Azerbaijan has tightened immigration regulations for Russian citizens.

The new regulations will come into effect in 2025. Earlier, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry announced that Baku would implement reciprocal measures in response to the tightening of requirements for the duration of visa-free stays for foreigners in Russia, which is also limited to ninety days.

Currently, Russian citizens can stay in Azerbaijan without a visa for 90 days after entry. This allows them to "reset" their days of stay by exiting the country and returning immediately. Starting in January, this will no longer be possible.

The tightening of the rules occurred against the backdrop of the crash of an "Azerbaijan Airlines" plane on December 25, which was en route from Baku to Grozny. There were 67 people on board, including five crew members, and 38 of them lost their lives. It is believed that the plane was shot down by a Russian air defense system during a Ukrainian drone strike on Chechen territory.