Residence by investment in Azerbaijan: permits from AZN 100,000

Azerbaijan does not run a branded golden visa, but its Migration Code contains clear asset-based grounds for residence that the State Migration Service (SMS) applies routinely. A foreigner who owns real estate in Azerbaijan worth at least AZN 100,000, holds a fixed-term deposit of at least AZN 100,000 with a bank operating in the country, or holds government securities (or investment securities of companies at least 51% state-owned) with a nominal value of at least AZN 100,000 may apply for a temporary residence permit. These permits are issued for up to one year and can be extended by up to two years at a time. A separate ground for those who invest at least AZN 500,000 in the national economy carries a longer permit of up to three years, extendable by up to three years each time. Amendments signed on 16 May 2023 added the securities ground and require banks to report to the SMS within three business days if a qualifying deposit falls below the threshold.

Residence obligations are moderate: there is no minimum day count for the permit, but holders must register their address, keep the asset in place and apply for extensions at least 30 days before expiry. The key presence test arises at the permanent residence stage: an applicant must have lived in Azerbaijan continuously for at least two years on a qualifying temporary ground, and residence counts as continuous only if they were not abroad for more than 90 days in any 180-day period. Permanent residence is then issued for five years and can be extended for further five-year periods without limit, with the application filed at least three months before expiry. Since 2023 the asset thresholds at the permanent stage are higher: AZN 200,000 for real estate, deposits or securities, while the investment ground remains AZN 500,000. Applicants also sit a test on Azerbaijani law and the state language, with exemptions for minors and those aged 65 or over.

Tax should be planned before the move. Under the Tax Code an individual is resident if physically present in Azerbaijan for more than 182 days in a calendar year, or, with fewer days, if Azerbaijan is their permanent place of stay or centre of vital interests. Residents are taxed on worldwide income, non-residents only on Azerbaijani-source income. The personal income tax exemption that applied to non-oil private-sector salaries from 2019 to 2025 ended in 2026, and such salaries are now taxed progressively at 3%, 10% and 14%, with the lowest band rising in 2027 and 2028; oil and gas and public-sector pay is taxed at 14% and 25%. Interest on bank deposits is currently not taxed. There is no non-dom or flat-tax regime for new residents.

Family members are covered through their own permits: the spouse, children and other family members of a foreigner residing temporarily or permanently in Azerbaijan can apply on family grounds, with notarised consent from the principal. Citizenship is a separate, ordinary naturalisation process: applicants generally need at least five years of continuous lawful residence, counted from the date permanent residence was granted, a lawful source of income, knowledge of the state language and a commitment to the Constitution. Azerbaijan does not generally recognise dual citizenship, and citizens who acquire another nationality must report it within one month, so residence is usually the realistic objective for most investors.