Student temporary residence in Azerbaijan: apply and renew

You have been admitted to a university in Azerbaijan, entered on a visa and been registered at your address, and now the university asks for your “residence document”. These are three different things, and confusing them is how students miss deadlines. The short answer: the visa lets you enter and sets how long you may stay temporarily, place-of-stay registration records your address during that stay, and staying for the years of your course rests on a temporary residence permit, for which Article 45.1.9 of the Migration Code (Miqrasiya Məcəlləsi) makes study a ground^1,2. You apply to the State Migration Service (Dövlət Miqrasiya Xidməti) at least 30 days before your temporary stay ends^1,2. This guide shows what to apply for and when, what it costs and what can end the permit; the decision on your application is the Service’s.

Three documents, three jobs

The science or education visa is issued on a petition from the educational institution¹. A visa-free stay may not exceed 90 days unless an international treaty provides otherwise¹.

Place-of-stay registration is required for a temporary stay of more than 15 days, and the host applies for it within 15 days of your arrival¹. It does not extend your stay or replace the permit; see our separate guide: Place-of-stay registration in Azerbaijan: who, when and how.

The permit card lets you leave and re-enter Azerbaijan without a visa while it is valid, and confirms your identity and your registration at your place of residence^1,5. One point to confirm: the undated ASAN service (ASAN xidmət) page expects a science or education visa for an application on the study ground⁶. We did not find that condition in the Code or on the Service’s pages, so if you entered on another visa or without one, ask the Service before you apply.

When to apply: two separate deadlines

The first deadline, in the Migration Code: anyone with a ground for temporary residence must apply at least 30 days before their temporary stay ends^1,2. For a 90-day stay, that is around day 60 by our count. If your stay ends with no extension, no permit and no accepted application, you must leave the country¹.

The second deadline, in the rules on education of foreigners: the Rules approved by Cabinet of Ministers Decision No. 125 require a foreign student to give the institution a copy of the document confirming their residence in the country within 90 days of the date their admission is formalised⁴. The model contract for fee-paying study annexed to the Rules lets the institution terminate the contract if the copy is late⁴.

The documents the Code requires

Article 46 of the Migration Code lists the documents, and the Service publishes the list^1,2. Those that concern a student:

• the application form in the approved format;
• a copy of your passport, valid for at least 3 months beyond the end of the permit you are applying for;
• a document confirming the ground for the permit, certified by a notary or in an equivalent way;
• a certificate that you do not carry the virus of a disease on the approved list of dangerous infectious diseases; the Service gives HIV and hepatitis B and C as examples²;
• a copy of the document entitling you to stay or reside temporarily in Azerbaijan;
• two photographs, 3.5 × 4.5 cm;
• a document for the home where you will be registered (such as a tenancy agreement), plus an application from the person providing the home and a copy of their identity document, unless you own the home;
• the receipt for the state duty, which is handed in when you collect the card, not when you apply^1,2.

Fingerprints are taken from applicants, except children under 15¹.

The Code does not name the document that proves study, but the State Migration Service’s residence-permit page lists one for full-time students at higher education institutions and technical schools: a letter from the Ministry of Science and Education, or an official letter or reference from the head of the institution giving the course, completion date and student ID number². Ask your university for it, and ask the Service how documents issued abroad must be translated and certified.

Where to apply, how long it takes and what it costs

You apply in person or through a legal representative, and the form and documents may be submitted electronically^1,2. The Service names three channels: ASAN service centres, regional migration departments and the electronic service on its website⁵. The application is considered within 15 or 20 working days, depending on the duty paid^1,5.

What this table covers: the state duty under Article 14.8.3 of the Law on State Duty for issuing or extending the temporary residence permit card of a foreigner studying full-time at a higher or secondary specialised education institution, or studying at a vocational or general education institution. It excludes notary, translation, medical-certificate and photograph costs, tuition fees, the duty for other applicants and any helper’s fee.

These are the amounts as we read them in the consolidated text of the Law on 2 October 2026; the Service’s fees page, last updated on 20 January 2023, shows the same figures^3,7. Of the amending laws of 14 July 2026 that the consolidated text lists, none changes Article 14.8.3, and on 3 October 2026 the text marked no adopted amendment to it awaiting entry into force³. A later law can change the amounts, so read the article before you pay. If the duty is not paid within 30 days of the last day of the processing period, the Service cancels the permit^1,2.

Renewing the permit

An extension follows the same procedure as the first issue¹, with the same deadline: at least 30 days before the current permit expires^1,2. When the permit is extended, the card is replaced with a new one¹. If the permit has not been extended by its expiry date, or no extension application has been accepted, you must leave the country^1,2.

What ends the permit

Article 50 lists the cases in which a permit or its extension is refused and an existing permit is cancelled^1,5. Those closest to student life:

• The ground ceases: the reason the permit was granted no longer exists and there is no other ground. An institution that expels a foreign student must inform the Ministry of Science and Education and the Service within 3 working days⁴.
• Long absence: more than 90 days outside Azerbaijan within 180 days.
• Passport and address: your passport has less than 3 months left before it expires, or the person providing your home asks for you to be deregistered and you do not submit documents for another home within 10 working days.
• Documents and conduct: forged documents or false information, breaching the declared purpose of your arrival, or an unpaid administrative fine for breaking the rules on stay and residence.

A refusal must be reasoned and notified in writing¹. When a permit is cancelled, the Code provides for a removal decision: the person must leave within 10 days, and entry is restricted for up to 5 years, a restriction lifted if the reasons for the cancellation are removed^1,5.

Mistakes to avoid

• Treating place-of-stay registration as a permit. Registration lasts only for the temporary stay¹.
• Leaving the application to the last weeks. The deadline is at least 30 days before your stay ends^1,2, and in our view the certified document and the medical certificate take time to obtain, so start once your admission is formalised.
• A long summer break abroad. More than 90 days outside Azerbaijan within 180 days is a ground for cancellation¹, so count your travel days.
• Forgetting the university. Give it a copy of your residence document within 90 days of your admission being formalised⁴.

When this route may not suit you

• Study that is not full-time: at higher and secondary specialised level, the Code limits the study ground to full-time study¹. If your programme is by correspondence or distance learning, ask the Service where you stand before planning around this permit.
• Another ground for residence: the Code lists other grounds, such as close kinship with a citizen or a work permit¹. This article covers neither those grounds nor working while studying.

Where ALVERA GLOBAL fits

Our study service is help choosing the right university and programme. The team in Baku coordinates the steps with the student: assessing options, checking what the chosen universities ask for, organising documents and following up through the official channels. ALVERA GLOBAL is not a government body, a university or a law firm, and cannot promise admission, a visa or a residence permit; the State Migration Service decides on the permit. Licensed professionals do notarisation, sworn translation and legal work, and any ALVERA GLOBAL fee is agreed in writing before work starts, separately from official fees and third-party costs.

Frequently asked questions