A place to live. A plan to settle. One local team beside you.

• A capital with a working city systemBaku has 2.36 million residents, a metro that runs from 06:00 to midnight, suburban trains to Khirdalan and Sumgayit, and a 24-hour airport bus.
• Real choice beyond the capitalMountain towns such as Quba, Gabala and Sheki, and large regional cities such as Ganja, offer a different pace and, in the evidence we gathered, lower housing prices.
• Housing costs you can measureOfficial appraisers publish monthly price and rent medians for Baku, so you can plan with numbers rather than guesses.
• A school system open to resident childrenLawfully resident foreign children have the right to attend state schools free of tuition, and Baku has a range of private and international schools with published fees.
• Clear residence rulesThe Migration Code sets out the grounds on which a foreign national may apply for temporary residence - including work, study, family ties, investment and registered property ownership.
• A secular state with a Muslim-majority societyThe Constitution defines Azerbaijan as a secular state where religions are equal before the law. Halal food is part of everyday life, and mosques, churches and synagogues operate in Baku.

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What we are not. We are not a law firm, a school, a bank or a government office. Where a task needs a licensed notary, lawyer, translator or appraiser, we coordinate with one, and their work remains theirs. Authorities, schools and banks make their own decisions; we make sure your family arrives at each one prepared.

• Who may like itfamilies who need international schooling, specialist healthcare, a wide rental market and direct international flights.

Population

2,356,200 (1 Jan 2026)

Distance

The capital; airport about 20-25 km from the centre

Housing

The country's largest market: older Soviet-era blocks, new-build towers, townhouses on the edges. Asking rents in our September 2026 sample: about AZN 475 for a 1-room flat, AZN 750 for 2 rooms, AZN 1,175 for 3 rooms (central 3-room about AZN 1,500; outer districts about AZN 800)

Buying

Appraisers' median, August 2026: AZN 2,772 per m2 new-build, AZN 2,625 resale; Sabail, Narimanov and Nasimi above AZN 3,000

Schools

State schools in Azerbaijani and Russian sectors; private schools; all eight IB World Schools we confirmed are in Baku

Healthcare

Public hospitals (including Yeni Klinika, opened 2020) and private hospitals and clinics

Transport

Metro (3 lines, 27 stations), buses, suburban rail, taxis and ride-hailing

What is different

Everything is available, and so is traffic. Wind is part of the climate - Baku is known as the city of winds

What a family should check

Commute from home to school at school-run time; building age and heating; lift and parking

Near Baku: Absheron, Khirdalan, Sumgayit and the north coast

For many families the most interesting question is this: can we live somewhere quieter or more affordable and still use Baku for work, school and hospitals? Around the capital, the answer depends on the train line and the road you will use every day.

• Khirdalan and western Absheron (about 15-20 km)Khirdalan is a city of 196,200 people and the centre of Absheron district (435,200). It has a station on the suburban railway. Asking rents in our sample were about AZN 465 a month, and new-build apartments were listed at about AZN 1,750 per m2. It may suit families who work in western Baku and accept a daily commute. Masazir and Saray, also in Absheron district, showed asking rents of about AZN 400.
• Sumgayit (about 34 km)Sumgayit is one of Azerbaijan's largest cities (428,200 people), on the Caspian coast north of Baku, with its own state university and a branch of Dunya School. Suburban trains run between Baku and Sumgayit through the day, and the Absheron line carries 84 trips on weekdays. Asking rents averaged about AZN 500; the appraisers' median sale price was AZN 1,805 per m2. It may suit families who want a full-size city with a rail link to the capital.
• The north Absheron coast (about 30-40 km)Mardakan, Shuvalan and Buzovna are coastal settlements inside Baku's Khazar district, traditionally summer-house areas with beaches. Families considering year-round life here should check winter heating, water supply and road access house by house.
• What a family should check near Bakuthe real peak-hour commute; which station or bus route you will use; the nearest school with a place for your child; whether the building was designed for year-round living.

Quba and Qusar

Quba (city 24,800; district 172,200) and neighbouring Qusar (city 21,400) sit in the north-east, about 167 and 177 km from Baku by road. Qusar is the gateway to the Shahdag Mountain Resort (212 km from Baku), and buses run between Baku and Qusar through the day. Quba has a branch of the State Pedagogical University, and near Quba is Qirmizi Qesebe, a historic Mountain Jewish settlement.

