How to Bring a Car into Azerbaijan from Georgia or Russia by Carrier: Temporary Import Guide
Temporary Car Import to Azerbaijan from Georgia and Russia: How It Actually Works
Bringing a car into Azerbaijan temporarily (on foreign plates, without customs clearance) is possible in only one way: the car is delivered as cargo on a car carrier, while the owner reaches Baku by plane or by the Baku–Tbilisi train and collects it at the Meyvəli customs terminal. The reason is that the country’s land borders are closed for entry (a quarantine regime in force since 2020 and periodically extended), so you can’t drive in under your own power, but freight does cross the land border. You can drive the same car back out of Azerbaijan under your own power.
This guide is for anyone looking for specifics: how the car is loaded onto a carrier, which documents you need, how much the road tax (“Torpaq basdı”), border insurance, and terminal fees cost, how many days you can drive, and where to collect the car. All figures follow the current rules; where amounts change, we link to official calculators.
Table of Contents
- Can you drive into Azerbaijan in your own car
- What temporary import is
- Sources and accuracy
- The process step by step
- How the car is loaded onto a carrier
- Which documents you need
- Where to collect the car: the Meyvəli terminal
- What it costs: the full breakdown
- How many days you can drive
- On the roads of Azerbaijan after collection
- Georgia or Russia: what to consider
- Common mistakes
- Frequently asked questions
- Bring your own car or rent instead
Can you drive into Azerbaijan in your own car
In short: not under your own power, but yes as cargo on a carrier. This is the key point that shapes the whole process.
Since spring 2020, Azerbaijan has had a special quarantine regime, and its land borders are closed for entry — for foreigners and citizens alike. The closure is extended by government decisions. You can reach the country by air (the airports of Baku, Ganja, and Nakhchivan) or by rail: since May 2026 the daily Baku–Tbilisi passenger train runs again (it had been suspended since 2020). Note that the train carries passengers, not your car — you still can’t drive a private car in across the land border.
Two exceptions make temporary import possible:
- Freight crosses the land border. A car carrier travels as a cargo shipment, so your car enters the country exactly that way — as cargo.
- Exit by land is allowed. You can leave Azerbaijan by car under your own power: towards Georgia via the Red Bridge, or towards Russia via the Samur crossing.
Picture the whole scheme: the car enters on a carrier (as cargo), the owner reaches Baku by plane or by the overnight train from Tbilisi and collects it at the terminal, drives around Azerbaijan, and on the way back drives it out under their own power through a land crossing. Before your trip, check the current border status — the regime is reviewed from time to time.
What temporary import is
Temporary import is a regime where the car stays on foreign plates and is not cleared through customs. You don’t pay customs duty, excise, or VAT (those apply to permanent import with local registration), but you do pay the road tax on entry and compulsory border insurance, and the car’s stay is time-limited.
How temporary import differs from permanent import:
- Plates. Stay foreign; no customs clearance or local registration.
- Payments. Road tax + border insurance instead of duty, excise, and VAT.
- Term. The car enters for a limited period and must be re-exported; it cannot be sold in the country.
Below we walk through the process step by step with concrete figures.
Sources and accuracy
This material was prepared by the team at Karavan Rent A Car in Baku — a company operating in Azerbaijan’s car-rental market since 2008 and dealing daily with questions of importing, clearing, and using cars in the country.
This topic is sensitive to detail and changes over time, so we rely on current legislation (the Tax Code for the road tax, the law on compulsory insurance for border insurance) and on customs-clearance practice. The road-tax rates are given directly in the article (they are fixed in law and stable), while for amounts that get revised we point to official calculators — so the data stays current in any year.
The process step by step
The whole path from Tbilisi or a Russian city to collecting the car in Baku looks like this:
- Choose a carrier and carrier type (open or enclosed), agree the date and price.
- Hand the car over for loading in Tbilisi / a Russian city, sign the contract and a handover act with an inventory.
- The carrier crosses the border as cargo and drives to Baku (freight traffic works, unlike private entry).
- The car is delivered to the Meyvəli terminal in Baku and parked in a numbered, monitored spot.
- You reach Baku by plane or by the daily Baku–Tbilisi train — you can’t drive in by land, but you can travel in as a passenger.
- You complete the formalities at the terminal: the temporary-import declaration, the road tax (“Torpaq basdı”), and border insurance.
- You collect the car and use it; on the way back you drive it out under your own power through a land crossing.
