The Karabakh Toll Road: Driving the Ahmadbeyli–Fuzuli–Shusha Highway

Quick Answer: Ahmadbeyli–Fuzuli–Shusha is a toll expressway 81.3 km long, connecting the M6 highway to Shusha. Passenger car toll: 6.99 AZN. A free alternative exists — the “Road of Victory.” Entering the region itself additionally requires a separate electronic permit via Yolumuz Qarabağa or mygov.az. Trips into Karabakh with a car rented from us are possible only with prior approval — let us know your plans in advance.

We at Karavan Rent A Car in Baku regularly get questions about trips to Karabakh — a region that has been at the centre of attention for anyone interested in Azerbaijan over the past few years. One of the most common questions we hear: “What is this toll road everyone’s talking about?” Here’s the full answer — engineering specs, tolls, and an honest breakdown of what you need to arrange in advance.

The Ahmadbeyli–Fuzuli–Shusha highway is one of the largest infrastructure projects completed in Azerbaijan in recent years. We’ll walk through it from start to finish: why it was built, how it’s engineered, what it costs to drive, and what — separately from the road itself — you need to arrange to actually enter the region.

Contents

• What the Ahmadbeyli–Fuzuli–Shusha Highway Is
• Engineering Specs: A Genuinely Impressive Scale
• Tolls and How Payment Works
• Toll Road vs. Road of Victory: Which to Choose
• The Karabakh Entry Permit — a Separate Process
• Can You Drive Our Rental Car Into Karabakh
• What to Prepare Before the Trip
• Frequently Asked Questions

What the Ahmadbeyli–Fuzuli–Shusha Highway Is

This is an expressway with a total length of 81.7 km, of which 81.3 km is the tolled section. The road branches off the M6 Hajigabul–Goradiz–Aghband–Zangezur Corridor highway and connects the Fuzuli, Khojavend, Khojaly, and Shusha districts, running directly to Shusha — the region’s cultural centre.

Construction was carried out under the state “Great Return” programme — a large-scale reconstruction effort for territories that returned to Azerbaijani control following the 2020 war. The road became one of the key elements of transport infrastructure connecting these districts to the rest of the country.

Before the modern road network existed, reaching Shusha and the surrounding districts was effectively impossible — the territory remained inaccessible to ordinary travellers for decades. Today the picture has changed fundamentally: dozens of kilometres of new highways, bridges, and tunnels have been built here within a few years, and the Ahmadbeyli–Fuzuli–Shusha road has become one of the most visible symbols of that change, precisely because it leads straight to the region’s historic centre.

The official opening took place on 3 July 2025, with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in attendance. Construction was carried out by the State Road Agency together with contractor AzVirt, and in September 2024 the project received an award from the International Road Federation (IRF Global) in the “Innovative Construction Methodology” category at a ceremony in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

For us as a rental company, this isn’t just another highway — it’s a road that, for the first time in decades, opens Shusha and the whole region to genuine road trips. We follow the development of this infrastructure closely, because we see growing interest from our guests specifically in this direction.

Engineering Specs: A Genuinely Impressive Scale

We looked into the technical documentation for this project, and the numbers are genuinely impressive — this is one of the most technically demanding expressways built in Azerbaijan in recent memory.

The road is built to Technical Category I — the highest class of road in Azerbaijan. The first 48 km have six lanes (three each way), while the remaining roughly 33.7 km, running through difficult mountain terrain, narrow to four lanes. Road width ranges from 21.5 to 29.5 metres depending on the section.

Along the route:

• 11 bridges, totalling 1,557 metres
• 7 tunnels, totalling roughly 6,450 metres in one direction — the longest stretches over 3.3 km
• 9 viaducts, totalling roughly 1,965 metres
• 38 underground crossings and around 190 culverts of various diameters

For us, working with roads and routes across Azerbaijan every day, this concentration of engineering structures on a single stretch is unusual. The mountainous terrain of the Khojavend and Shusha districts demanded genuinely non-standard technical solutions, and the result is noticeable from the first drive along this road.