• Who may like itfamilies who want cooler summers, forests and mountains, with Baku reachable by road for regular trips.
• What is differenta smaller housing market with few online listings, so local knowledge matters more than portals. Winters bring snow in upland villages. International-curriculum schools are concentrated in Baku.
• What a family should checkyear-round road access to the specific village; heating type; the nearest school and its teaching language; driving time to the hospital you would use.

Gabala and Shamakhi

Gabala (district 110,100; town 15,300) lies 225 km from Baku on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus. It has a railway station with a tourist train to Baku at weekends, the Gabala Central District Hospital, the year-round Tufandag mountain resort and an international music festival held every summer since 2009. Long-term rental and sale listings are very limited online, which is exactly where on-the-ground help makes the difference.

Shamakhi (city 40,300) is about 116 km from Baku on the road towards Gabala - close enough for regular trips to the capital. It has a branch of the State Pedagogical University. The region has a long history of earthquakes, so building quality deserves careful checking before renting or buying.

• Who may like itfamilies who want mountain life, a small-town routine and a rail link to the capital - including families where a parent works remotely.
• What a family should checkschool options and teaching languages locally; winter driving on mountain roads; how far the nearest specialist care is; whether a home is built for year-round living or holiday use.

Sheki and Zaqatala

Sheki (city 65,300; district 185,200) is home to the Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan's Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2019. It has a branch of the State Pedagogical University and a station on the overnight train from Baku to Balakan. By road it is about 290-350 km from Baku, depending on the route.

Zaqatala (city 22,100) lies further north-west in the Caucasus foothills, about 418 km by the official route. The same overnight train serves the town.

• Who may like itfamilies drawn to history, green hills and a slower pace, who are comfortable being several hours from Baku.
• What is differentthese are small markets for housing and schooling, with very few online listings. The UK government notes that medical facilities outside Baku are very limited, so families with ongoing health needs should plan access carefully.
• What a family should checktravel time to Baku for flights; school places and languages; the nearest hospital and pharmacy; heating and winter access.

Ganja, Naftalan and Mingachevir

Ganja is Azerbaijan's second city (331,100 people), about 348 km west of Baku, with daily trains to and from the capital (about 4 hours). It is home to Ganja State University, the Azerbaijan State Agricultural University and the Azerbaijan Technological University, and has private hospitals including a branch of Central Clinic. In our September 2026 sample, asking rents averaged about AZN 475; new-build apartments were listed at about AZN 1,850 per m2 and resale at about AZN 1,360.

Mingachevir (103,300) sits beside a large reservoir about 308 km from Baku and has its own state university. Listings were few; treat any price as indicative only.

Naftalan (8,600) is a small resort town near Ganja known for its sanatoria. It is a quiet place rather than a family base for most, unless work ties you there.

• Who may like itfamilies who want a large city with universities, its own hospitals, and lower housing prices than Baku.
• What a family should checkthe school language options for each child; the daily train or road link if a parent works in Baku; heating in winter and cooling in summer, which can be very hot.

• The south (Lankaran, Masalli)Lankaran is a green, subtropical coastal city with a state university. At the time of writing, some governments advise against travel to Azerbaijan's border region with Iran, and passenger trains to the south are suspended for reconstruction. We therefore do not currently present the south as a family relocation option. We will review this when official advice changes.
• The Karabakh and East Zangezur districtsResettlement there is for former residents, visitors need permits, and the UK and US governments advise against travel because of landmines. We do not present these districts as family options.
• NakhchivanAn exclave reached by air from Baku. We do not currently present it as a family option.
• Khazar IslandsA large planned development that has not progressed; it is not a place to live today.

Cost of living: the honest picture

Whether Azerbaijan feels affordable depends on three things more than anything else: which city you live in, what kind of school your children attend, and how you like to live. Rent and school fees move a family budget far more than groceries do.

A few official reference points, September 2026:

Prices change, and inflation is running at a moderate pace, so treat every figure on this page as a dated snapshot.

