Photosensitive microcapsules are important targets for medical, pharmaceutical, agriculture, consumer goods and chemical companies. In this study, we report the development of UV-sensitive capsules containing vanillin as a model encapsulated active material. Polyamide microcapsule shells containing azobenzene moieties in the main chain of the polymer were fabricated by oil-in-water interfacial polymerization method. Triggered perfume release and morphological variations of the microcapsule shell during UV light irradiation were observed by means of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and optical microscopy.