The tunnels deserve particular attention. The longest, informally designated T1A, runs for over 3.3 kilometres — one of the longest road tunnels built in Azerbaijan in recent years. The remaining six tunnels range from 350 to 680 metres, allowing the road to pass through the most difficult mountain sections without steep gradients or dangerous switchbacks.

Beyond the tunnels and bridges, reinforced concrete and metal barriers have been installed along the route, along with a full lighting system — particularly relevant for drivers planning to travel after dark or early in the morning to catch Shusha at sunrise.

Tolls and How Payment Works

Under Cabinet of Ministers Decree No. 91, dated 1 April 2026, the Ahmadbeyli–Fuzuli–Shusha road was officially designated a toll road. The Tariff Council approved the specific rates on 1 June 2026, and they took effect from 2 June 2026, when the road entered commercial operation.

Current tolls for the full tolled section:

• Cars and trucks up to 3.5 tonnes: 8.6 qapik per km — 6.99 AZN for the full route
• Buses: 7.1 qapik per km — 5.77 AZN for the full route
• Trucks over 3.5 tonnes and special equipment: 10.6 qapik per km — roughly 8.62 AZN
• Trailers and multi-axle vehicles: 17.7 qapik per km — roughly 14.39 AZN
• Motorcycles: 4.65 qapik per km

For the vast majority of our guests renting a passenger car, the first rate applies — 6.99 AZN for the full tolled section, one way.

An important detail we always explain to guests: using the toll road is voluntary. Azerbaijani law requires that whenever a toll section is introduced, a free alternative meeting state quality standards must remain available. In this case, that role is filled by the “Road of Victory.”

Toll Road vs. Road of Victory: Which to Choose

The “Road of Victory” (Zəfər Yolu) is the original, free route, roughly 101 km long and two lanes throughout. The new toll highway is roughly 19.3–19.7 km shorter and allows a higher permitted speed thanks to the additional lanes and modern road surface.

In our experience, for most guests visiting Shusha for the first time and hoping to see as much as possible in a single day, the toll route is the sensible choice: the time saved through mountainous terrain is genuinely noticeable. If you’re not in a hurry and want to see more along the way, the Road of Victory remains a fully viable option with no extra cost.

Worth noting on the practical side: 6.99 AZN is a negligible amount against most travellers’ overall trip budget, while the time difference through mountain terrain can amount to a meaningful chunk of daylight hours. We typically recommend guests who leave early and want a full day in Shusha take the toll section.

The Karabakh Entry Permit — a Separate Process

It’s important to clearly separate two things that often get confused. The road toll is the fee for using a specific highway. The entry permit for the region is a separate government procedure, unrelated to the road toll, and required regardless of which route you take — tolled or free.

Since 23 July 2025, foreign nationals have been able to visit the liberated territories — six cities: Shusha, Lachin, Agdam, Fuzuli, Khojaly, and Khankendi. For an independent trip by car, an electronic permit must be obtained through one of two channels:

• The Yolumuz Qarabağa portal (yolumuzqarabaga.az) — which also lists official hotels and approved routes
• The mygov.az platform, under “Transport” → the travel permit service

The permit is valid for 5 days from issuance and covers up to 9 people in a single vehicle, including the driver. Importantly: if a foreign guest has booked a hotel operating in the liberated territories, entry permission is granted automatically, without a separate application process.

Separately, and very seriously: before travelling, all visitors are required to review mine safety materials for this region — available in foreign languages on the Yolumuz Qarabağa portal. Deviating from the approved route is strictly prohibited. This isn’t a formality — it’s a genuine safety measure we take extremely seriously.

Can You Drive Our Rental Car Into Karabakh

We’ll answer this honestly, because it’s the question our guests care about most. Trips to Karabakh in a car rented from Karavan Rent A Car in Baku are possible — but only with prior approval. This isn’t a case where you simply grab the keys and go: let us know your plans in advance, and we’ll work out the details for your specific situation.