• Rent from our September 2026 sample of Baku listings (asking rents, medians).
• Day-to-day spending from a crowdsourced dataset (Numbeo, updated August 2026), which estimates about AZN 3,681 a month for a family of four in Baku, excluding rent, and about AZN 995 for one person. Crowdsourced figures are a rough guide, not official statistics.
• School fees from schools' own published 2026-27 schedules, converted to a monthly figure; one-time fees are shown separately.

Baku compared with regional living. In the evidence we gathered, the difference shows up mainly in housing. Median asking rents for a 3-room flat were about AZN 1,500 in central Baku and AZN 800 in outer districts; typical asking rents across flat sizes were about AZN 465 in Khirdalan, AZN 500 in Sumgayit and AZN 475 in Ganja. Utility tariffs are set nationally, so they barely change between cities. We do not publish a "percentage saving", because it depends on which home and which school you compare.

Groceries and daily spending

A sample of one Baku supermarket's online prices on 28 September 2026:

Fresh produce is often cheaper at markets than in supermarkets, and seasonal prices move a lot. Eating out: crowdsourced figures put an inexpensive restaurant meal at about AZN 15 and a mid-range meal for two at about AZN 70.

Food and faith in daily life. About 96% of Azerbaijan's population identifies as Muslim, and halal food is part of ordinary life. Where formal halal certification matters to your family, ask the butcher or restaurant directly; review platforms list halal restaurants in Baku, including a range of Arabic and Middle Eastern restaurants. Delivery apps such as Wolt operate in Baku.

What that can mean for a family flat (illustrative): electricity for 250-400 kWh a month is about AZN 23-43; gas for cooking and an individual boiler averages roughly AZN 14-37 a month over a year, with most of it in winter; water for 10-15 m3 is about AZN 10-15. Building service charges are set by each building's owners and vary.

Internet and mobile. Three mobile operators serve the country: Azercell, Bakcell and Nar. As an example, Azercell's prepaid packages include 10 GB for AZN 18 per 28 days. Fixed fibre broadband is sold by several providers; one provider's published plans run from AZN 25 a month for 100 Mbps to AZN 50 for 1 Gbps. Coverage depends on the building, so check the address before signing a lease. If you use a local SIM card in a phone brought from abroad, the phone's IMEI must be registered - we help with this in your first days.

Renting a home

Most families should expect to rent at first. A typical rental runs like this:

• 01BriefRooms, budget, school location, commute and must-haves (lift, parking, ground floor for a grandparent).
• 02SearchListing portals and agents - many listings are posted by agencies.
• 03ViewingsCheck heating, water pressure, internet availability, noise and building condition.
• 04TermsAgree rent, deposit, length of lease and what the rent includes. Terms vary; get them in writing.
• 05HandoverPhotographed inventory, meter readings, keys, utility account details.
• 06RegistrationA stay of more than 15 days must be registered at the address, and the landlord or the tenant can file it. Confirm with the landlord who will do it.

Utilities are usually paid by the tenant on top of the rent. Leases, deposits and agency fees are a matter of market practice rather than law, so they vary between landlords - we check and explain the terms before you sign.

We do not recommend buying or not buying, and we do not give investment advice. We help you get the facts and the checks in place so the decision is yours.

For Quba, Gabala and Sheki there were too few listings for a fair figure; this is exactly where local research on the ground matters.

• Buildings and land are treated differentlyForeign nationals can own apartments and buildings in Azerbaijan. Land is different: under the Land Code, foreign nationals may hold land only by lease, not ownership. This matters most for houses and villas, where the land beneath the building needs separate attention.
• How a purchase is completedThe sale contract is certified by a notary and the ownership is registered with the State Service on Property Issues; a registry extract confirms title. Official fees include the notary's state fee (in Baku, AZN 280 plus a AZN 42 service charge for a sale between non-relatives) and AZN 50 for the ownership extract. Other costs - valuation, translation, legal review, agency - depend on the transaction.
• What we coordinatearea research, viewings, document checks with licensed professionals, the notary appointment, registration follow-up, and handover. Our dedicated property guide covers buying in depth.

What we do: help you understand whether the property ground fits your situation, coordinate the valuation and registry documents, and prepare a complete application for the authority to decide.

Then: document check → application coordination → the authority's decision.

Temporary, permanent and citizenship are three different things.

