Many foreign entrepreneurs want to register a company in Azerbaijan before they relocate — or without flying to Baku at all. The good news: in most cases this is possible, and in recent years electronic registration for foreign founders has become noticeably simpler.
Short answer: Yes. An LLC in Azerbaijan can be registered without coming in person — via a representative with a notarised, apostilled or legalised power of attorney, or online with an enhanced electronic signature. State registration of a foreign-invested LLC takes 2 days. Personal involvement is most often needed to open the bank account, depending on the bank.
How can you register a company without travelling?
There are two practical routes, and they can be combined.
| Route | What you need | Key points |
|---|---|---|
| Through a representative under power of attorney | A power of attorney certified by a notary in your country, with an apostille or consular legalisation; a notarised Azerbaijani translation | The representative files the documents and collects the registration result in Azerbaijan |
| Online registration | An enhanced electronic signature; the foreign founder’s documents, authenticated and translated | The tax service’s e-service for LLCs with local and foreign investment |
Commercial legal entities are registered by the State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy. Electronic registration of a foreign-invested LLC is completed within 2 days.
What do you need for online registration?
Online LLC registration runs through the tax service’s e-service “Kommersiya hüquqi şəxslərin onlayn qeydiyyatı” and is signed with an enhanced electronic signature. Since July 2024, a founder in electronic registration can be not only a foreign individual but also a foreign company. Documents with an electronic apostille (the Hague Conference e-APP programme) are accepted, and a notary certifies their translation remotely through the “Elektron notariat” system.
The key question is the electronic signature:
- ASAN İmza in Azerbaijan — for foreigners, issued on the basis of a temporary or permanent residence permit.
- Certificate for non-residents — foreigners living abroad can apply for an electronic signature certificate through Azerbaijan’s diplomatic missions; such a certificate is valid for 3 years.
- No electronic signature — a representative under power of attorney handles the registration.
How do you issue a power of attorney from abroad?
The power of attorney is signed before a notary in the country where you are and then authenticated for use in Azerbaijan. For countries party to the 1961 Hague Convention (Azerbaijan has been a party since 2005; Türkiye and Russia, for example, are parties too), an apostille is enough; other countries need consular legalisation through the Azerbaijani embassy. The power of attorney is then translated into Azerbaijani with a notarised translation. Its scope must cover every action the representative will take on your behalf — so it’s best to agree the wording in advance.
Where might you still need to be there in person?
Registration is not the only step. Personal involvement is most often needed to open the bank account. Central Bank rules allow remote account opening for a resident legal entity — with an enhanced electronic signature and a video call — but not every bank offers this service. Otherwise, the authenticity of a signature is confirmed by the signatory’s personal presence. A company registered in Azerbaijan is a resident, so the remote option is possible in principle; check the conditions with your chosen bank in advance.
A separate matter is a residence permit, if the director or founder plans to live and work in Azerbaijan: it is issued by the State Migration Service on its own grounds.
— SME: Remote registration is a proven scenario: you sign the power of attorney in your own country, and we handle registration in Baku. Our advice — agree the power of attorney wording and the document list with us before you visit the notary, so the apostille only has to be done once. And choose the bank early: account-opening requirements differ from bank to bank.
Frequently asked questions
Can I register an LLC in Azerbaijan without ever coming?
Yes. Registration can be done through a representative with a notarised power of attorney bearing an apostille or legalisation, or online with an enhanced electronic signature.
Do I have to have ASAN İmza?
No. An electronic signature is needed for online registration. Without one, a representative under power of attorney handles the registration.
Can I open a bank account remotely?
Central Bank rules allow this for a resident legal entity with an enhanced electronic signature and a video call, if the bank offers the service. Otherwise, the signature is confirmed by the signatory’s personal presence.
How long does registration take?
State registration of a foreign-invested LLC takes 2 days. Most of the time goes into preparing, apostilling and translating documents abroad.
This article is for general information and does not replace individual advice. Bank and government requirements can change — confirm the current procedure or talk to SME.
Want to open a company in Azerbaijan without travelling? Registration under power of attorney is handled by SME.
Full overview: How to Register a Company in Azerbaijan: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)
Sources
State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy — taxes.gov.az: e-service “Kommersiya hüquqi şəxslərin onlayn qeydiyyatı” (19.12.2024); unified electronic registration of LLCs with local and foreign investment (08.07.2024); rules on legalisation of foreign documents.
ASAN xidmət — asan.gov.az: documents required for an ASAN İmza certificate.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan — embassy websites (ankara.mfa.gov.az, stockholm.mfa.gov.az): electronic signature certificates for non-residents.
Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan — cbar.az: Rules on opening, maintaining and closing bank accounts (Resolution No. 04/2 of 04.02.2022).
HCCH — Apostille Convention status table (updated 30.06.2026).
U.S. International Trade Administration — Azerbaijan Country Commercial Guide, Establishing an Office (12.01.2026).
Last reviewed: October 2026.
