence, passport and visa (e-visa available via evisa.gov.az for most UK/EU nationals).
Green Card is NOT valid in Azerbaijan; buy compulsory MTPL insurance (icbar.az) at the border crossing, typically 50-100 AZN (25-50 EUR) for short stays.
Bring the V5C logbook; if the car is not registered in your name you need a notarised letter of authorisation from the owner, translated into Azerbaijani or Russian.
Customs issue a temporary import permit (up to 1 year) at the border free of charge; you must exit with the same vehicle or pay heavy duties.
Right-hand traffic; right-hand-drive vehicles are legal to drive but discouraged and may be refused entry at some land borders.
Motorway 110 km/h, rural roads 90 km/h, urban areas 60 km/h (often 40 km/h in residential zones); fixed and mobile speed cameras are widespread, especially on the Baku-Quba and Baku-Ganja highways.
Any detectable alcohol in the blood is illegal; penalties include heavy fines, licence confiscation and potential detention.
Dipped headlights required at all times on rural roads and motorways year-round; seatbelts compulsory front and rear, no phone use without hands-free.
Traffic police (YPX) conduct frequent stops; fines are issued via official receipt or the e-cign.az portal: never pay cash directly to an officer without paperwork.
Azerbaijan has no nationwide vignette or toll-road system; motorways and main highways are free to use.
Carry a warning triangle, first aid kit and fire extinguisher in the vehicle at all times; hi-vis vest is recommended but not legally mandated.
Winter tyres or chains strongly recommended Nov-Mar for the Greater Caucasus routes (Quba, Qusar, Shahdag); mountain passes such as Murovdag can close after heavy snow.
Baku and other cities have no LEZ stickers or emission-based restrictions, though older diesels may face informal scrutiny at city checkpoints.
Currency is the Azerbaijani manat (AZN); petrol AI-92 around 1.00 AZN/L (~0.55 EUR), diesel similar; fuel stations widely accept cards in cities but cash needed rurally.
Declare cash above 10,000 USD (or equivalent) on entry; failure to declare can result in confiscation. No tipping expected at fuel stations.
FCDO advises against travel to areas near the Armenian border and former contact line; do not attempt to enter Armenia directly from Azerbaijan: the border is closed.
FCDO travel adviceWe'll build the itinerary, estimate fuel + tolls, and show EV chargers along the route, and this checklist appears automatically on every trip that crosses into Azerbaijan.
Start planning →Places to add to your Azerbaijan road trip.
Don't get caught out
Right-hand traffic; right-hand-drive vehicles are legal to drive but discouraged and may be refused entry at some land borders.
Motorway 110 km/h, rural roads 90 km/h, urban areas 60 km/h (often 40 km/h in residential zones); fixed and mobile speed cameras are widespread, especially on the Baku-Quba and Baku-Ganja highways.
Any detectable alcohol in the blood is illegal; penalties include heavy fines, licence confiscation and potential detention.
Dipped headlights required at all times on rural roads and motorways year-round; seatbelts compulsory front and rear, no phone use without hands-free.