How to Get a Turkmenistan Tourist Visa

Turkmenistan Tourist Visa

Turkmenistan Tourist Visa

Visa required for U.S. citizens: Yes.

Visa required for non-U.S. citizens: All foreigners need to get a visa in order to enter Turkmenistan.

Unfortunately, Turkmenistan makes foreigners have to go through a travel agency in order to get a visa to this amazing place. That means that you have to go around with a travel guide during your trip.

Get your paper work straight FAR IN ADVANCE. The whole Turkmenistan visa process is VERY LENGTHY, so have a heavy dose of patience.

If you are looking for another type of visa for Turkmenistan, go to my Turkmenistan visa page.

1
Select a travel agency

Select a travel agency in Turkmenistan to book your tour and to apply for the Letter of Introduction

2
Submit information to your agent

Send the travel agent your travel and personal details.

3
Wait for your Letter of Invitation

Wait for receipt of your Letter of Invitation from the travel agent you selected in Step 1.

  • The State Migration Service (SMS) in Turkmenistan will issue this and send it to the travel agent (who will then fax or e-mail it to you)
  • You will usually have to wait 15 business days.
4
Gather documentation

Gather the documents for the Turkmenistan Visa.  Check your consulate or embassy for the required documents.

5
Find your consulate
  • If you’re outside of the U.S., click here.
  • If you’re inside the U.S., Mexico, or Canada: The one and only consulate serving these three countries is in Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. Consulate
The Embassy of Turkmenistan

6
Submit materials

Submit your required materials from Step 4 to the consulate you found in Step 5.

7
Receive your visa

Congratulations! The Turkmenistan Consulate will give to you your brand new Turkmenistan visa.

8
Pay registration fee upon arrival

Upon arrival into Turkmenistan pay your registration fee.

  • You will receive a green entry and departure card (don’t lose this card!)
  • Talk to your travel agency as they might have already done this for you, and the guide who will be meeting you at the airport might be bringing it to you.
9
Register with the authorities
  • Register with the State Migration Service within 3 days of your arrival
  • Be sure to bring 2 passport photos with you and your passport.
  • Process should take several hours.
  • SMS offices are located in Ashgabat, Dashoguz, Mary, Turkmenabat, and Turkmenbashy.
10
Notify the authorities when you leave
  • Return to the State Migration Service to register your departure from the country one day in advance.
  • Both registration and de-registration have to be done at the same SMS office.
  • Ahh, this is bureaucracy at its best! Embrace the red tape…feel it!
11
Vaccination information

Don’t get sick on your trip!  Check vaccination requirements here.

Further Reading

About Addison Sears-Collins

Hey! I'm Addison Sears-Collins, the founder of Visa Hunter. You can learn more about me here. Connect with me by liking my fan page on Facebook, connecting with me on Twitter, or check out my website Automatic Addison where I build robots and embedded systems.

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