Georgia to Azerbaijan border opening?
 

Hello. Does anyone have recent info on the opening of this border? Most websites say this is closed but would open on July 1. We are applying for visas anyway… Many thanks

Hi,

we planned to enter next week. Despite the information on https://azerbaijan.travel/covid-19-en it looks like it stays closed till 1st September:

https://az.usembassy.gov/covid-19-in...or-azerbaijan/

"The special quarantine regime will remain in effect until September 1, 2022, according to an June 20 decision by Azerbaijan’s Cabinet of Ministers."

similar reports and references in FB groups.

regards
Bernd

We tried this crossing today. A Georgian customs agent actually took our passports to the Azerbaijan customs to see if they will let us through. Entry denied. Only trade traffic allowed. The only option is to fly to a Baku and then maybe. At least we tried…
New date for opening is Sept 1.

Hello,

I wrote an email to the Azerbaijani embassy in Germany today to ask if

a) the border between Georgia and Azerbaijan is open and
b) if it is possible to take the ferry from Baku to Aqtau

They replied that both is currently not possible.

Let's hope that Azerbaijan opens up soon.

Best wishes to everybody on the road.
Max

Going east to west is possible. Myself and a Turkish buddy shipped our bikes unaccompanied from Kuryk (south of Aktau) to Alat (south of Baku) a few days ago. They were just rolled onto and off the ferry. We flew. I rode to Georgia the day before yesterday. I'm in Tbilisi now. Check brightysjollys on Facebook for the story.

We got the idea from some Germans who did it in August. Russians fleeing the mobilisation are doing the same to transport their cars.

hi, we are planning on going to kirgistan from germany via turkey-georgia-azerbaijan in may/june. are there any new informations regarding border crossing from georgia to azerbaijan and the ferry from baku to aktau? travelling by motorcycle
thanks
Frosty

I wouldn't bet my life savings on it, but I recon the May 2023 deadline for AZ borders to reopen will continue to slip as it has done for the past 18 months or so. Since Covid started and the whole world closed its borders, the AZ government realised they don't need to open land borders. Tourists can fly in (more money for airlines) . Freight in (including truck drivers) was never stopped, even during the high of the pandemic...

The only people inconvenienced by the current situation are overlanders and bus travelling backpackers who bring very little to the AZ economy.

As I wrote above, if wanting to visit the Stans in the near future, consider freighting your bike to Kyrgyzstan (for example with www.advfactory.com via Poland) and ride E to W, like my buddy Emre and I did last October (I posted a "how to" here on the HUBB and on Brightysjollys on Facebook).

Or freight both ways.

Or ride via Russia, although I believe visas for Germans aren't possible any longer. Turkmenistan is currently closed (even if you can get an Iran visa or want to visit, considering the situation there), as is China (via Iran and Pakistan).

I think it's quite clear that, given the lifting of all other Covid restrictions (as far as I know), the fact that Azerbaijan has left its borders sealed has little to do with Covid. There's an interesting article here on Eurasianet (excellent Central Asia/Caucasus news portal) in the context of the border remaining closed to Azerbaijani students trying to return home after the earthquakes in Turkey last month.

Azerbaijan is currently being very assertive in its re-incorporation of liberated parts of the 'Nagorno Karabakh Republic' and its negotiations with Armenia and Russia. Traditional alliances in the region with a now weakened Russia are also shifting.

So, just as Russia closed its borders with Georgia and Azerbaijan to third-party citizens for many years on grounds of security (something like 2008 to 2014), the closure of Azerbaijan's border could well go on.

Same story with Turkmenistan, a paranoid 'Lord of the Flies' type kleptocracy which never acknowledged having Covid at all, despite its woeful healthcare system. The urchins in charge have decided this is a great opportunity to keep foreigners and their prying eyes out. They were already refusing many transit visa applications before 2020 - Covid was a gift for them and I see no indications that borders might open again.

China is probably the best bet for opening borders to tourists this year... but the CCP are merely reacting to heightened domestic unrest to the pretty mindless 'Zero Covid' policy... Relations with the democratic world have not been so bad since Chairman Mao's time and I really doubt the CCP have much of an appetite for Western tourists. Even if they do open up again, it will be the same pricey paranoid state supervision to make sure you see the right facades in China.

Really not the best time for a trans-Eurasian journey.

EO

Has there ever been a "good" time? I'm doing trans-Eurasia this year and while it comes with some significant logistical hurdles, it's possible. Azerbaijan can be avoided by going through Russia (and yes it is possible but that's a whole new planning topic). If you want to visit Mongolia you can't really avoid Russia anyway. Want to do the Pamir? KG-TJ may still be closed in summer but you can reroute through UZ. Sadly there will be some countries I can't visit, notably AZ and UA, but it can be done, and I don't think the overall situation will change much in coming years.

hi, thanks a lot for all the valuable information!
has anyone shipped their bikes from georgia or turkey to kasachstan or usbekistan in the near past or knows of any posibilities?
thanks a lot!
Frosty

In general, it has been a good time since the early 1990s with the collapse of the USSR and the opening up of a vast swath of Eurasia - and in relative terms I would say it remains a good time, though certainly not the best.

From experience, Azerbaijan and Ukraine have some very nice parts but I think few people would consider them 'bucket list' countries. If your furthest destination is India or Mongolia then you can still make a good trip. But if it's SE Asia or Australia, you are forced to ship and make a very much redacted trip.

On the plus side the Middle East is more open than it has been for decades (Iraq, Saudi fully open to tourists) and Afghanistan is safer than it has been for a while, so some doors open while other have closed.

Anyhow, even a convoluted or disjointed trip is better than sitting in the office.

EO

Agreed but the route I mapped out in 2019 took in both of these. I'd done some research on things to see/stuff to do, and it's a disappointment not to be able to - for the foreseeable future. And at the ripe old age of 67 while I'm not ready for pipe and slippers just yet, I don't have quite the same luxury as some to "do it in the future" ;)

Carpe diem, fish of the day or whatever...

Georgia to Azerbaijan border
 

As it looks as though the border between Georgia and Azerbaijan will not be open anytime soon I was thinking that we could get our bikes transported from Tbilisi to Ganja and then fly in and pick them up?
Has anyone got an evisa for Ganja rather than Baku?

Found this thread useful. Currently I am in Turkey heading for Georgia via Batumi. Was on line to ight applying for .y Azerbaijani visa, but I'll not waste my time now. I'll head back alo g the Black Sea towards Europe. Disappointed ☹️

Azerbaycan Border
 

Hi.
I got some information from az government (my father is in economic relationship with az government).
They will keep the borders closed, all they say in the embassy is kind of pretext for tourists. They don't want russian refugees, like Georgia. And the most money from tourists, they get from arrivals on the airport.
During the war the country borders will be closed, as long as possible, one of the economy attaché said.

So my first option to get to Pamir by bike also was az. The last was russia. But it's the only one now. We were three Germans and it was really easy to get a Visum for Russia. We did with a agency there were no problems. ... But I don't know now how easy the border control is :)