Before you start

Passport (registration mandatory)
Handset IMEI registration if using a foreign-bought phone
Unlocked or eSIM-capable device

Step-by-step

1
Buy the SIM at an operator shop with your passport
Azercell has the widest coverage, Bakcell and Nar compete on price and bundles. All three have shops across the city and at the airport. Registration against your passport is mandatory and is done at purchase. You will get a +994 number, which you will need for banking OTPs and for m10.
In personWho: All15 minutesFrom a few manat
2
Register your handset's IMEI
A phone brought in from abroad must have its IMEI registered within 30 DAYS of first connecting to an Azerbaijani SIM, or it is blocked for all Azerbaijani SIMs. Foreigners roaming on a foreign operator's SIM are exempt — the duty starts when you insert a local SIM. Register through the mygov portal, at an ASAN centre, at a post office or through your operator; a registration fee applies. If your phone works for a month and then loses service entirely, this is why.
In personWho: Anyone using a foreign-bought handset with a local SIMDo it with the SIM purchaseRegistration duty may apply
3
Add a data bundle
Monthly bundles with large data allowances run roughly AZN 15-30. Coverage across Baku and the Absheron peninsula is strong; it thins in the mountainous north-west. Manage top-ups through the operator app or the m10 wallet, both of which also handle bill payments.
Mobile appWho: AllImmediateAZN 15-30/mo
4
Sort home internet, or confirm it is already there
Fixed broadband is widely available in Baku apartment blocks and is often already installed and included in furnished rentals — confirm with the landlord before ordering. Where you do need to order, installation is usually a matter of days. In the older Old City buildings connections can be poorer, so ask about the line in the flat rather than in the building.
OnlineWho: Long-stay residentsDays for installationOften included in rent; otherwise modest monthly

Documents you’ll need

Passport
Handset IMEI
Local address for fixed-line contracts

Things most newcomers don’t know

Azerbaijan blocks unregistered foreign handsets by IMEI 30 days after first connection to a local SIM — the phone works on arrival and dies a month later.

Device registration is separate from SIM registration and is the most common telecom surprise for newcomers, because the phone functions normally for weeks and nobody connects the eventual blackout to something they failed to do on day one. Roamers on a foreign SIM are exempt entirely. Register the IMEI when you buy the SIM. Kazakhstan runs a near-identical scheme, which is worth knowing if you move between the two.

The +994 number is infrastructure, not a convenience — banking, m10 and government services all authenticate to it.

Azerbaijan's e-government and payments layer assumes a local mobile. Two-factor codes for banking, ASAN service requests and m10 transfers all go by SMS. Running on a foreign roaming number works until you need to authorise something, which is invariably at the worst moment.

Coverage is excellent across Baku and the Absheron peninsula and much weaker in the mountains.

Almost all of Azerbaijan's population and infrastructure is on the Caspian plain, and the networks reflect that. If you plan weekends in Sheki, Lahij or the Guba highlands — which is the best part of living here — expect patchy signal and download maps in advance.

Passport registration for SIMs is mandatory and there is no anonymous prepaid market.

Your number is tied to your identity document and functions as a durable identifier for banks and state services. Keep the registration paperwork; replacing a lost SIM is more involved than replacing a card, and a number registered to someone else's passport creates problems you cannot easily unwind.

Common mistakes to avoid

Not registering the handset IMEI within 30 days of first connecting a local SIM, and losing service entirely
Relying on a foreign roaming number for banking, m10 and ASAN two-factor codes
Ordering broadband when the furnished rental already includes it
Assuming mountain weekends will have coverage comparable to Baku
Buying a SIM registered to somebody else's passport as a shortcut

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.