OMM Newsroom
When is a referral not required?
To receive services under compulsory health insurance, citizens may present their identity card at any public medical facility under the subordination of TABIB or at the relevant research institutes of the Ministry of Health. They may visit a specialist directly, without a referral and regardless of their registered address. Family doctor services, however, are available only at the primary healthcare facility serving the patient’s registered address, such as a polyclinic, Family Health Center, doctor’s office or medical station, or women’s consultation center. Therefore, the claim that “a referral is mandatory for all specialized care except in emergencies” is incorrect.
Other cases in which a referral is not required:
- Emergency and urgent care: citizens can call the 103 ambulance service or go directly to a nearby private hospital or a public hospital under sectoral subordination. The Agency covers the cost at the rate set out in the Service Package;
- the Teaching-Therapeutic and Teaching-Surgical Clinics of Azerbaijan Medical University, as well as Baku Health Center: patients can apply directly for inpatient services included in the Service Package, but examination results confirming the need for inpatient treatment are required.
When is a referral needed?
If the service a patient needs under the Service Package cannot be provided at a TABIB medical facility or a research institute of the Ministry of Health, the patient is referred to a private medical facility or a public facility under sectoral subordination that has a contract with the State Medical Insurance and Expertise Agency. A family doctor or treating physician issues the referral. Citizens can choose among the facilities listed on the referral.
| Referral condition | Official rule |
|---|---|
| Issuing a referral | free of charge |
| Service provided on the basis of a referral | free of charge |
| Validity period | 10 working days |
- First, get examined by a family doctor or specialist at a public medical facility.
- Check whether the service prescribed by the doctor can be provided at that facility.
- If a referral is issued, check the facility, service and date on it: the referral is valid for 10 working days.
- Visit a contracted facility with the referral within that period.
When might you have to pay?
Except in emergency and urgent cases, citizens who go directly to a private medical facility or one under sectoral subordination without a referral must pay for the service themselves. In addition, co-payment applies to MRI and CT scans performed on an outpatient basis: the citizen pays 20% of the rate specified in the Service Package.
The Service Package covers 3,318 medical services. Cosmetic procedures, plastic surgery, dental services and artificial insemination are not included, nor are treatments and examinations funded under state programs. You can check whether a specific service is covered on the Agency’s Service Package page or call the 1542 Call Center.
Note: Under a presidential decree dated June 25, 2026, the body responsible for administering compulsory health insurance is the State Medical Insurance and Expertise Agency, which operates under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population (dtsea.gov.az). The website of the State Agency for Compulsory Health Insurance (its.gov.az) redirects to that address.
Verified: October 14, 2026.
