Hi all,

Heading to Azerbaijan on Monday.
I know that people have been requested to pay "insurance" fees (read bribes) on the border.
How much have you payed?

I heard from Green Stairs hostel owner in Tbilisi, that it depends of the engine size with cars (smaller cars have payed 40 lari).

Br,
Hemuli

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I needed to pay 30 USD: Ilpo Juvander > Home - Caucasus Tour–Day #25.

I did got an real receipt for this and it looked like other foreigners paid this as well, even they looked like Azerbaijans in with their German plated cars.

BTW I would take the northern border crossing Postbina to Azerbaijan, much quieter and easier than the red bridge one.

//Ilpo

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If you end up to find a hotel, here is one I stayed in Yevlakh: N40 37.095 E47 08.023. Room with A/C, no internet but there was some company office on the same building and the guys let me use their fixed line. They had previously been working for an finnish company...

Price for me was 25 USD with breakfast and dinner.

Main road from Tbilisi to Baku is really a boring ride, norther route is much much nicer through small hills and forests.

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Hi Ilpo,

Thanks for the answer.
I plan to take first southern border and come back to Georgia from the north border (or the other way round ).
After Azerbaijan I will head to Military road and cross to Russia.

I think 3 day rule is still valid? Your own vehicle is allowed to stay in the country only for 3 days.

Br,
Hemuli

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I did it this way last year, souther border in, northern out. I was there only for one night and turned back from Yevlakh. Baku is too far away in three days.

I did not hear anything on this three day rule at the border although I asked for it, cannot really say any more on that.

//Ilpo

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did you get in on your Georgian Visa? or did you buy a separate 1 month tourist visa for Azer?

G

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Hi Griffdowg,

I think your question is for Ilpo, but there is no need to get visa for Georgia (Finns).
I got separate 1 month visa for Azerbaijan, will head there tomorrow.

-Hemuli

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Greetings from Baku,
I needed to pay 16$ today as a border fee.
Took northern border today.

Officers were really nice, invited me to the airconditioned room, offered some peanuts and just chatted for 30 minutes

-Hemuli

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Nice. On the other border you will not get the same treatment

//Ilpo

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I echo: been to the Red Bridge border point in 2010 and found rude officers, not helping at all.

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Thanks Hemuli.

So you got a 1 month visa for 3 days in country?

Cheers,

G

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We did the southern border today Gardabani (Georgia) to Qazax (Azerbaijan) and were helped along by a very nice guard who spoke excellent English.

Both sides took a total of 40 mins, and it couldn't really have gone faster.

Perhaps we were just lucky?

I wrote a full report here:
Special Report! Georgia to Azerbaijan border crossing | Plastic Not So Fantastic

I will also be adding this to my final blog, which is what happened to us after crossing the border. It seems Azeri policemen are also corrupt:

"not more than 100 meters after the petrol station we were pulled over at a largish checkpoint, most likely because we were coming close to the city of Ganca. *A tubby little policeman waddled over to us and mumbled away in Azeri. *We got out the photocopies file (which always lies on the dashboard) and he indicated that I should get back into the car. *We had clearly re-entered a part of the the world where macho little men dominate and women are irrelevant. *I got back into the car so as not to aggravate the situation, but left the door open so that I could hear the discussion. *

As predicted, I soon heard David shout "Three hundred and fifty dollars! *We don't have that sort of money! *And for what reason??!" *It seems that the policeman had proceeded to draw the numbers 350 followed by a dollar sign on the back of the truck. *

I jumped out of the car, locked it, and we both proceeded to harangue this odious little excuse for a man. *He told me to get back in the car, but we were both so overcome with rage that there was absolutely no way that this toad was going to tell me what to do. *During extensive back and forth he didn't even bother to make up a supposed traffic infringement, but he made it clear that if we wanted to carry on down the road, it was going to cost us $350.

We held our ground, shoving photocopies under his nose, as well as the original of the insurance and Azeri road tax paper. *As always, all originals stayed hidden in the car. *On flicking through the pile he dared to ask to see some original papers, and it was clear that he would keep these until we got back from the bank with the bribe money, which had already become a negotiable amount. *

We point blank refused to show him anything except the photocopies and*at this point all of our aggravations bubbled over, to the extent that we attracted the attention of another policeman, who came over to shake David's hand (ignoring me of course). *Toad policeman seemed to realize he was beaten, scribbled the letters "KMS" after the 350, made some joke which seemed to imply that we were a tough team, handed back our photocopies, and told us it was 350 kms to Baku. *It must be said, we are getting pretty good at dealing with corrupt policemen."

We entered Azer 4 days ago, been at the border 25 minutes, officers were very helpful and friendly. They said if we overstay 3 days we will have to pay 30 manats of fee (motorcycle fee). This we will do in Baku when we go on the ferry next week.
Didn`t have to pay any border fee or insurance, they did at the end gave us two mini snickers bars for the road