Registering an LLC in Azerbaijan as a foreign founder

If you are a foreign founder planning to set up a limited liability company, three questions come first: who registers companies, which papers you need from home, and whether you can file remotely. The short answer: the State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy registers commercial entities¹. Registration is immediate online and takes up to 2 working days on paper, according to its 2026 brochure²; the Law on State Registration and State Registry of Legal Entities, in the Service’s English translation, sets 2 days at most, including for an LLC with foreign investment registered online³. The Service also says that foreign founders can now file online with an electronic signature^4,5. None of these periods covers preparing and legalising documents abroad, and how the rules apply to your company is a question for a licensed lawyer in Azerbaijan.

Documents you will need

In Azerbaijan an LLC is known as an “MMC” (məhdud məsuliyyətli cəmiyyət). When a founder is a foreign individual or company, the State Tax Service treats the filing as one for a commercial entity “with foreign investment”, and its document list includes⁹:

• the founders’ decision on establishment, approval of the charter and formation of management bodies;
• the charter approved by the founders or their authorised representative;
• a copy of each individual founder’s identity document or, for a foreign corporate founder, proof of its registration (such as a registration certificate, trade-register extract and charter);
• a copy of the legal representative’s identity document;
• proof of payment of the state duty⁸;
• proof that the charter capital has been paid, unless the LLC’s charter sets a payment period⁹;
• an independent auditor’s opinion if the charter capital is contributed as property⁶;
• the application, plus a power of attorney and a copy of the representative’s ID if someone else signs or applies for you.

The application must also state the company’s legal address, meaning the location of its permanent body³. Under the current consolidated text of the law, read on 3 October 2026, it must also give information on the company’s beneficial owners, the natural persons who ultimately own or control it: identity details, citizenship, place of residence, whether the ownership is direct or indirect, and every legal entity and foreign legal arrangement in the chain of ownership or control (Article 5.3.2-3, added by Law No. 175-VIIQD of 11 April 2025); the electronic application must state the same information (Article 7-2.2)¹⁰. The Service’s English translation of the law still carries a clause requiring, on the online route, a scanned document confirming the legal address with a copy translated into Azerbaijani³; the current consolidated text shows that clause (Article 7-2.3) as repealed by Law No. 1155-VIQD of 21 May 2024¹⁰. The sources we read do not say which documents are accepted as proof of address, so check this with a lawyer before you file.

Legalisation, apostille and translation

The Service states that documents drawn up abroad that must be certified by a notary are legalised through the Azerbaijani diplomatic mission or carry an apostille under the 1961 Hague Convention instead⁶. Azerbaijan acceded in 2004 and the Convention entered into force for it on 2 March 2005⁷. Hague Conference records show that other states’ objections to the accession were withdrawn (most recently Germany’s, on 16 March 2026) or lodged too late to take legal effect¹¹. Even so, check with the issuing country’s competent authority that its apostille is accepted.

On the online route, the same translation of the law provides that foreign documents carrying an electronic apostille are checked, and their translation notarised, through the e-notary system³. On 13 May 2026 the Service announced that such translations can now be notarised remotely⁵. For paper filings we found no official statement of the translation requirements (as of 30 September 2026), so ask the Service or a notary in Baku before you file.

The steps, in order

1. Decide ownership and management: founders, legal representative, capital amount and how it will be paid⁹.
2. Prepare the founder’s documents at home: a passport copy, or the parent company’s registration papers and charter, legalised or apostilled⁶.
3. Arrange translation and notarisation: on the online route, through the e-notary system³.
4. Prepare the founding decision and charter, and fix the legal address^9,3.
5. File with the State Tax Service: online with an enhanced e-signature and no state duty^4,8, or on paper with the state duty⁸.
6. Wait for the decision: immediate online and 2 working days on paper, according to the Service’s brochure²; 2 days at most under the law³.
7. Receive the certificate and register extract, which show the company’s taxpayer identification number (VÖEN)³.

Can you register remotely?

In a post of 19 December 2024 the State Tax Service said that a foreigner or stateless person can complete its electronic application form and confirm it with an electronic signature⁴. On 13 May 2026 it said that the electronic registration procedures for LLCs with local and with foreign investment had been aligned, making online registration fully accessible to foreign parties⁵. Under the law (in the Service’s English translation), the founder on the online route reviews the charter generated as an electronic document in real time and confirms it with an enhanced e-signature³. The practical constraint is the signature itself: the Service’s 2026 brochure names the accepted tools (ASAN İmza, the mobile e-signature, and SIMA options) but does not say how a non-resident obtains one². For paper filings, the legal guidebook of the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO), which sets out the legislation as of 1 August 2024, says that a director need not attend registration in person if a power of attorney is submitted¹². Ask the Service and a licensed lawyer in Azerbaijan whether you can sign electronically, whether the guidebook still reflects the law, and whether filing through a representative suits your case.

Charter capital: what the sources say

• The official investment portal (invest.gov.az, undated page) states that the capital shown in the charter must be paid within 3 months of registration¹; the Service’s model LLC charter sets the same period¹³.
• AZPROMO’s guidebook (legislation as of 1 August 2024) states that an LLC is not bound by a specific minimum charter capital, although capital is generally presumed sufficient to meet creditors’ claims¹². We did not read the Civil Code itself, so ask a licensed lawyer about minimum capital and the legal basis of the 3-month period before you fix the capital in your charter.

What starts after registration

The official investment portal lists these steps after registration, among others¹:

• obtaining ASAN İmza (the mobile e-signature) for the legal representative;
• if the legal representative is a foreigner, obtaining a temporary residence permit and, unless an exemption applies, a work permit: the Migration Code exempts the head of a company established in Azerbaijan with at least one foreign founder, and a founder holding at least 51% of the capital who works in it¹⁴;
• registering the notice of the legal representative’s employment agreement;
• obtaining a licence if the activity requires one.

As market context only: an accounting firm’s guide (Audit.az, published 15 December 2025, updated 19 December 2025) lists opening a bank account and setting up bookkeeping among the first tasks¹⁵. That is professional practice, not a legal rule; we did not review banks’ own requirements, so ask the bank. The other early decision is the choice of tax regime: see Company tax basics in Azerbaijan.

When this route may not suit you

• Your presence is temporary, or limited to representation or market research. The official investment portal describes a representative office or branch as a “limited presence”, alongside full presence through a legal entity¹. The Service’s fees page lists a separate state duty of 300 manat for registering a foreign entity’s branch or representative office on paper (checked 30 September 2026)⁸.
• Your ownership structure is complex, with several jurisdictions, funds or layered corporate shareholders. Have a licensed lawyer in Azerbaijan review it before you file.
• You need the company mainly to obtain residence. The official investment portal lists the residence and work permits as separate steps after registration¹.

Frequently asked questions