Turkmenistan Visa: Entry Requirements, Application Process, and Support Services

Note on Arrival in Turkmenistan and the Protocol for Border Clearance

Turkmenistan Visa Application Process

All travelers, regardless of their citizenship, are required to obtain a visa to enter Turkmenistan. The good news is that the process of obtaining the visa permit isn't as complicated as it might seem at first.

The easiest and surest way to get your visa is to book a tour to Turkmenistan with a tour operator who has a partnership with licensed travel agencies, based in Turkmenistan. Advantour has such partners. Before we proceed further with detailed information, please note that you need to plan your visit to Turkmenistan at least one month before your intended arrival date.

The first step is to apply for a Letter of Invitation (L.O.I). Once your L.O.I. is approved by Turkmenistan authorities, you can proceed to the nearest embassy of Turkmenistan in your country to obtain an actual visa sticker in your passport. Alternatively, if there is no embassy of Turkmenistan in your country, you can choose to have it affixed upon arrival in Turkmenistan when passing immigration (at Ashgabat airport or approved land boarders). There's no need to send your passport anywhere with postal services.

The approval of the L.O.I. typically takes an average of 3-4 weeks. Once approval is granted, the Letter of Invitation will be sent to the embassy of Turkmenistan in your country, and you will be notified about the approval by the travel agency you choose to work with.

Please note that in certain cases not disclosed to us, the Turkmenistan authorities may reject your application for L.O.I. The same applies to rejecting your visa to be affixed in your passport at the border of Turkmenistan if you happen to violate the laws or rules of the country.

The timeframe required to obtain the Letter of Invitation (L.O.I.).

We noted earlier that you need at least one month before your intended travel to Turkmenistan to obtain your L.O.I. However, Turkmenistan's Law allows you to apply for the L.O.I. up to three months in advance. We recommend doing so to ensure smooth vacation planning. It would also be wiser to purchase your air tickets after your L.O.I. is approved. Alternatively, you can choose refundable tickets. This ensures that if anything doesn't go as planned, you'll have a hassle-free reimbursement process.

Advantour Visa Support and Services

Advantour offers assistance with the L.O.I. application, also sometimes referred to as Turkmenistan Visa Support, whenever you book any tour with us that includes or is agreed upon to include a planned visit to Turkmenistan. We work with reliable local partners in Turkmenistan who will assist and facilitate this process for us.

Required documents for L.O.I. application.

The following documents need to be submitted to Advantour or a travel agency in Turkmenistan via email so that we can proceed with the L.O.I. application for you. There are only three documents required from your end:

1. Color copy of a valid international passport (full page showing clearly all details, photo, signature, and barcode; in JPEG or PDF format).
2. One recent color passport-size photo (The format should be JPEG or PNG, with the photo taken against a white background, and the size being less than or equal to 250 kB.)
3. Completed form with the following questions: (You can answer these questions in the body of your email or contact us, and we will send you the form, whichever is easiest for you.)

• Any other names used before (e.g., before marriage).
• Marital status (single, married, divorced, widowed).
• Duration of stay (from/until).
• Number of entries.
• Point of entry and exit in Turkmenistan.
• Full name and date of birth of spouse.
• Full name(s) and date(s) of birth of child(ren).
• Home address (full address of permanent residence, No temporary residence address is accepted).
• Details of your education background, including the highest diploma or certificate you hold, along with the city and country where it was issued.
• Field of study (department, faculty, field/direction/specialization, for example, medicine, economics, engineering, linguistics, management, history, law).
• Work position (position/function/title of the current job, for example, economist, engineer, medical doctor, retired, housewife, student).
• Place of work (company name, country and address).
• Place of obtaining Turkmenistan visa (embassy and city name, or on arrival at land border or airport).
• Previous visits to Turkmenistan (year, month, and purpose).

Criteria to satisfy when requesting an L.O.I.

When applying for visas in many countries, simply providing hotel bookings and tickets suffices. However, Turkmenistan imposes additional requirements. To qualify for a visa, you must meet these conditions:

• Turkmenistan Visa Support letter (L.O.I.);
• Entry Travel Pass;
• Registration in the Immigration Department;
• Meeting at the border by a representative;
• Hotel accommodation of your choice;
• Airport/Border meetings and transportation throughout the tour program;
• Accompanying guide.

It's important to understand that you can't meet these conditions on your own. Even if you're traveling solo without booking a tour package, you must involve a travel agency licensed in Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan Letter of Invitation (L.O.I.) and Visa Fees

The visa fee ranges from $50 to $150 USD, depending on the recipient's country of citizenship and the urgency of processing. Payment must be made in cash in United States Dollars (USD) at one of the following locations: at the embassy, Ashgabat airport, or land borders. As for the L.O.I. fee, please check with your travel agency. The travel consultant usually provides this information promptly when you request assistance with the process.

Once you have received the approved L.O.I., where should you go to obtain your Turkmenistan Visa?

Tourists may request a visa at any Turkmenistan embassy or consulate abroad. Alternatively, visas can be obtained upon arrival at Ashgabat airport or at Turkmen land borders such as Farab (Bukhara, Uzbekistan), Shavat (Khiva, Uzbekistan), Khojeyli (Nukus, Uzbekistan), Gaudan (Bajgiran/Mashhad, Iran), and Bekdash (Aktau, Kazakhstan).

Visas are not issued at the land borders of Serakhs (Iran), Serhetabat (Afghanistan), and Turkmenbashi (the Caspian Sea Port).

Turkmenistan visa application requirements:

1. Two completed visa applications.
2. Valid passport and a copy. The passport must have at least six months of validity from the date of entry into Turkmenistan.
3. Two passport-size photos affixed to the applications.
4. Visa fee.
5. Approved Turkmenistan Visa Support (L.O.I.).
6. Stamped, self-addressed envelope if the embassy has agreed to provide service by post.

Don't hesitate to contact us for assistance with your travel arrangements in Turkmenistan. Most of our travel packages include Turkmenistan Visa Support.

Turkmenistan Transit Visa

A transit visa for Turkmenistan is available to travelers who need to stop in Turkmenistan for a connecting flight to transit to their final destination. In such instances, regardless of whether you leave the transit area or not, you must apply for a visa. When applying for a transit visa, you can skip the process of obtaining L.O.I. Please note that transit visas can only be granted at Turkmenistan Consulates. To receive one, you should present the valid visa issued by the country you are heading to (if applicable) and your tickets.

Kindly note that transit visas are not available for issuance at Ashgabat airport or other Turkmenistan land borders.

How to Read Turkmenistan Visa:

Visa to other Central Asian countries: