Renting a Car in Baku With an Iranian Driving Licence

Short answer. You can rent a car in Baku with an Iranian licence. Iran ratified the 1968 Vienna Convention on 21 May 1976. The licence is valid here by treaty. Bring an international permit anyway, because the script is the sticking point.

Updated 9 August 2026.

Can you rent a car in Baku with an Iranian licence?

Azerbaijan joined the 1968 Vienna Convention in 2002. Iran ratified it in 1976.

Both sit inside the same treaty. So the licence is recognised in law.

The treaty settles the legal question. Practice is a separate matter.

Why does the script matter?

Older Iranian licences are printed in Persian only.

An officer in Baku cannot read Persian script. Neither can a rental clerk.

Newer cards carry your name in Latin letters as well. Latin-script cards cause no trouble.

The permit is a translation booklet issued under the same treaty.

The permit only works next to the original. On its own the booklet is worth nothing.

How long is it valid for?

An Iranian licence is valid for thirty days from the day you cross the border.

An international permit removes that limit. For a longer stay, carry one.

Can you drive your own Iranian car in?

Yes, you can drive your own Iranian car in through Astara. The Astara crossing is the main road route from Iran.

Astara to Baku is about 310 km, roughly four hours.

Your own car needs its registration papers and border insurance.

Many Iranian visitors still rent here. Renting avoids putting kilometres and risk on their own car.

What language will you be served in?

You will be served in Azerbaijani, Russian, English or Turkish.

For visitors from Tabriz and the north-west this is usually easy. Azerbaijani is close to the Azeri Turkic spoken there.

We do not work in Persian. Bring a friend who does if that matters to you.

What is different from driving in Iran?

Fuel is the big difference: 1.10 AZN a litre against a subsidised price in Iran.

Fuel is the big one. Petrol costs far more here than at home.

Budget about 9 AZN per 100 km in a small car. Our fuel price guide has the sums.

Speed cameras are dense in and around Baku. The fine arrives by post, weeks later.

Where do Iranian visitors usually drive?

Iranian visitors usually drive to Lankaran, Astara, Gabala and Gobustan. The south and the mountains, mostly.

• Lankaran and Astara on the way in or out, tea plantations and the Talysh hills
• Gabala for summer air and the cable car
• Gobustan for the rock art, an hour from Baku

All three are day trips on paved roads.

What do you need at the counter?

• Your Iranian licence, the original card
• An international permit if the card is Persian only
• Your passport with the entry stamp or visa

Photos on a phone are not accepted at our Baku counter. Bring the originals.

Deposit rules are set out in our deposit guide.

What do we ask an Iranian driver for?

• Your national licence covers the first 30 days after you enter.
• An international permit removes that 30-day limit.
• Passport and licence are the only documents we need from you.
• Deposit 200 to 300 USD, depending on the car. Cash or a card block.
• No mileage limit anywhere inside Azerbaijan.
• Minimum rental 2 days.
• Fuel comes back at the level you got it.

The country list of the 1968 road traffic treaty is public. The register sits with the United Nations.

We have rented cars in Baku since 2023 and run 105 cars today. The office is open 24/7 and the phone answers at night.

BookingCarBaku staff speak Azerbaijani, Russian, English and Turkish.

Planning the drive up from Astara? Message us and we will hold a car for your arrival day.