A Complete Guide to Obtaining and Renewing a Work Permit in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan’s Work Permit is a government document that lets businesses in the country hire workers from other countries. So, before hiring outsiders, local businesses or individual entrepreneurs need to get those workers’ permits before they sign a contract to work. Also, if foreign workers are actually in the country, businesses must also apply for the Residence Permit for the right reasons.
We think that this blog post will give you all the information you need about how to get a work permit in Azerbaijan and how to get a residence permit that is related to your work. You can also get in touch with World Immigration Hub if you need help from a lawyer to get or extend your foreign team members’ work permits in Azerbaijan.
Eligibility Criteria to Apply and Get a Work Permit in Azerbaijan
It’s important to keep in mind that people from other countries can’t apply for a work visa in Azerbaijan on their own . Only businesses and individual entrepreneurs that work in Azerbaijan have this right. To be clear, only companies can apply for and renew work permits for people they want to hire in Azerbaijan. Because of this, the foreign worker can only work at that specific place and in that specific job.
The law says that any person in good health who is over 18 can work in Azerbaijan only after companies in the country get work permits for them. But this doesn’t mean that it’s easy for companies to get work permits for all of the foreigners they want to hire. The law also says that businesses must do more in order to apply for and get work permits for the foreigners they want to hire. Because of this, the foreigners that the companies are going to hire need to be informed and have the right credentials for the job. Also, the position should be one that is hard to fill with locals because of the area’s limited job resources. For example, we can say that it is somewhat hard to find area IT experts to hire since that’s what we’ve seen. Also, it might be hard to find citizens to work as a master cook at places that serve food from other countries.
How to Get and Renew a Work Visa in Azerbaijan.
In Azerbaijan, the State Migration Service gives out work permits and extends their duration. It’s important to keep in mind that companies can apply for work permits in person or over the internet. To apply, bosses or their lawyers need to get the right papers and turn them in the right way. It usually takes 10 to 20 business days to process work permit applications, so the state fee runs from 1000 to 1400 AZN.
In most cases, when someone gets a work pass in Azerbaijan, they are allowed to work there for one year. But if companies want to end the labor contract in less than one year, the work pass can be given for a shorter amount of time. Each time the work permit is renewed, it can be good for one year longer at most. You should know that you have to ask for an extension to your work permit at least 30 days before it runs out.
The law also lets companies hire people from outside Azerbaijan and ask for work permits for those people. In this case, once the company gets a work permit, outsiders can begin working as soon as they arrive in the country, and they can also apply for a residence permit. It’s very important to keep in mind that a person who wants to live in Azerbaijan must do so on the basis of a work visa (a “labor visa”).
Needed papers to get a work visa in Azerbaijan and keep it from expiring.
To get a work visa in Azerbaijan and make it last, companies need to gather and turn in these papers:
- Application form; the foreign worker’s ID;
- A recommendation letter explaining why the company needs to hire the foreign worker.
- A certified copy of a document proving that the foreign worker is qualified for the job in question
- Notarized copies of the paperwork that started the business
- Work Permit Certificate (only for extensions).
- How to Get a Work Visa in Azerbaijan and Make It Valid for a Longer Period of Tim
Here is what businesses and people who want to hire someone in Azerbaijan should do to get a work pass or lengthen one that they already have:
- First, make sure it’s hard to find a nearby worker to fill the open position. Employers can only hire outsiders or people who don’t have a citizenship when it’s hard to find a local person who is qualified for the job.
- Second, get all of the papers you need ready and collect them. To apply, you need to get the right papers and have some of them certified. To explain why you need to hire a foreign worker, pay extra attention to the details in the application form and the explanation letter. When you apply, make sure you clearly state what kind of opening you want
- Third, you can now get a work visa in Azerbaijan. When you’re done with all of the paperwork and forms that you need to fill out, you should send your application to the State Migration Service. As mentioned before, it usually takes 10 to 20 working days to complete the application process. You will get a Work Permit Certificate when it is approved.
- Finally, sign a work agreement. After getting a work pass, you should go ahead with the labor contract so that your new team member can start working with your team. We think you shouldn’t hire a stranger who doesn’t have a work card. It is important to remember that hiring a stranger who does not have a work permit is against the law and can lead to big fines. The Code of Administrative Offenses says that businesses that hire foreigners without work permits could be fined up to 20,000 AZN.
When outsiders don’t need a work permit to work in Azerbaijan
Article 64 of the Migration Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan says that people in the following groups do not need to get a work pass to work in Azerbaijan:
People who have a Permanent Residence Permit;
people from other countries who are married to citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan; and people who do business in Azerbaijan:
- Workers in global businesses
- People who work for consulates and foreign missions
- The leaders and vice presidents of groups that were formed based on foreign deals
- People who work for important executive branches; people who asked for or got refugee status or were given political asylum;
- People who are victims of human trafficking or help the police and other illegal investigation agencies, etc.
Getting and renewing a work visa in Azerbaijan: legal help
We hope this blog post has given you a clear idea of what you need to do to get a work permit in Azerbaijan and how to make that permit good for a longer amount of time. If you need professional help with this issue, don’t hesitate to contact World Immigration Hub.