• Temporary residence: up to one year at first, extendable. Standard state fee for up to one year: AZN 120 per adult and AZN 60 per child; decision within 20 working days (or AZN 160 / AZN 100 for a 15-working-day decision).
• Permanent residence: after at least two years of temporary residence and subject to its own conditions; issued for five years. State fee for adults AZN 300-450 depending on the processing time chosen.
• Citizenship: requires, among other conditions, five years of continuous legal residence and knowledge of the Azerbaijani language.

Applications include a medical certificate and fingerprint registration for applicants aged 15 and over, and they can be filed with the State Migration Service or at ASAN service centres.

• A foreign national staying more than 15 days must be registered at the place of stay within 15 days of arrival.
• The host files it - the hotel, the owner of the home, or the host organisation - or you can file it yourself.
• It is free, and can be filed online, by email or in person.
• If you move to a new address, register again within 5 working days.
• Fines apply to both the foreign national and the host if registration is missed.

We coordinate the registration with your landlord or accommodation from day one, and again each time you move.

• Right to attendThe Law on General Education gives foreign children who are lawfully resident in Azerbaijan the right to study in state schools on equal terms. In practice, that means your children's residence permits come first.
• CostTuition is free and textbooks are provided free. Families pay for uniforms, food at school and everyday supplies; there is no national free school-meal programme.
• StructureEleven grades; education is compulsory up to grade 9. A child starts grade 1 if they turn six by 15 September, and the school year traditionally begins on 15 September.
• LanguageTeaching is in Azerbaijani, and Russian-language sectors continue. A child joining an Azerbaijani-medium class needs to be able to follow lessons in Azerbaijani.
• EnrolmentGrade 1 registration is online through the Ministry's school-admission portal each spring (for 2026-27 it opened on 1 May 2026). Foreign families provide passports, residence permits and birth certificates.
• Arriving from abroadChildren bring a school transcript. Without one, placement is decided by a school commission (grades 1-4) or by Ministry testing (grades 5-11).

Private and international schools

Baku has a broad range of private schools, from local lyceums to IB and British-curriculum schools. Fees, entry tests and waiting lists are set by each school; ALVERA has no partnership with any school, which lets us compare them for your family without an interest of our own.

Published fees for 2026-27 (annual tuition, as published by the schools):

• IB World Schools in Baku confirmed in the IB directory (September 2026) includeThe International School of Azerbaijan (TISA), European Azerbaijan School, Dunya School, ADA School, Baku Modern Educational Complex, Baku International Education Complex, and two state lyceums (Baku City Lyceum No. 6 and No. 132-134).
• CIS accreditation, as announced by the Council of International SchoolsTISA, European Azerbaijan School, Baku Oxford School and Azerbaijan British College.

Other schools publish fees only on request, or publish schedules for earlier years. Across the current schedules we reviewed, English-medium and IB or Cambridge schools owned locally charged roughly AZN 10,000 to 22,000 a year, and the main expatriate-oriented IB school about USD 26,000. Transport, uniforms, meals and exam fees are often extra.

School costs compared (per child, per year):

Schools outside Baku

This is the question that most often decides whether a regional city is realistic.

• State schools operate in every city and district, with free tuition for lawfully resident children. Online grade-1 enrolment with catchment priority applies in Baku, Sumgayit, Ganja and Absheron.
• International curricula are concentrated in Baku. We found no IB World School outside Baku in the IB directory in September 2026.
• Sumgayit has a branch of Dunya School with Azerbaijani, Russian and English divisions.
• Universities and higher-education branches operate in Ganja (three state universities), Sumgayit, Mingachevir, and through State Pedagogical University branches in Sheki, Quba and Shamakhi.
• Regional private schools exist but publish little online. We visit and ask directly.

• How the public system worksMandatory health insurance is run by the State Medical Insurance and Expertise Agency. Its package covers 3,318 medical services, including primary care, emergency care, laboratory tests, imaging and hospital treatment; dental, cosmetic and fertility care are excluded. You register with a family doctor at the polyclinic for your address, and you can see specialists without a referral.
• Foreign residentsThe agency states that foreign residents who pay mandatory health-insurance contributions can use the scheme with their residence permit. It does not state how non-working family members are covered, so we check your family's situation before you arrive, and many families also take private health insurance from a local insurer.
• Hospitals and clinicsBaku has large public hospitals - for example Yeni Klinika, opened in 2020 - and private hospitals and clinics, including maternity and paediatric care (for example Leyla Medical Center, Central Clinic and Baku Medical Plaza). Outside Baku, district hospitals provide general care; the UK government notes that medical facilities outside Baku are very limited, which matters for families with ongoing needs.
• What we doWe help you register with a polyclinic, find English- or Arabic-speaking doctors where possible, book appointments, and interpret. We do not give medical advice.

