Border crossing reports: Tsiteli (Red Bridge) - Shikhli/Sixli (Georgia-Azerbaijan)

[Van_Gogh]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I did not find a topic for this border crossing?

By the way, the name "Krasniy Most" as stated on the border information pages about Georgia and Azerbaijan is not used anymore. It's called "Red Bridge" or Tsiteli (Georgian Side) and Shikhli (Sixli, Azerbaijan).

Public transport was available on both sides of the border, there are some shops and exchange places as well.

Crossed the border with my car, very straightforward and fast.

The road from Tbilisi to Tsiteli is good.

Road on Azerbaijan side: From border to Ganja good, mostly 2 or 4 lane road. Watch out for the speed traps, but as long as you are under the speed limit (60km/h or 90km/h) it should be fine. Haven't seen a lot of police, they are mostly in the cities.

Ganja to Baku road is very good, last 50 kilometers are 6 lane. Fewer speed traps and most of the time 90km/h or 110km/h.

[steven]

Thanks for the report!

FYI: Krasniy Most means Red Bridge in Russian. But you are right, we should change this as Russian has become a less common language in Georgia.

[Mobydick]

Crossing from Georgia to Azerbaijan via Tsiteli/Red Bridge – Shikhli/Sixli.

We arrived at the Georgian bordered at 19h. Nobody is there, no queue no wating. We hand the passports and our car papers. We know our 1 month insurance is expired for 4 days, but we take the risk. They check in the sistem and don’t find us. So they ask if we get an insurance, we show the papers that we got for the insurance. And seems like it’s enough. And let us pass without saying anything else.
We arrive at the Azerbaijan side and there is not much people, but it goes extremely slow. Car by car they let us pass through a metal gate, the officers are extremely friendly and smiley. After 50 min. waiting with only two other cars in front of us they let us in the gates, just before entering one officer check how many we are and ask for the passports, after he give us a red card with the number of the persons written in it.
Ones we are in, there is to many officers and we don’t really know who to follow the orders from, one of them jumps in our van check our visas and takes our passports without saying much. Another officer Gide us to park some where. Quite messy but after turning off the engine we have to get down the van.

Time to join the queues, one is for the passports, in this one we found the guy that took our passports, he takes a picture of each of us, and quite friendly, stamp our passport.
Next queue is the customs one, they ask us for the green card, but we have it already expired, so we get a mandatory insurance in the same office, it cost 40 manat for a 30 days insurance, and you have to pay it at the bank, is a glass building few meters back from where you come from. There, a guy give you a receipt and charge another manat for the operation (or that is what we understood). Come back with your receipt and they give you all the papers and your passport. And a paper for the customs that you have to sign. Ah, and they changed our red card for a green one!!!
Then back to your veichle, quit a lot of people was there ready to check our veichle, but after all they didn’t suspect much about us, and after asking if we had a drone with us they let us go… just when we tell them we were going to Iran they looks at us and say:
-change your trip!- and - good luck-
Hahahah is funny how each country complains about the next one!
After all, quite a straight forward, just slightly messy border. At the exit another metal gate where they ask you the passports and a barcode that is in one of your papers ( very important paper and barcode, you are goanna need it at the exit, at leas if you exit to iran)


For further information, we update our full report on our web site; http://mobydickaroundtheworld.com/azerbaijan-border/

[Minnesinger]

Hi all.

I'm visiting the Caucasus in a little over two months. I was wondering if anyone know if there are marshrutkas (or normal busses) going from Ganja in Azerbaijan up to the Georgian border at Red Bridge. I've tried googling and used Rome2Rio but it re-routs me back to Baku which seems ... strange/stupid.

[trikolka]

well, if you search routes in Armenia on Google, you will also find some apparently strange itineraries. There is currently a ceasefire, not peace, between Azerbaidjan and Armenia ; and the border line is sometimes very tortuous... I had to postpone my trip to Armenia, but I will be there in about 2 weeks, trying to figure out whether the direct road from georgian border crossing Sadakhlo / Bagratashen to Idjevan is safe or not... From Ganja to georgian border crossing, I think it will be possible, but you will ask to locals.

[maverick_2401]

I just crossed the border at 10-11pm on 1st may, 2023 at night through Red bridge from Azerbaijan to Georgia, I am an Indian passport holder with USA visa and EU residency. Had to wait 20 mins on Azerbaijan side for exit stamp and 40 mins on Georgian Side since they were checking a lot. Afterwards it went smoothly, taxi from casino after the Georgian side is around 30-40 GEL to Tbilisi.
Bus from Baku to red bridge is 14.8 AZN, it takes 7.5 hours
The border is open 24 hours and not 10am to 7pm. Hope it helps!!

[Minnesinger]

I just crossed the border at 10-11pm on 1st may, 2023 at night through Red bridge from Azerbaijan to Georgia, I am an Indian passport holder with USA visa and EU residency. Had to wait 20 mins on Azerbaijan side for exit stamp and 40 mins on Georgian Side since they were checking a lot. Afterwards it went smoothly, taxi from casino after the Georgian side is around 30-40 GEL to Tbilisi.
Bus from Baku to red bridge is 14.8 AZN, it takes 7.5 hours
The border is open 24 hours and not 10am to 7pm. Hope it helps!!

Do they have an ATM at the border station or do you need to bring Georgian Lari for the taxi?

[maverick_2401]

I just crossed the border at 10-11pm on 1st may, 2023 at night through Red bridge from Azerbaijan to Georgia, I am an Indian passport holder with USA visa and EU residency. Had to wait 20 mins on Azerbaijan side for exit stamp and 40 mins on Georgian Side since they were checking a lot. Afterwards it went smoothly, taxi from casino after the Georgian side is around 30-40 GEL to Tbilisi.
Bus from Baku to red bridge is 14.8 AZN, it takes 7.5 hours
The border is open 24 hours and not 10am to 7pm. Hope it helps!!

Do they have an ATM at the border station or do you need to bring Georgian Lari for the taxi?

Yes, There is a money converted inside the immigration on Georgian side but rates are not that great, if i remember Euros/GEL was 2.66
and AZN/GEL was around 1.28 i think so

[Minnesinger]

What about the other side around? Can someone pass from georgia to azerbaizan from this point?

No, that direction is still closed. You need to fly into Baku.

[CIH]

Hi,

with the new high speed train Baku - Agstafa, has anybody tried going by taxi from Agstafa to Red Bridge border? Approx. 50 kilometers, but I could not find any forum posts on this route (nor anywhere else online.)

Best,

Christian