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Ulviyya Poladova

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A total of 1,091,865 foreign nationals from 194 countries entered Azerbaijan during the first six months of 2026, AzerNEWS reports.

Vusal Huseynov, head of Azerbaijan’s State Migration Service, disclosed this information while answering journalists’ questions during a media tour titled "Media Awareness in the Field of Migration."

According to him, the number of foreign visitors entering Azerbaijan in the first half of 2026 was approximately 10% lower than during the same period last year.

"The structure of the decline needs to be examined. The main factor behind the overall decrease is the reduction in the number of visitors from the Gulf countries and South Asia. This is largely related to conflicts and wars in the region," Huseynov noted.

At the same time, he emphasized that growth was recorded in several directions.

"We have seen an increase in the number of visitors from Turkic states, including Kazakhstan, as well as from Pakistan and European countries. The sharpest decline was recorded among visitors from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, India and South Asia as a whole," the State Migration Service chief stressed.

Huseynov also added that the the top five nationalities among foreigners entering and leaving Azerbaijan are Russian, Turkish, Georgian, Kazakh and Iranian citizens.