- Azerbaijan launched a temporary visa-free regime for Singapore and Bosnia and Herzegovina on August first, twenty twenty-six.
- Eligible tourists can enter three times for thirty days per visit until the expiration in August twenty twenty-seven.
- Visitors staying over fifteen days must still register their place of residence with the State Migration Service.
Azerbaijan opened a temporary visa-free regime for tourists from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Singapore holding ordinary passports on August 1, 2026. The waiver runs until August 1, 2027. Visitors may enter up to three times and stay up to 30 days per visit. The rule is narrow.
Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov announced the change during phone talks with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on July 7, 2026. Bayramov said he "informed about Azerbaijan's decision to introduce a visa-free regime for citizens of Singapore starting August 1, expressing confidence that this would contribute to the development of contacts, business, and tourism, as well as the deepening of bilateral relations". The announcement came before the waiver took effect.
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The State Migration Service said, "In order to facilitate travel for citizens, strengthen cooperation between countries, and promote tourism development, the visa requirement has been abolished for citizens holding ordinary passports of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Singapore. for tourism purposes from August 1, 2026, until August 1, 2027". Tourism only. That part did not change.
Visitors who stay more than 15 days still have to register at their place of residence under the Migration Code. Travelers who need work, study or a longer stay must still use the regular visa or residence-permit process. Those applications go through Azerbaijani diplomatic missions or the ASAN Visa portal. The waiver removes one step, not all of them.
Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also lists Bosnia and Herzegovina among countries with visa-free access for Azerbaijani citizens. That points in the opposite direction. On January 29, 2026, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Vilayat Guliyev proposed the move, saying, "Azerbaijan is keen to further encourage tourism and business activity between our countries. This would significantly facilitate travel, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges". The new rule follows that push.
The change lands in a broader tourism drive. The State Statistics Committee recorded 1.09 million international visitors in the first half of 2026. Tourists from "other countries" made up about 12.4% of total arrivals. The State Tourism Agency has set a goal of 4 million foreign tourists and 6 million local tourists annually by the end of 2026, a target Fuad Naghiyev announced in April 2023. Officials have also tied visa policy to the Middle Corridor and to a wider effort to draw more strategic partner markets. The numbers are climbing.
The waiver stays narrow and still asks for registration
| Eligibility | Effective dates | Entries allowed | Maximum stay | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourists holding ordinary passports from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Singapore | August 1, 2026 to August 1, 2027 | up to three times | up to 30 days per visit | tourism only |
The waiver does not remove the other rules. Foreigners who remain in Azerbaijan for more than 15 days still must register at their place of residence. People who want to work, study or stay longer still need the regular visa or residence-permit process. The migration service also says extension requests can go through ASAN Service centers or the electronic portal before the authorized period expires. The border opened. The paperwork did not disappear.
The waiver is one more step in a wider 2026 opening
Azerbaijan has widened access to other markets this year as well. One-year exemptions began for Japan and South Korea on July 1, 2026. Another set started on February 15, 2026 for Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait. The Bosnia and Singapore move fits that pattern. It is part of a series.
Azerbaijan and Bosnia and Herzegovina have also been moving toward a reciprocal 90-day visa-free regime, a discussion that surfaced in January 2026. That makes the Bosnia track different from the Singapore track. One side is bilateral. The other is unilateral.
Migration decisions are moving onto digital systems
Bayramov and Balakrishnan also discussed digital transformation, transport and logistics. Days later, on July 27, 2026, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree to further digitalize migration procedures. Stay-extension decisions now move through a digital cabinet inside the E-Government Information System. The process is changing shape.
