Healthcare in Baku

Healthcare in Baku

Azerbaijan's mandatory health insurance covers foreigners only if they hold a residence permit and pay the premiums. Visitors fall outside it, and EHIC and GHIC cards are not valid. The UK has no reciprocal healthcare agreement with Azerbaijan.

Yeni Klinika is the main public hospital and runs around the clock. Central Customs Hospital is also public, with a 24-hour emergency department and English-speaking staff. Most foreigners use private care at Prospekt Medical (formerly International SOS), MediClub, Central Clinical Hospital or Liv Bona Dea Hospital.

Independent labs publish itemised prices in manat and take walk-in samples. Many also collect from your home.

Getting seen as a foreigner in Baku

Food-delivery apps double as a lab and pharmacy service in Baku. Some labs list blood tests on a delivery app and send staff to your home for larger orders. Pharmacies deliver through the same apps, often within 40 minutes.

Clinic short codes only work from an Azerbaijani number. Big hospitals advertise three- or four-digit hotlines that a foreign SIM cannot dial. Save each clinic's full landline or WhatsApp number as well, since WhatsApp booking is normal.

Carry cash before you need a hospital bed. Most hospitals want payment up front, and cards are not always accepted. Private hospitals ask for advance payment or proof of insurance before they admit you.

What healthcare costs in Baku

Private clinics publish itemised price lists in manat, and you can book a specialist directly without a referral. Consultations are charged per visit, and many clinics include a free follow-up with the same doctor within 15 days. No private hospital publishes an emergency fee.

Converted at 1.70 manat to the dollar; MRI is priced per body region, with contrast extra.

Pharmacies

Antibiotics need a prescription by law, and the health minister restated the ban in 2025. Many pharmacies sell them without one regardless. Treat that as a risk rather than a shortcut, and see a doctor before starting any course. Chain pharmacies keep some branches open 24 hours, and stock varies between branches, so carry generic names. Personal quantities of ordinary medicines can come in without documents. Narcotic and psychotropic medicines need a prescription plus a doctor's certificate endorsed by your home health authority.

Health tips

Common visitor health risks in Baku

Emergency

Emergency number: 103

103 is the ambulance and 112 the emergency ministry's general line. Dispatchers speak Azerbaijani or Russian.

Azerbaijani and Russian, English at expat clinics

Public hospital staff may speak little English, and Russian goes further. Expat-facing private clinics have English-speaking doctors.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. [1] UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Azerbaijan travel advice, Health
2. [2] UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Azerbaijan travel advice, Getting help
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5. [5] US Department of State, Azerbaijan International Travel Information
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7. [7] Prospekt Medical, Baku
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9. [9] Central Customs Hospital, Official site
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11. [11] Binəqədi.info, Emergency care is not provided on a paid basis
12. [12] AzadMedia, English-speaking 103 shifts for COP29
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Country guide

• CountryHealthcare in Azerbaijan