Formula 1 in Baku: fans get visas at the airport, and the race runs on a Saturday for the first time

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order simplifying visa procedures for foreign nationals and stateless persons travelling to Baku for the 2026 Formula 1 race. Between 25 August and 30 September 2026 they can obtain a visa directly at the country’s international airports, with no need to apply in advance.

Who qualifies for a visa on arrival

Any one of three documents is accepted as grounds for issuing the visa:

• a ticket to the 2026 Formula 1 events in Baku, including an e-ticket, or a document confirming a ticket purchase;
• an accreditation card issued under the rules of Formula One Management and the FIA;
• an accreditation card from the Baku City Circuit Operations Company.

The Foreign Ministry has been instructed to publish details of the simplified procedure on the websites of the ministry and of Azerbaijani embassies and consulates, and to point travellers to electronic visas through the ASAN Visa system. The State Migration Service is to notify airlines flying to Azerbaijan.

A Saturday race for the first time

The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix breaks with the usual format. Back in summer 2025, Formula 1 and the FIA moved the race from Sunday 27 September to Saturday 26 September, because 27 September is Remembrance Day in Azerbaijan, commemorating those killed in the 44-day war of 2020. Free practice runs on Thursday 24 September, with the third practice session and qualifying on Friday 25 September. Lights out at Baku City Circuit is scheduled for 15:00 local time.

What this means for travellers

A visa on arrival suits anyone deciding to go at the last minute. There is a catch, though: without a race ticket the scheme does not apply, and queues at the visa desk may be longer than usual over race week. If you already have a ticket, it is calmer to get an e-visa through ASAN Visa beforehand and land with the document in hand. Citizens of countries with visa-free access to Azerbaijan need to do nothing.

The Saturday format shifts peak hotel demand. The busiest nights now run from Thursday to Saturday. On Sunday, Remembrance Day, the city will be in a quiet mood of mourning, so it is best not to plan entertainment for that day. On the plus side, Sunday is an easier day to leave Baku, or to stay on a couple of extra nights at lower rates.

The circuit runs through the historic centre, along the Seaside Boulevard, past Government House and around the walls of Icherisheher. Hotels in that zone sell out first, and some streets close to traffic on track days. It is more practical to stay near a metro station outside the circuit and reach the grandstands on foot or by metro. To combine the race with a holiday, Guba, Shahdag and Gabala are two to three hours’ drive from Baku: late September is still warm there, and rooms are far easier to find than in the capital.

Photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0