Why do we operate this way? The region is in an active phase of reconstruction, parts of the route pass through zones with special conditions, and vehicle and driver requirements can differ from our standard rental terms for Baku and other parts of the country. Coordinating in advance lets us make sure your trip goes as smoothly as possible, without surprises.

As for the government entry permit through Yolumuz Qarabağa or mygov.az — our role here is limited: we provide instructions and a link to the official resources, but the permit application itself is the client’s responsibility. It’s a government procedure that takes place directly between you and the relevant authorities.

We understand that for a guest planning this kind of trip for the first time, the division of responsibility between us and the government portals can seem confusing. In practice it’s fairly simple: with us, you coordinate the fact of the trip itself and work through the practical route details on our vehicle; the entry permit for the region is a separate document you apply for yourself on the government portal, using your passport details and the rental vehicle’s information.

Our advice: if you’re planning a trip to Karabakh, contact us in advance — at least a few days before your intended date. We’ll talk through the route, the right car class, and every detail specific to your trip, rather than sorting it out at the last minute at the pickup counter.

What to Prepare Before the Trip

If your Karabakh trip has been approved, here’s what to prepare in advance — a list we’ve built from the questions our guests ask most often:

1. Coordinate the trip with us in advance — by phone, WhatsApp, or Telegram, before your rental date
2. Apply for the electronic entry permit via Yolumuz Qarabağa or mygov.az — allow time for processing, the permit is valid for 5 days
3. Review the mine safety materials — available on the Yolumuz Qarabağa portal in foreign languages
4. Study the approved route — and stick to it strictly once on the ground, without turning off onto unverified stretches
5. Bring your documents — passport, driving licence, a printed or digital copy of your entry permit
6. Decide which route to take — the toll road (faster, 6.99 AZN) or the free Road of Victory (longer, no extra cost)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is paying the toll on this road mandatory?

No. Using the toll section is voluntary — a free alternative, the Road of Victory, runs alongside it for roughly 101 km. The choice of route is entirely up to the driver.

Can foreign tourists drive to Karabakh independently?

Yes, since 23 July 2025 this has been permitted, provided you hold an electronic entry permit obtained via Yolumuz Qarabağa or mygov.az. The permit is valid for 5 days. Booking a hotel in the region also grants automatic entry rights.

What happens if the entry permit expires during the trip?

Plan your route in advance to fit within the 5-day permit validity. If your trip needs more time, check the process for extension or reapplication directly on the Yolumuz Qarabağa portal or through mygov.az.

Is it safe to drive to Karabakh?

Provided official requirements are followed — a valid permit, staying strictly on the approved route, and reviewing mine safety materials beforehand — the trip is organised in line with official safety protocols. We strongly recommend never deviating from the approved route under any circumstances.

Do I need to specifically notify Karavan Rent A Car in Baku about a Karabakh trip?

Yes, absolutely. Trips to this region in a car rented from us are only possible with prior approval — contact us before your rental date to discuss the details of your specific trip.

Can I pay the toll in cash on the spot?

Since tolls on this route only took effect very recently — on 2 June 2026 — the exact payment mechanism (toll points, electronic recording systems, available payment methods) is worth confirming shortly before your trip: with us when coordinating your route, or via the State Road Agency’s official resources. We’ll walk you through this specifically when we coordinate your trip.

A Road That Opens Shusha to Travellers

The Ahmadbeyli–Fuzuli–Shusha highway is more than just a toll road. For us, it’s a symbol of how quickly accessibility has changed for an entire region of Azerbaijan. What was unthinkable just a few years ago is now a genuine weekend route for those willing to prepare in advance and take the trip seriously.

We at Karavan Rent A Car in Baku are ready to discuss a trip like this with you individually. Get in touch in advance, tell us about your plans, and we’ll help you choose the right vehicle and work through every detail specific to your route.

🚗 Book a car: karavan.az
📞 Contact us in advance for Karabakh trips: +994-55-455-22-45 (WhatsApp · Telegram)

Find more practical guides to Azerbaijan’s roads in our blog, including our guide to the Baku–Guba toll road (M1).