Azerbaijan to digitalize temporary stay extensions for foreigners

Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis has approved in the first reading a draft law aimed at digitalizing the process for extending the temporary stay of foreign nationals and stateless persons, as part of broader efforts to expand electronic public services.

The proposed amendments to the Migration Code, the laws "On Registration at the Place of Residence and Place of Stay" and "On State Duty" were considered during an extraordinary session of parliament, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

Under the draft legislation, once the applicable state fee has been paid, decisions on applications to extend temporary stay will be delivered electronically through the applicant's personal account on the Electronic Government (e-Government) portal, as well as via email. The amendments also provide for the use of electronic signatures on official decisions and further clarify the legal framework governing the provision of digital public services.

The bill introduces an additional legal basis for rejecting applications for an extension of temporary stay, allowing authorities to deny requests if applicants fail to submit one or more of the required documents.

Following parliamentary debate, the draft legislation was put to a vote and passed its first reading.

By Vafa Guliyeva