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Car rental in Azerbaijan is the most direct way to see the country beyond Baku. Travellers from the EU, UK, USA, Canada, Australia and India need an ASAN e-Visa: a simple online form, around $24, usually processed in three business days. From landing at Heydar Aliyev International to driving out towards Gobustan or Gabala, the whole sequence rarely takes more than an hour.
Prices are competitive, even by regional standards: economy cars from $25–30 a day, crossovers from $50, and premium models from $80. Booking on TakeCars requires a 15–20% online prepayment by card. The balance and security deposit are paid in cash upon pickup, which is standard practice for most local partners.
A couple from Manchester last March paid 18% online, then handed over 250 AZN upon pickup at the airport. They were on the motorway within twenty minutes.
A typical itinerary involves two to five days behind the wheel after exploring Baku itself: the city first, then heading out to the Caspian coast or the mountains. Booking in Baku works best a few weeks ahead, especially between June and September, when demand for sedans and crossovers increases sharply.
In high season the best cars are booked five to seven days before the pickup date. Booking in October for November can make the same Hyundai Solaris roughly half its summer price.
The pattern is consistent every year — booking early secures better cars at lower prices.
Where to drive from Baku
Most of what is interesting in Azerbaijan lies within a 200–350 km radius of the capital, and without a car it is reachable only on a packaged tour or not at all. Gobustan, with its rock carvings and mud volcanoes, is 60 km south — half a day at most. Yanar Dag, the burning hillside, is 25 km out of town. Looking for a beach? Sea Breeze and Dalga are an hour away on the new motorway.
A family of four took the keys for five days last August: Gobustan on the way south, a night in Gabala, then back through Sheki for the halva and the old bathhouse. One car, three regions.
The most scenic routes start a little further out: Gabala with its cable cars and mountain lakes (220 km), the old Silk Road town of Sheki (330 km), the Shahdag ski resort (200 km), and Quba with its old mosques. The Caspian coast around Lankaran and Astara is reachable by bus, but the rhythm of the trip changes from holiday to logistics the moment you start checking timetables.
There is also a quieter argument for renting. Baku is often called the city of winds. In autumn and winter the gusts are strong and constant, and a 1.5 km walk between two points becomes a workout. With a car the city simply works better. For most visitors, picking up a car in Baku is less a luxury and more a matter of pace.
Most tourists in Azerbaijan start their trip here
Payment, deposit and clear conditions
The 15–20% prepayment on TakeCars can be made with any major credit or debit card; Visa, Mastercard and Maestro are all accepted. The balance and security deposit are paid in cash at handover, in manats, euros or US dollars. The price you see at booking is the price you pay.
The deposit at TakeCars' local partners is typically 200–300 AZN, around $120–180. This is four to five times lower than at major international chains, which block $500–1,500 on a credit card. Cash deposits are returned in full at drop-off, provided there is no damage and no outstanding fines.
A guest last spring dropped the keys in Baku at noon and had the 280 AZN deposit in hand before the airport coffee was cold. Nobody waits a month for a card-block release here.
Every price on TakeCars is shown in full: the daily rate, insurance, the deposit and how it is paid are all visible before you book. No small print, no surprises at the desk. If your booked car is genuinely unavailable, the partner offers a free upgrade — a standard practice confirmed by client reviews.
The price on the website is the final one. If you see $35 a day, the desk will not invent an extra fee or push a mandatory insurance for another $20.
Free cancellation is available up to seven days before pickup, which is more generous than the 24–48 hours typical of international aggregators.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado in Azerbaijan
Overall, everything went well, but there are a few details to note: 1. They didn’t give me the Prado—the previous renter hadn’t returned it—so they gave me a Lexus instead, saying it was a higher-class vehicle. I don’t really have any complaints about that. 2. I also liked that Emil was always available, was polite, and there were no communication issues whatsoever. What I didn’t like: 1. We were warned in advance not to drive faster than 120 km/h (though I heard 110 and stuck to that number). At one point, Emil sent a screenshot showing that we were driving at 147 km/h and asked us to be more careful. But that couldn’t have been true 100%. I never went faster than 110 km/h. Emil said we probably just didn’t notice how fast we were going, but that’s not the case. First of all, I was constantly monitoring our speed; second, I’ve been driving for 17 years—excuse me, but I know exactly what it’s like to go 150; I don’t even drive that fast on our Russian highways—it just doesn’t feel right to me. Plus, we were in the mountains and driving in traffic—it would have been physically impossible to pick up that much speed, even going downhill. So I don’t know if Emil had any malicious intent—most likely not, and I’d like to believe that, because if there had been another speeding violation, they wouldn’t have returned my deposit. Most likely, there was a GPS malfunction, but I couldn’t convince Emil of that. On this issue, I’m 500% sure I’m right. 2. I miscalculated the gas and filled up a little more than a quarter of a tank beyond what was needed. There was no resolution on this issue either; Emil absolutely refused to meet me halfway, even though I ended up giving him about 40 manat. And I know for sure that if I’d returned the car with less gas than it originally had, they simply wouldn’t have refunded my deposit. It’s a one-sided game—it’s really upsetting.
