Visa & Permits

Foreign visitor is required to have a valid passport and a visa to enter Turkmenistan. Turkmen Consulates overseas issue visas. If travelling from a country that does not have a Turkmenistan Embassy or Consulate, a visa may be obtained on arrival at the airport provided permission has been approved in advance. Visa issued at the airport is valid for a period not exceeding 10 days.
Visas can only be obtained after a Letter of Invitation is received from a sponsor in Turkmenistan and certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ashgabat.

Invitation Letter application requirement:
To issue the Letter of Invitation for a Turkmenistan visa the following information is required. The procedure takes 14 working days.
01 Name
02 Nationality/Citizenship
03 Sex
04 Date and place of birth
05 Residence address
06 Passport number, issue date, place & validity
07 Date of arrival/departure
08 Occupation, place of work (name, address & telephone number of organisation)
09 Dates of previous visits, if any
10 Port of entry and cities to be visited*
11 City and country where you will obtain the visa

*For travellers intending to visit Turkmenistan's nature reserves and border zones please note that these areas must be specified in the Letter of Invitation. Besides visa, local permits may also be required to visit some specified areas.

Visa application requirements:
01 Valid passport. Passport must have at least six months remaining validity and one blank visa page for visa to be issued.
02 1 recent passport-size photo.
03 Visa fee payable by cash or money order.
04 Letter of invitation certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Normally visa is issued within 5 working days.

Registration: If your stay in Turkmenistan exceeds 5 days, it is necessary to obtain Police / OVIR registration within 3 working days upon arrival in the country. The travel agency that is providing local tour services normally does this.

Notes: Visa regulations are liable to change at short notice. Prospective visitors are advised to contact the nearest Turkmenistan Consular section or the Embassy.