Guide · Budget

Costs and timeline for a founder moving with family

The worked example: a company abroad opens a branch in Baku, its founder becomes Head, a colleague becomes Deputy Head, and the founder's spouse and two children follow. Five residence cards, no lawyer, no capital, no work permits. Rates: 1 USD ≈ 1.70 AZN.

Updated 29 October 20268 min readSources: Law on State Duty; State Migration Service fee table; UAE MOFA Attestations Guide; provider price lists
In this guide
  1. Unavoidable one-off costs
  2. What the legalisation route changes
  3. What the branch structure avoids
  4. Monthly running costs
  5. The twelve-week calendar
  6. Critical path

Unavoidable one-off costs

ItemBasisAZNUSD
Legalisation of five parent documentsSee the route comparison below—30 to 2,950
Family certificate legalisation3 certificates, country-of-issue fees—≈ 30
Notarised translations in Baku≈ 45 pages × 10 to 20 AZN450 to 900265 to 530
Registered addressOne-time package, or a serviced desk per month100 to 1,30060 to 765
Branch registration and seal300 AZN state fee + ≈ 50 AZN seal350206
Residence permits × 53 adults × 120 + 2 children × 60, standard speed480282
Medical certificates × 5≈ 100 AZN each500294
e-Visas × 5≈ USD 29 each—145
Stay extensions × 2Head and Deputy, if entering on 30-day e-visas60 to 12035 to 70
Total, apostille route≈ 1,400 to 2,500
Total, UAE attestation route≈ 4,100 to 5,300

Travel, housing and our service fee are outside the table. Government fees are quoted from the official tables as of October 2026; provider prices are planning estimates.

What the legalisation route changes

Five parent documents must be legalised for the registration: the resolution with statute, the power of attorney, the certificate of incorporation, the memorandum and articles, and the register of directors. From a Hague country such as Pakistan each gets one apostille for a few dollars. From the UAE each goes through MOFAIC at AED 2,000 for a commercial document, then the embassy. The difference is close to USD 2,900, and it is the single largest variable in the budget. A company registered in both places should open the branch through the Hague-country entity. See the legalisation guide.

What the branch structure avoids

Cost that does not ariseTypical USD
Capital deposit for a local company head's residency (50,000 AZN)29,400
Two work permits at 1,000 AZN each, and their refusal risk1,180
Law-firm retainer for incorporation, bank and permit files4,000 to 7,000
Nominee or outside director, per year1,000 to 2,500

Monthly running costs

The twelve-week calendar

WeeksWorkstreamWhere
1Instruments filled, signed and notarised in the legalisation countryHome country
2 to 3Apostilles (or MOFAIC and embassy on the UAE route, weeks 2 to 4)Home country
1 to 3Family certificates legalised, in parallelCountry of issue
3 to 4Registered address bought; translations ordered by e-mailOnline
5 to 6Baku trip: registration, seal, bank; stay registration; medicalsBaku
6 to 9Residence permits for Head and Deputy Head: filed online, fingerprints, cardsBaku
9 to 12Family arrives; stay registration, medicals, their permitsBaku

Expedited residence fees (15 working days instead of 20) shorten each permit window by about a week.

Critical path

  1. Legalisation of the five parent documents, because the registration cannot be filed without them, and signing must happen in the country whose stamp you want.
  2. The Baku trip, because registration, the bank and fingerprints are in person; the Head and Deputy either stay until their cards issue or return to collect them.
  3. The 30-day filing rule: enter on 90-day consular visas, or file the stay extension on arrival.
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