Baku has implemented a simplified visa entry procedure for international visitors planning to attend the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. From 25 August to 30 September, eligible travellers can obtain a visa on arrival at the country’s international airports.
Azerbaijan will grant visas on arrival to Formula 1 ticket holders and accredited racing personnel ahead of next weekend's Grand Prix, as Baku looks to boost attendance and extend the race's economic reach beyond the circuit.
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Fans with confirmed race tickets — physical or electronic — or valid accreditation from Formula One Management Limited, the FIA, or the Baku City Circuit Operations Company can collect visas at the airport on arrival.
Travellers without tickets must use the electronic ASAN visa system or apply through an Azerbaijani embassy or consulate.
The facilitation window runs until 30 September, four days after race day on Saturday 26 September. This is the first time in Baku's F1 history that the race falls on a Saturday, moved from Sunday to respect Azerbaijan's National Remembrance Day on 27 September.
International visitors accounted for more than 80% of spectators at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, according to official figures.
Foreign attendees spent an average of more than $2,200 (€2,000) during the race weekend, and 72% said they intended to return within two years, according to Formula 1 data.
Florian Sengstschmid, chief executive of the Azerbaijan Tourism Board, said motorsport fans' late-booking habits made arrival-based visas particularly useful.
"Formula 1 fans tend to decide late, and a visa issued on arrival against a ticket or accreditation means that spontaneous decision can become a weekend in Baku," Sengstschmid told Euronews.
Sengstschmid said the post-race extension was intended to encourage visitors to travel beyond Baku to destinations including Gabala, Shaki and the Absheron peninsula.
"That is where the lasting value lies for us: turning a three-day motorsport trip into a week in Azerbaijan, and a first-time visitor into a returning one," he said.
Several other major sporting hosts have introduced similar measures. Brazil waived visa fees for World Cup ticket holders in 2014, and Qatar used the Hayya Card as a universal entry permit for the 2022 tournament.