Azerbaijan introduces mandatory health insurance payments for informal workers

Starting from 2026, all citizens listed as informal workers or who have unknown sources of income will be required to pay ₼16 ($10) per month for health insurance.

Azerbaijan’s Parliament passed the new amendment to the Health Insurance Law on 21 November.

In the event of failure to pay the ₼16 within the prescribed period, an additional fee equal to 10% of the whole amount missed will be added to the total.

Informal employment is defined as the performance of certain activities without an employment contract or civil law contract. The list of persons engaged in informal employment also includes individuals using agricultural land or organising family farms.

An independent expert who spoke to OC Media on the condition of anonymity stated that the amendments were passed as part of the preparations for Azerbaijan’s post-oil period.

‘Unless there is another political cataclysm, the prices of oil and gas products will continue to decrease. Another fact is that alternative energy plays a crucial role in energy transfer, and in this situation, the government prepares the nation for the “worst days” ’.

The expert noted that by issuing this decision, the government is putting the obligation on the people, rather than the state.