On December 29, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry responded to a query about recent amendments to Russia’s migration legislation, effective January 1, 2025, which limit the temporary stay of foreign citizens in Russia to 90 days within a calendar year and require registration within seven working days of crossing the Russian border.

Addressing the changes, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry emphasized that these new rules, along with stricter requirements for the duration of stay, would primarily be evaluated in the context of protecting the rights of Azerbaijani citizens. The ministry stated, “The Azerbaijani side, as in any foreign policy issue, will proceed from the principles of parity and reciprocity in matters of temporary stay and migration.” It also announced plans to amend Azerbaijan’s own regulations regarding the temporary stay of Russian citizens in the near future to align with the principle of reciprocity.

These developments follow statements by an official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, who outlined that the amendments would reduce the allowable stay from the current 90 days within 180 days to 90 days within a calendar year, alongside stricter registration requirements.