Types of passports
According to the Law of the Azerbaijan Republic about Exit from the Country, Entry into the Country and about Passports, there are three types of passport documents: civil, service and diplomatic (Azerbaijan 14 June 1994). Civil passports are issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (ibid., Clause 4), while service passports and diplomatic passports are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ibid., Clause 6; US 6 Mar. 2006). During a telephone interview with the Research Directorate on 22 September 2006, the Consul of the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Ottawa indicated that this law is still in force.
The United States Department of State Visa Reciprocity Schedule dated 6 March 2006 also refers to three types of passports issued by Azerbaijan, which include the diplomatic passport (red cover), the official passport (blue cover) [also known as the service passport (Keesing Reference Systems n.d.)], and the regular passport (green cover) [also known as the national passport (ibid.)] (US 6 Mar. 2006).
In a subsequent telephone interview with the Research Directorate on 30 October 2006, the Consul confirmed that the civil passport may also be called the regular passport or national passport and has a green cover and that the service passport, referred to by the United States Department of State as the official passport, has a blue cover (Azerbaijan 30 Oct. 2006).
Procedures for obtaining a passport
The official Web site of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan states that individuals seeking an Azerbaijani civil passport within the country may apply at one of six regional centres, each covering between ten and fifteen city-regions (Azerbaijan n.d.). In correspondence dated 22 September 2006, the Consul explained that outside of Azerbaijan, applicants may go to any accredited Azerbaijani diplomatic mission but that, in either case, applicants should present themselves in person (ibid. 22 Sept. 2006). The Consul added that there are now more than six regional centres in Azerbaijan but that he was unsure of the exact number (ibid. 30 Oct. 2006).
The Consul went on to say that applicants do not have to pick up their passport in person, but may provide a prepaid envelope for mailing purposes instead (ibid.). A police check must be completed before the passport is issued, but there is no requirement for the applicant to present themselves at a police station during the process (ibid.).
The Consul stated that Azerbaijan does not recognize dual citizenship, and therefore, residents holding citizenship of another country are not entitled to an Azerbaijani passport (ibid.).
Documents required for obtaining a passport
Information provided on the Ministry of Internal Affairs Web site advises that the applicant's identity card confirming Azerbaijani citizenship, a photograph and a state duty receipt must be submitted along with the passport application (Azerbaijan n.d.). The state duty for the civil passport is 110.000 manats (AZN) or approximately CAD 135.38 (XE.com 19 Oct. 2006)] (ibid.). In order to apply for a passport, the applicant must be 18 years of age and over. In exceptional circumstances, including "obtaining of education, participation in international events, medical treatment or for permanent residence," passports may be issued to persons under 18 (Azerbaijan 14 June 1994, Clause 3). Children under 18 years of age must travel with an adult citizen and have their name and photograph included in the adult's passport (ibid., Clause 4). These children cannot leave the country without the consent of both parents or that of a legal representative (ibid., Clause 2).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Azerbaijan. 22 September 2006. Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ottawa. Correspondence from a consul.
_____. 30 October 2006. Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ottawa. Telephone interview with a consul.
_____. 14 June 1994 (last amended 2 July 2002). Ministry of Internal Affairs. Law of the Azerbaijan Republic about Exit from the Country, Entry into the Country and about Passports. <http://www.mia.gov.az/qanun11_en.html> [Accessed 22 Sept. 2006]
_____. N.d. Ministry of Internal Affairs. "Identity Documents." <http://www.mia.gov.az/passport_en.html> [Accessed 22 Sept. 2006]
Keesing Reference Systems. N.d. Document Checker. "Azerbaijan." <http://www.documentchecker.com/rdo.dll/id> [Accessed 24 Oct. 2006]
United States. 6 March 2006. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs. "Azerbaijan: Reciprocity Schedule." <http://travel.state.gov/visa/reciprocity/Country%20Folder/A/Azerbaijan.htm> [Accessed 24 Oct. 2006]
XE.com. 19 October 2006. "Universal Currency Converter Results." <http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert.cgi> [Accessed 19 Oct. 2006]
Additional Sources Consulted
Internet sites, including: Legislationline, The World Law Guide, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).