• Everyday crimeThe UK government's travel advice describes crime levels in Baku as "generally low", and advises ordinary precautions: watch for bag-snatching at night and card skimming.
• RoadsRoad safety deserves real care. The World Health Organization estimates 17.2 road deaths per 100,000 people (2021). Use child seats, choose drivers carefully and take extra care on mountain roads in winter.
• Current government adviceAs of September 2026, the UK advises against all travel within 5 km of the border with Armenia and against all but essential travel to 12 formerly conflict-affected districts because of landmines. The United States rates Azerbaijan at Level 3 ("Reconsider travel"), citing regional drone and missile threats, terrorism and landmines, and advises against travel to the border regions with Iran and Armenia and the landmine-affected districts. Please read your own government's current advice before you decide.
• WaterThe US government advises drinking bottled water.

We do not use absolute safety promises about any country, and neither should anyone else. What we can do is choose areas, homes and routines with you on the basis of current information.

Emergency numbers (keep this card):

• Baku MetroThree lines (Red, Green and Purple), 27 stations, open from 06:00 to midnight. A ride costs AZN 0.60 (since 1 October 2025). Pay with a BakiKart travel card, a QR ticket or contactless bank card at the gates; a BakiKart is the simplest option for a family.
• BusesCity buses use the BakiKart; fares on most routes are between AZN 0.50 and AZN 1.50. The H1 airport bus costs AZN 1.30, runs 24 hours a day - every 20 minutes during the day - and connects the airport with Koroglu and 28 May metro stations and the Central Railway Station.
• Suburban railThe Absheron line (91 km, 15 stations) links Baku with Khirdalan, Pirshagi and Sumgayit, with 84 trips on weekdays since July 2026.
• Intercity trainsFrom Baku there are daily trains to Ganja and Qazax (about 4 hours to Ganja), a weekend train to Gabala (about 3.5 hours), and an overnight sleeper to Sheki, Qakh, Zaqatala and Balakan. Passenger trains to Lankaran and Astara are suspended for reconstruction. Check the current timetable on the Azerbaijan Railways ticket site before travelling.
• By airHeydar Aliyev International Airport is about 20-25 km from central Baku. Domestic flights connect Baku with Nakhchivan and Fuzuli.
• Taxis and ride-hailingBaku Taxi, the state taxi service, takes bookings on 1000. Uber (through its local app) and Bolt operate in Baku. Since July 2024, taxis must be white or red.
• Arriving overlandMost families arrive by air. Passenger entry at land borders has been restricted in recent years; we check the current position before you plan.

Car and driving

Many families manage well in Baku without a car at first. Outside the capital, a car becomes much more useful.

• 01Rent firstUse taxis or a rental while you learn the city.
• 02DecideDo the school run, the commute and weekend trips need a car?
• 03Buy or leaseWe coordinate the search, checks and paperwork.
• 04Register and insureCompulsory third-party motor insurance applies; for a private car up to 1,500 cc it costs AZN 50 a year.

Your licence. Once you receive a temporary or permanent residence permit, you must exchange your foreign driving licence for an Azerbaijani one within one month. We coordinate the appointment and translations. Traffic drives on the right; petrol (AI-92) costs AZN 1.15 a litre.

Winter. Roads to Quba, Qusar, Shamakhi and Gabala climb into the mountains, so plan winter journeys with care.

