eSIM and SIM cards in Azerbaijan

The local SIM

• Azercell, Bakcell and Nar cover the country. Tourist prepaid SIMs are sold at Baku airport and in the malls.
• Registration needs the passport.
• Coverage is good in Baku and along the main roads, and thinner in the mountains of the north and the far west.

The IMEI rule

• Azerbaijan requires foreign phones to be registered after 30 days if you are using a local SIM in them, through a government process and for a fee.
• This does not affect a normal tourist visit of a week or two - but it is worth knowing if you are staying a month, because the phone stops working on local networks rather than warning you.
• Roaming or an eSIM avoids it entirely.

An eSIM instead

• Straightforward here and it sidesteps both the SIM registration queue and the IMEI question.
• Check the plan covers Azerbaijan specifically rather than a Caucasus bundle, some of which cover only Georgia and Armenia.

What not to photograph

• Military bases, equipment and installations are sensitive areas and visitors have been detained for photographing them.
• Ask before photographing religious or commemorative sites - the FCDO advises it and it is taken seriously, particularly around memorials to the conflict.