Hyundai Accent in Azerbaijan
Everything was great!
Changan UNI-K in Azerbaijan
it was very good
Suzuki Swift in Azerbaijan
excellent and reliable car we booked the car in the office the price is good we had a good ride around the city we really liked the car did not let us down without any problems the car is like new and clean without any odor employees are good especially thanks to the manager Elshan he explained everything in detail and well explained to us and helped us a lot in what points and in aroused a lot of confidence in their company thank you for your service
Chevrolet Spark in Azerbaijan
everything went well, thank you.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado in Azerbaijan
It was very nice and comfortable experience. Our Rental company agent was very helpful and he guided me all the time when I needed him. He was always responding on the phone
Chevrolet Spark in Azerbaijan
Everything went great, according to the booking. The staff was polite and helpful, the car was fairly new and in good working order. We did not have any problems and no additional fees were charged. Thank you very much for the car!
BYD Qin Plus in Azerbaijan
everything was fine.
Hyundai Staria in Azerbaijan
Instead of Staria we received a Mercedes Vito. The renter was in touch before the rental date and during the rental period. The car was delivered on time, picked up on time. All in all, everything was fine
Hyundai i10 in Azerbaijan
All good, except it wasn't a Spark, it was a Cobalt, but that's even better).
Toyota Land Cruiser 300 in Azerbaijan
In general, everything was good, there were small technical flaws on the car, like a headlight that does not work, but this is not the main thing, it would be worth pointing out that the car will be replaced by a 2010 LX570, in new dodgers giving the car for a newer model (from the outside and not distinguishable from cars say 2018). It's actually a completely unequal replacement for the LC300. In general, I expected something like this for a price lower than the competition, but you always hope for the best. In general, there are no questions about the process of registration, everything was no worse than in other countries, quite friendly, but from my point of view a little assertive, but it's okay people are southern, all sorts of things happen. But, in general, I would not take this particular car from them anymore, I would rather overpay, but take what I want initially. That's how it is)
Hyundai Staria in Azerbaijan
Everything's great
Hyundai Accent in Azerbaijan
Everything went great. Fast and high quality. The car matched the one we chose on the website. The employee Rashad was polite and friendly. Thank you for the service. I would have liked a little cheaper, I have something to compare it with.
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Real photos and reviews on every car
Each listing shows actual photos of the specific vehicle and reviews from clients who rented that exact car — no stock images.
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Free cancellation up to 7 days
If plans change, cancel online without losing money; rebooking and changes are available any time before that window.
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24/7 support across the country
TakeCars and its partners offer assistance in most regions of Azerbaijan, including the mountain routes around Shahdag and Gabala.
Documents and rental conditions
Booking on TakeCars is simple: a passport with an entry stamp, a valid driving licence and a card for the prepayment. Licences from the EU, UK, USA, Canada and Australia are accepted directly. An IDP is recommended for licences in non-Latin scripts but is not required for Western markets.
An Indian guest last winter didn't realise that an IDP would have made the process smoother for his Devanagari licence. The partner found another car in the fleet and the holiday started two hours late, not two days.
Age and driving experience
The standard at most partners is 24+ with at least two years of driving experience. Some economy cars are available from 21–22 with a young-driver surcharge; premium models and crossovers are 25+ only.
Second driver — must be on the contract
A country-specific quirk worth knowing. If a person not listed on the contract is caught at the wheel, the car can be impounded by the police even without any offence. A document check is enough.
A couple split the driving between Quba and Sheki last summer. Only one name on the contract. A routine patrol stopped them outside Shamakhi and the car spent the night at the local impound. Add the second name at signing.
Cross-border travel is almost always forbidden. The Armenian border has been closed since 1993, and insurance does not extend to Iran. Georgia is possible with some partners; confirm before booking.
Driving in Azerbaijan
Speed limits are slightly lower than the European norm: 60 km/h in town, 90 km/h on two-lane roads and 110 km/h on motorways. Cameras in Baku and on the main routes are active, and any fines are sent to the rental partner within an hour.
Radar detectors and anti-radar apps are illegal. The fine is 80–100 manat and the device is confiscated. Use Waze instead; local drivers mark every camera and patrol location in real time.