Many people handle the terminal formalities through a customs broker — it speeds things up and reduces the risk of declaration errors.
How the car is loaded onto a carrier
A car carrier is specialized transport for passenger cars; on average it takes several vehicles at once. Before the car is secured on the deck, professional carriers ask you to prepare it — this protects both the car and your position in any dispute over damage.
- Wash and inspection. Hand the car over clean: only then can the operator honestly inspect the body, record chips and scratches in the handover act, and take a photo report.
- Cabin and electronics. Put a protective cover on the driver’s seat. Fully switch off or set to service mode (Valet) the alarm and satellite systems so they don’t drain the battery from vibration en route.
- Fuel and fittings. Leave 5 to 10 litres in the tank (the minimum to drive on and off the deck). Remove easily detachable parts: external antennas, roof racks, ski and bike mounts.
- Securing. The car is driven onto the carrier at up to 5 km/h, with at least 20 cm between vehicles. The wheels are locked with at least two chocks and fixed with four straps; the gearbox goes into Park or first gear, and the handbrake is set.
An open carrier is cheaper; an enclosed one costs more but protects the body from dust, weather, and stones on a long haul.
Tip: personal items in the cabin are carried under an inventory — check with the carrier in advance what and how much you can leave in the car. Carriers usually have GPS tracking, so you can see the cargo’s location en route.
Which documents you need
The documents fall into two groups — for the carrier and for customs.
For the carrier (loading and transport)
- The vehicle title or registration certificate — a notarized copy is acceptable.
- A transport contract and a handover act with an inventory.
- An international consignment note (CMR) — issued by the carrier company.
- If personal items travel in the cabin — an inventory of contents.
For customs (temporary import in Baku)
- The owner’s passport (or that of the person collecting the car).
- The original vehicle registration certificate (technical passport of the country of departure).
- A notarized power of attorney if someone other than the owner collects the car. It should state the right to take the car out of the country of departure, to represent the owner before customs, and to drive it in Azerbaijan.
- A short import declaration filed electronically (through the customs system), plus receipts for the road tax and border insurance.
It’s best to confirm the exact set for your situation with a broker or customs in advance — it can depend on the country of registration and on who is clearing the car.
Where to collect the car: the Meyvəli terminal
A car that arrives on a carrier is collected at the customs motor-transport terminal popularly known as “Meyvəli.” Officially it’s a customs unit for excise goods; it’s located on Khojasan road (the Lokbatan settlement) on the edge of Baku. This is where carriers with cars from Georgia and Russia unload under the temporary-import procedure.
What’s worth knowing about the terminal:
- Carriers drive in and unload batches of cars; the vehicles are placed in numbered spots and tracked by GPS.
- Parking is paid — 10 AZN per day. The longer the clearance drags on, the more parking adds up, so prepare your documents in advance.
- Besides parking there are one-off fees for handling and processing; the exact tariffs are set by the terminal operator and are worth confirming on site or through a broker.
Collection algorithm at the terminal
- You come to the terminal once the carrier has confirmed unloading.
- You present the car documents, your passport, and a power of attorney (if relevant) at the customs window.
- You pay the terminal fees and the road tax (Yol Vergisi), and arrange the compulsory border insurance (İcbari Sığorta).
- A customs officer checks the VIN and issues a temporary-import document with the exact date by which the car must leave the country.
- You collect the car from the lot and drive freely around Azerbaijan.
Practical point: arrive at the terminal with a complete set of documents and your road tax and insurance already calculated. Every extra day of standstill is another 10 AZN of parking, and together with one-off fees it adds up noticeably.
What it costs: the full breakdown
The total is made up of four parts: the carrier, the road tax, border insurance, and terminal fees. Let’s take each.
1. Road tax (“Torpaq basdı”)
This is the entry charge on a foreign car, collected by customs. Colloquially it’s called “Torpaq basdı”; in law it’s the road tax (Tax Code, Chapter XV). The amount depends on engine size and length of stay:
| Length of stay | up to 2000 cc | 2000–4000 cc | over 4000 cc |
|---|---|---|---|
| up to 1 month | $15 | $20 | $40 |
| up to 3 months | $30 | $40 | $60 |
| up to 1 year | $40 | $80 | $120 |
| over 1 year | $40 + $0.5/day | $80 + $0.6/day | $120 + $1.2/day |
The tax is paid on entry; if you stay beyond the declared term, you pay the difference at exit at the per-day rate.
