Azerbaijan

Is Azerbaijan safe to visit?

For most visitors, yes. Baku, Sheki, Gabala and the Caspian coast see little crime: UNODC recorded 2.2 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2023, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary calls crime in the capital generally low. The country's problems lie at its edges. The US raised its advisory to Level 3 ("reconsider travel") in 2026 because of the war in neighbouring Iran, mines still cover the land around former Nagorno-Karabakh, and the government's treatment of critics is among the harshest in the region. We score Azerbaijan 68, close to Armenia and Georgia.

The war next door: Iran and Nakhchivan

Since hostilities between the US and Iran began on 28 February 2026, the US advisoryUS travel advisoryThe US State Department's rating of each country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel).More in the glossary has warned of a continuing threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran. A drone struck Nakhchivan International Airport on 5 March 2026, and commercial flights in the region have been badly disrupted. The US says do not travel to the southern border region, unless it is your best way out of Iran overland. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary warns of a heightened risk of regional escalation and sudden airspace closures.

The 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary ranks Azerbaijan 110th of 163 and records the largest deterioration in its region, driven by tension with Iran and arms imports. For a trip to Baku and the north, the practical effect is mainly on flights: book refundable tickets, keep an eye on airspace notices and register with your embassy. Our Azerbaijan Airlines page covers the national carrier, including flight 8243, brought down near Aktau in December 2024.

Both governments also warn of terrorism. The FCDO says terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks, naming hotels, energy facilities, places of worship and transport hubs as possible targets.

Karabakh, mines and the Armenian border

Azerbaijan took back most of the districts around Nagorno-Karabakh in the 2020 war and the region itself in September 2023. Fighting has stopped, the two countries agreed the text of a peace treaty in August 2025, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says the risk of further conflict has decreased. But the land is still heavily mined.

• The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to 12 districts: Kelbajar, Lachin, Qubadli, Zengilan, Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Khojavand, Shusha, Khojali, Khankendi, Aghdam and Tartar. The US says do not travel to them.
• Entering parts of the south-west without permission is illegal. Visitors who went into Karabakh from Armenia in the past may be refused entry to Azerbaijan.
• The border with Armenia is closed, and the FCDO advises against all travel within 5 km of it. The land border with Russia is closed too.

If you join an authorised trip to Shusha or Aghdam, stay on cleared roads and paths. If you see anything that looks like ordnance, do not touch it and call 102 or 112.

Arrests, protests and photography

Azerbaijan is calm on the surface, but the state tolerates little dissent. Demonstrations without permission are illegal and are broken up quickly. In July 2026 a Baku court sentenced nine journalists and activists linked to the independent outlet Toplum TV to 12 to 15 years in prison on currency smuggling and other financial charges, which the defendants said were fabricated (OCCRP). More than two dozen media outlets have been targeted in three years, and almost all independent outlets now work from exile.

Ordinary tourists are rarely affected, but take this seriously if you are a journalist, researcher or activist, or if you have criticised the government online. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says visitors have been detained and questioned for photographing military sites, and drones are confiscated at the border unless you have residence rights. Carry your passport at all times, since police check ID.

Roads, taxis and scams

WHO estimatesWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 17.2 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, well above most of Europe. The official count is much lower: the State Statistical Committee recorded 689 deaths in 2025, about 6.7 per 100,000 and fewer than the year before. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary describes erratic driving, poorly maintained cars, drivers who ignore one-way signs and unlit roads at night. Any alcohol in your blood when driving can bring a heavy fine or prison.

Street taxis often overcharge visitors badly; Bolt and Uber are widely used and cheaper. The FCDO also warns of card skimming at street cash machines, so use machines inside banks. Officials, including traffic police, occasionally ask foreigners for undocumented payments.

Health and natural hazards

There is no malaria and disease risk is low, though rabies is common in dogs. Care in Baku is adequate for routine problems, but the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says facilities outside the capital are very limited and serious cases may need evacuation to Turkey or Western Europe, so carry insurance that covers it. Call 103 for an ambulance.

The whole Caucasus is earthquake country, although Azerbaijan has had no serious quake recently. Snow can close mountain roads in winter.

How we scored it

Violent crime (86) and petty crime (78) are the strongest factors. Road safety (52) is the weakest, scored on WHO's 2021 estimate and nudged up slightly for the falling national count. Conflict (55) is close behind because of the Iran threat, the mined south-west and the closed Armenian border; health (65) follows, for the limited care outside Baku. The conflict picture can change fast in either direction, so confidence is medium.