• LanguageAzerbaijani is the official language. Russian-language schooling continues, and Russian is heard in Baku; English is less universal, so we provide interpreting wherever you need it.
• FaithThe Constitution defines Azerbaijan as a secular state in which religions are equal before the law and freedom of conscience is protected. About 96% of the population identifies as Muslim. Mosques, Orthodox and Catholic churches and synagogues operate in Baku. Ramadan and Eid are observed, and the Eid holidays are public holidays.
• Everyday etiquetteModest dress is expected when visiting mosques and other places of worship.
• ClimateBaku is dry, windy and hot in summer (average July highs around 30 C), with mild winters. Gabala and Sheki are greener and wetter, with cold, sometimes snowy winters. Quba and Qusar have cooler summers and snowy uplands. Ganja and Mingachevir have hot summers. Every home needs working heating, and most need cooling.
• Air qualityOfficial automatic monitoring stations cover Baku, Sumgayit and Ganja, but no official annual fine-particle figure is published. We do not claim that any city is "cleaner" than another.

• Children settling inMost children settle through routine: the same route to school, one or two regular activities, and time to make friends. We help you choose schools with orientation support, find clubs and sports near home, and plan the school run.
• Spouses and partnersThe parent who is not working often carries the most daily logistics in a new country. We cover mobility, language support, healthcare registration, banking and community contacts, and we connect you with our Company Formation, Business Development and Training teams if you later want to work, start a business or study. We make no assumptions about work rights; each depends on your residence ground.
• Elderly parentsCheck lifts, ground-floor or step-free access, distance to a polyclinic and pharmacy, heating, and the climate in summer and winter. A parent may be able to apply for residence as a dependent family member of a resident. We cannot say whether a place suits a particular health condition - that is a matter for doctors - but we can arrange appointments and interpreting.
• PetsPet-travel services list a microchip, a rabies vaccination and a health certificate as the usual requirements for dogs and cats, and the Food Safety Agency issues pet veterinary passports. We confirm the current entry rules with the authority before you fly, and look for pet-friendly rentals.
• WeekendsLiving in Azerbaijan puts the Caspian coast, the Caucasus mountains and historic towns within reach. The Baku Zoo, children's venues and the Seaside Boulevard are city favourites; Tufandag in Gabala and Shahdag in Qusar are year-round mountain resorts. Our tourism team can help with trips.
• Working from homeFibre broadband is available in many buildings (plans from about AZN 25 a month for 100 Mbps), and Azerbaijan is on GMT+4, the same time zone as the UAE and Oman. Whether you may work locally depends on your residence and work status.

The first 30 days

Our Arrival Checklist - First 30 Days turns a month of small tasks into a sequence.

Documents to bring (requirements depend on your family and your residence ground):

• Passports for every family member, valid well beyond your planned permit
• Marriage and birth certificates, with an apostille or consular legalisation and a notarised translation
• School records and transcripts for each child
• Vaccination and health records
• Documents for the ground you will apply on (employment contract, company papers, admission letter, deposit or property documents)
• Driving licences
• Health or travel insurance documents

Azerbaijan is a party to the Apostille Convention; documents from countries that are not parties need consular legalisation. Licensed translators and notaries certify translations; we coordinate with them.

Setting up your home. Furniture, appliances, internet, utilities in your name, cleaning, a child's room, and moving logistics. We coordinate suppliers; their prices are separate and agreed with you in advance.

One family, one relationship

A family move does not end when the boxes are unpacked. Over the following years you may change schools, renew permits, buy a home, need a car, start a business or bring a grandparent to live with you. With ALVERA, each of those steps continues with people who already know your family.

Relocation → School → Residence → Housing → Property → Mobility → Education → Business → Ongoing support

After you have settled, we remain available for:

• Residence renewals and address changes
• School changes and liaison
• Property search, purchase coordination and property management coordination
• Maintenance and household services coordination
• Car and mobility coordination
• Education and university steps for older children
• Company formation and business development
• Administrative coordination, translation and interpreting
• Help with family visits

• 01An initial relocation conversationTell us about your family and your plans. We outline the steps, what to check first and how we can help.
• 02Your family planCity shortlist, school options, housing plan, residence route to check, and a timeline.
• 03A clear scopeYou see what we will coordinate and our fees in writing before work begins. Third-party costs - rent, school fees, state fees, notaries, translators, suppliers - are separate and paid to them.
• 04On the groundWe coordinate the steps with you, in person in Azerbaijan and remotely before you arrive.
• 05Continuing supportThe same team remains your point of contact after you settle.

We do not guarantee decisions by authorities, schools or banks, and we do not promise response times we cannot control. We do promise a complete, careful and honest process.