A foreign national can legally take up employment in Azerbaijan once a work permit has been issued. The process is clear, increasingly digital, and several categories of foreigners do not need a work permit at all.<\/p>\n
Short answer:<\/strong> In Azerbaijan, the work permit is obtained by the employer \u2014 a company, an individual entrepreneur or a branch of a foreign company \u2014 from the State Migration Service. It is issued for 1 year (or for the term of the employment contract if shorter) and can be extended each time for up to 1 year. Permanent residents, entrepreneurs and heads of foreign company branches, among others, are exempt.<\/p>\n The employer applies. According to the State Migration Service, a foreign national aged 18 or over may work in Azerbaijan after the work permit has been obtained by the hiring party: a legal entity, an individual running a business without forming a legal entity, or a branch or representative office of a foreign company.<\/p>\n An employment contract with a foreign national cannot be signed before the work permit is issued. The review takes into account whether there is a vacancy and whether the employment service can meet the employer’s need from the local labour force \u2014 which is why the application includes a justification for the hire. Since 1 November 2024, work permits are issued electronically: once the state fee is paid, the employer receives the permit in electronic form.<\/p>\n The Migration Code sets out a list of cases where no work permit is required. The main ones include:<\/p>\n The full list is longer, and the exact conditions matter in each case \u2014 for example, the size of a founder’s share or the employer’s status.<\/p>\n A work permit is one of the grounds for a temporary residence permit. They are two separate documents, but they are linked: if the employment contract ends early, the work permit loses its validity. If the employee has no other ground to stay, they must leave the country within 10 working days. That is why a change of employer is best planned in advance \u2014 the new permit is obtained by the new employer.<\/p>\nWho applies for the work permit \u2014 the employee or the employer?<\/h2>\n
How long is the work permit valid and how is it extended?<\/h2>\n
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\n \nItem<\/th>\n Rule<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Applicant<\/td>\n The employer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Initial term<\/td>\n 1 year, or the term of the employment contract if under a year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Extension<\/td>\n Each time for up to 1 year; up to 2 years for work in the liberated territories<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n When to apply for extension<\/td>\n At least 30 days before the permit expires<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Review period<\/td>\n Depends on the processing term chosen and the state fee paid under the Law on State Fee<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Early termination of the contract<\/td>\n The employer notifies the Migration Service within 5 working days<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Who does not need a work permit?<\/h2>\n
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How are the work permit and the residence permit connected?<\/h2>\n
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