Visiting Azerbaijan after Nagorno-Karabakh: experiences

[steven]

Anyone who has visited Nagorno-Karabakh is theoretically banned from visiting Azerbaijan. The way to get around this is getting your Karabakh visa outside of your passport, and lying at the Azeri border. It was never an issue.

However, I got a first report of someone who did exactly that but was still visited by the Azeri security services. After being grilled for several hours (her photographs were checked), she was released, and importantly, not deported.

All similar or different experiences are welcome in this forum topic. We suggest you save the pictures of your Karabakh trip in the cloud and delete them from your camera.

Summary and further info on the NKR visa page and the Azerbaijan visa page.

I've been to Armenia for a month or so and went to Karabakh for a few days also. The stamp was out of my passport.

I registered my azeri visa few days ago, had 3 men " working for the government" showing in my hostel just a couple of hours later.
Spent four hours with the "Azeri security services" drinking tea, answering all of their questions and giving all my pictures from Karabakh ...

So visiting Karabakh and then entering Azerbaijan isn't out of consequences.
I'm lucky they didn't kick me out or worse.

[laurent_rio]

yes,

it seems Azerbaijan has spy/secret service in NK. It happened several times and mentioned in Thorn Three Forum

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/ ... o-karabakh

other case need to be careful, my friend is a journalist ,she write about NK in her blog and also some column in magazine, the next day it published embassy of Azerbaijan called her and ask her to revoke her article and black listed her.

Some other case, some blogger from Israel also detained in Belarus (not in AZ) after post on his blog about NK

http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.759817

[tatterdemalion]

This may not be related at all, I have no idea.

I visited Azerbaijan last week from Georgia, left and entered Armenia a day later.

Few days later, in Yerevan I was going to make my way to Garni/Gerghard from Gui bus station. I was at the Gai statue so walked to find the station. Stopped to check the map on my phone and noticed a guy stopped as well about 15 metres back. Went into a supermarket back around the corner, bought an ice cream, see same guy standing out the front a small distance away. Decided to walk in a zig-zag slowly through a park to see if he would still be following me. Still was. Changed direction again for one last check and so did he (this time not pretending/trying to hide it). Turned to confront him, he a bit startled he said "Hi" and continued to walk past but stopped only two metres later to look at his phone, I angrily asked him "what are you following me for?" and immediately he said "sorry sorry" and walked off in a rush.

Could have just been a weirdo but as he looked more Azeri/Turkish than Armenian, I thought it was a bit strange.

[Yourneighbourtotoro]

Hi guys.

Would you say trying to do this is worth the risk of getting caught out, and is that risk high? Getting thrown into Azeri jail isn't on my to do list!

[steven]

Seems like it happened a few times. It definitely does not happen to everyone. So I guess it's up to you in the end.

[Yourneighbourtotoro]

By "happened a few times" do you mean jailing? I only heard of the one incidence. I'm keen to go but the risk of having an experience like Alexander Lepshin puts me off.

[Milad]

From what I have heard, on a few occasions tourists have been questioned by secret services or denied entry. AFAIK, no tourist has ever been jailed for longer than a few hours for visiting NKR. Lapshin's case is different as he's a political blogger. If you have a political blog where you endorsed NKR, I'd go to AZ under no circumstances, otherwise the risk seems tolerable to me, but everyone should decide this for themselves of course.

[Yourneighbourtotoro]

Thank you. Very helpful.

[Koen]

Hi,
I stumbled upon the blacklist of Azerbaijan with people that visited nagorno karabach or other occupied territories.
Because I'm planning new trip and maybe taking Azerbaijan route on my new trip.
I contacted one traveller mentioned on the list and he didn't even know that he was blacklisted for visiting nagorno karabach.

See below link to pdf and Azerbaijan government website.
https://www.mfa.gov.az/files/shares/ill ... isited.pdf
Or site
https://www.mfa.gov.az/en/content/12/th ... azerbaijan

As you see most of them are journalists or people working NGO or study but also ordinary travelers that posted & visited nagorno karabach.
Just to be aware of it.