2. Border insurance
A car on foreign plates without a Green Card must take out a “border insurance contract” (compulsory third-party liability for foreign cars). Georgia and Russia are not in the Green Card system, so this insurance is mandatory. The price is calculated by vehicle type and contract term. As a rough guide, a one-month policy for a passenger car is tied to engine size — on the order of 50 AZN for small engines and up to about 100 AZN for large ones; the exact sum is computed at issue. You can arrange it online on the official platform of the Compulsory Insurance Bureau (tpl.az) or at the border. The fine for driving without compulsory insurance is 50 AZN for individuals (Administrative Offences Code, Art. 469.3), and in an accident you’d cover the damage yourself.
3. Meyvəli terminal fees
Parking is 10 AZN per day. On top of that there are one-off charges at the terminal for handling and for the short import declaration (Qısa idxal bəyannaməsi), filed in the electronic system. The exact tariffs are set by the operator; per various reports the one-off terminal charges can run into the low hundreds of manat, so confirm the specific amounts on site or through a broker. The faster the clearance, the less parking accrues.
4. The carrier
| Route | Distance | Price guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Tbilisi / Poti → Baku | ~574–578 km | roughly $300–450 (shared carrier); individual/enclosed costs more |
| Makhachkala → Baku | ~280 km | closest to the border, usually cheaper than distant Russian routes |
| Moscow / Krasnodar / Mineralnye Vody → Baku | Moscow ~2303 km | roughly $700–1200 depending on how far the city is |
Carrier prices are always on request and depend on the car’s size, carrier type (open/enclosed), individual or shared shipment, and season. Confirm with the carrier for your specific date.
Rough total (excluding the flight): carrier from Georgia from ~$300 + road tax $15–120 (by engine and term) + border insurance (by engine and term) + terminal parking 10 AZN/day + one-off fees. Calculate the final insurance and customs figures via the official calculators (tpl.az for insurance, e.customs.gov.az for customs).
How many days you can drive
There’s an important rule many people miss. A non-resident can temporarily import a foreign-plate car and keep it in the country for up to 90 days without any security (by a Cabinet of Ministers decision). To stay longer — up to 1 year — you apply to customs and provide a guarantee (a deposit).
- Up to 90 days — no deposit; you pay only the road tax for the term and the border insurance.
- Beyond 90 days, up to 1 year — with a financial guarantee (a customs deposit), refunded when the car is re-exported.
The deposit is calculated individually and in some cases can approach the full clearance cost; it’s returned to your account after the car leaves. If the car isn’t re-exported in time, customs requires it to be placed in temporary storage or under another regime. The road tax is paid for the declared period (up to 1 month / 3 months / 1 year), with a per-day top-up at exit for extra days.
One more point about the driver’s own stay: if you remain in the country for more than 15 days, you must register with the State Migration Service within 3 days of arrival (if you stay at a hotel, this is done automatically).
On the roads of Azerbaijan: what to know after you collect the car
You’ve got the car — but foreign plates draw police (DYP) attention, and some rules differ from what you’re used to. Here’s what saves you from fines and exit problems.
Window tint — a common reason to be pulled over
Film on the front side windows and the windshield is prohibited. Coverings and curtains are allowed only on the rear windows, and only if the car has external mirrors on both sides; from 1 May to 15 November, industrial blinds are permitted on the rear windows. If the front windows are tinted, a patrol will fine you and make you remove it on the spot — better to take it off in advance, before loading onto the carrier.
Foreign driving licenses
Azerbaijan is a party to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, so you can drive on a Russian or Georgian license. But a foreigner who obtains a residence permit must exchange the license for an Azerbaijani one within 1 month. For a tourist trip, your national license is enough.
Cameras and fines on foreign plates
Road cameras record violations on foreign plates just like local ones, and fines attach to the plate in the traffic-police database. Key point: when you exit under your own power, the plate is checked against the database — with unpaid fines the car may not be let out of the country. Pay any fines before leaving (via payment terminals or an app).
Extending the term for relocators
By default the car stays up to 90 days with no deposit. If you hold a residence permit, the temporary-import term can be extended through customs (by providing a guarantee). Confirm the conditions, renewal frequency, and fees directly with the customs authority.
Overstaying re-export is a serious risk. If you don’t re-export or extend in time, administrative liability for breaching the re-export deadline kicks in: fines grow with each overdue day, and in the worst case the car is placed in a customs impound lot until everything is paid and it’s forcibly re-exported.