Alcohol and navigation
The legal blood alcohol limit is around 0.3 per mille, but rental companies and locals will tell you the same thing: do not drink and drive at all. The penalty starts at 400 AZN with a 6–12 month licence suspension.
For navigation, Waze is the practical choice. Google Maps struggles outside Baku, and Apple Maps is worse. Waze is the best option because locals keep it up to date with patrols, cameras and potholes marked in real time.
Parking and toll roads
Central Baku has paid parking through a mobile app; international cards work without issue. Outside the centre, parking is mostly free.
A guest at a Fountain Square hotel last June handed the keys to the valet. Two hours later the car was at the impound. By local rules, that handover counts as a violation. Park it yourself in the guest spaces.
The motorway network now has toll sections. The main one runs to the northern resorts and costs around $6. Picking up at GYD airport is the easiest option for most arrivals.
Rates in Azerbaijan vary throughout the year depending on the season and the rental length in days.
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How expensive is renting a car in Azerbaijan: average daily rates for a one-week car rental, across all car classes. Delivery across Azerbaijan not included.
Frequently asked questions about renting a car in Azerbaijan
No. The Armenian border has been closed since 1993 and the surrounding area still has demining warnings. Insurance on rental cars does not extend to Iran, and partners do not allow this crossing in the contract.
Most Western travellers — EU, UK, USA, Canada, Australia, India — need an ASAN e-Visa. Apply at evisa.gov.az: upload a passport photo, a scan of your passport and trip details, and pay around $24 by card. Standard processing is three business days; an urgent option (around $62) is processed in roughly three hours.
Yes. You can pay the 15–20% online prepayment on TakeCars with Visa, Mastercard or Maestro. The remaining balance and security deposit are usually paid in cash when you collect the car, in Azerbaijani manat, euros or US dollars. International rental brands generally require a credit card in the main driver's name for the full deposit.
You will need a passport with an entry stamp, a valid driving licence held for at least one to two years, and a payment card for the online prepayment. Licences from the EU, UK, US, Canada and Australia are accepted directly. If your licence is not written in the Latin alphabet, carrying an International Driving Permit is recommended.
Most partners rent from 24 with at least two years of driving experience. Some economy cars are available from 21–22 with a young-driver surcharge. Premium models and most crossovers require 25+. The upper limit is normally around 70.
Yes. Any additional driver should be named in the rental agreement. During a routine document check, the police may impound the car if the person driving is not listed, even if no accident has occurred. Adding a second driver is free with most TakeCars partners, while others charge $3–5 per day.
Some partners allow it. You will need written permission, an insurance extension valid in Georgia, and you may have to pay an additional fee of around $50–100. Confirm this before booking, as not every partner permits cross-border travel. The main crossings used by rental cars are Red Bridge and Sadakhlo.
20 km/h in residential zones, 60 km/h in built-up areas, 90 km/h on two-lane rural roads and 110 km/h on motorways. That is a little lower than most of Europe, so visitors often pick up fines simply by habit. Cameras are active, especially in Baku.
The official blood-alcohol limit is around 0.3‰, but rental suppliers recommend not drinking at all before driving. The fine starts at 400 AZN and may include a licence suspension of 6–12 months. Insurance becomes invalid if your blood-alcohol level is above the legal limit.
Call the rental partner first, then the police on 102. Without an official police report, the insurance may not cover the damage, even if it is minor, and the repair cost may be deducted from your deposit. Do not move the car until the police arrive, and photograph the scene and all damage. TakeCars support is available 24/7 to guide you through the process.
Parking in central Baku is managed through a municipal mobile app, which generally accepts international cards. Outside the centre and in most other cities, parking is usually free or costs very little. Multi-storey car parks near Fountain Square and the Old City are open 24/7 and accept both cash and cards.
A litre of 95-octane petrol costs around 1 AZN, or about $0.59, while diesel costs about 0.8 AZN. Fuel is among the cheapest in the region because Azerbaijan produces oil locally. Stations in cities accept cash and cards, but rural and mountain stations are often cash only. Fill up before heading into remote areas.
Most TakeCars partners offer unlimited mileage — that is the local market standard. Some international brands and long-term contracts cap usage at 200–300 km a day, with overage charged at €0.15–0.30 per kilometre. Check the limit on the specific car page before booking.
With local TakeCars partners, the deposit is normally 200–300 AZN, or about $120–180, and is paid in cash. It is returned in full when you drop off the car, provided there is no damage or outstanding fine. International chains may place a hold of $500–1,500 on a credit card and release it within 7–30 business days.
Waze. Local drivers actively flag patrols, cameras, potholes and detours in real time, which makes it more accurate than Google Maps once you leave Baku. Set it up before driving out of the airport and use it for every route.