Bonus: which fuel to use
AI-92 petrol is cheaper and state-regulated; premium grades (AI-95/98) are mostly imported and pricier. If you have a modern turbo engine, fill up with premium at branded stations (SOCAR, Azpetrol, Lukoil) — it’s safer for a sensitive engine.
Georgia or Russia: what to consider
| Parameter | From Georgia | From Russia |
|---|---|---|
| Freight crossing | Red Bridge (Sınıq Körpü) | Samur — Yarag-Kazmalyar |
| Typical loading point | Tbilisi | Makhachkala (closer), Moscow (farther) |
| Distance to Baku | ~574–578 km | Makhachkala ~280 km, Moscow ~2303 km |
| Carrier price guideline | from ~$300 | depends on the city of departure |
If you transit through Georgia, note a separate Georgian requirement: from 2026, foreign tourists entering Georgia need medical insurance (minimum coverage on the order of 30,000 lari). This concerns people, not the car, but it matters for route planning.
A plus of the Georgia route: since May 2026 the daily overnight Baku–Tbilisi train runs again (modern Stadler cars, tickets from roughly 81 AZN when booked ahead). A convenient pattern is to hand the car to the carrier in Tbilisi and take the train to Baku the same evening to meet it — no flight needed.
Common mistakes
Expecting to drive in under your own power. The land border is closed for entry — without a carrier you can’t bring the car in.
Not budgeting for standstill at the terminal. Parking at 10 AZN/day plus one-off fees grow fast if the documents aren’t ready.
Forgetting border insurance. Without it, driving is prohibited, and the fine for individuals is 50 AZN.
Exceeding the declared term. Extra days mean extra road tax at exit.
Treating temporary import as a way to sell the car. A car on foreign plates can’t be sold in the country; it must be re-exported.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive into Azerbaijan in my own car under my own power?
No, the land borders are closed for entry. The car is delivered as cargo on a carrier, and the owner flies in. You can drive it back out under your own power.
How much does it cost to bring a car from Georgia?
A Tbilisi–Baku carrier is roughly from $300 for a shared shipment; an individual or enclosed carrier costs more. The carrier quotes the exact price for your date.
What is “Torpaq basdı” and how much is it?
It’s the road tax charged on a foreign car’s entry. By engine and term: $15–40 for a month, $30–60 for three months, $40–120 for a year. Customs collects it on entry.
How much is border insurance?
It’s calculated by vehicle type and contract term; the sum is computed at issue on the tpl.az platform or at the border. The fine for having none is 50 AZN for individuals.
Where is the car collected?
At the Meyvəli customs terminal (Khojasan road, Lokbatan area, Baku). Parking there is 10 AZN per day, plus one-off fees.
How many days can I use the car?
Up to 90 days with no deposit. To stay longer, up to 1 year, you provide customs with a guarantee (a deposit), refunded when the car leaves. The road tax is paid for the declared period, with a per-day top-up at exit for extra days.
Do I need a power of attorney?
If someone other than the owner handles it — yes. It’s best to confirm the exact document set with a broker or customs in advance.
Can I sell the imported car in Azerbaijan?
No. Under temporary import the car stays on foreign plates and must be re-exported; sale is not allowed.
Can I drive with tinted front windows?
No. Film on the front side windows and the windshield is prohibited; only rear-window tint is allowed, provided the car has external mirrors. Remove front-window film before the trip, or a patrol will fine you and make you take it off on the spot.
Can I drive on my own license?
Yes, you can drive on a Russian or Georgian license — Azerbaijan is a party to the Vienna Convention. But if you obtain a residence permit, you must exchange it for an Azerbaijani license within 1 month.
Bring your own car or rent instead
If you need the car in Azerbaijan permanently, temporary import isn’t the route — that requires permanent import with customs clearance. But if you only need a car for a trip, weigh the cost and hassle of temporary import honestly: the carrier (from ~$300) + road tax ($15–120) + border insurance + terminal fees (parking 10 AZN/day + one-off) + the flight + declaration paperwork, and then driving it back out at the end.
For a normal trip around the country, that’s slow and expensive. It’s often simpler to rent a car in Baku from Karavan Rent A Car in Baku: no carrier, no customs, no paperwork, with unlimited mileage and 24/7 support. You land — and you drive.
- Choose a car: car rental in Baku across all classes
- Call: +994 55 455 22 45
- WhatsApp: message us on WhatsApp
If you do bring your own car, this guide will help you through the process without surprises; check the final insurance and customs figures on the official calculators before your trip.
