Visa policy of Turkmenistan

In accordance with the law, citizens of all countries require a visa to enter Turkmenistan unless they have special passports. To obtain a tourist visa for Turkmenistan, all foreign citizens must supply an invitation letter issued by a travel agency licensed in Turkmenistan.[1]

Holders of a letter of invitation issued by a company registered in Turkmenistan with a prior approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may obtain a visa on arrival valid for 10 days, and extendable for another 10 days.[2]

Visa policy map edit

 

Visa exemption edit

  •   United Nations Laissez-Passer — From 2023, foreign citizens with UN passports were allowed up to 30 calendar days from the date of arrival in Turkmenistan without a visa to come to Turkmenistan, stay in it, travel outside it, cross the border, and cross the territory in transit the territory of Turkmenistan. Foreign citizens who are employees of the United Nations or its specialized agencies accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, as well as members of their families, were exempt from visa issuance during the period of work in Turkmenistan.[3][4][5]

Non-ordinary passports edit

 
  Turkmenistan
  Visa not required for holders of diplomatic and service passports
  Visa not required for holders of diplomatic passports
  Visa on arrival for holders of diplomatic passports

Holders of diplomatic, official and service passports of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and holders of diplomatic passports of Estonia, India, Pakistan and Uzbekistan do not require a visa to visit Turkmenistan for up to 30 days each visit.[2] Holders of diplomatic passports of Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States may obtain a free visa on arrival.[2]

Special permit edit

A special permit, issued prior to arrival by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is required if visiting the following places: Kerki, Hazar, Dashoguz, Serakhs and Serhetabat.[6]

Admission restrictions edit

Entry and transit is refused to holders of passports of the following jurisdictions:

Visitor statistics edit

 
Ashgabat International Airport

Turkmenistan is generally considered one of the most isolationist and least visited countries in the world. In comparison with other countries with strict visa policies, very few foreigners are granted a Turkmenistani visa. Directly after independence, in the 1990s, Turkmenistan was a slightly more open country than it is now, and in 1998, for example, 300,000 foreigners visited the country. Between 2000 and 2013, however, the number of visas issued decreased significantly, due to the enacted isolationism, the Turkmen government's self-professed neutral status and totalitarian regime.[7]

Year Visitors
1992—1994
No data
1995
  218,000[8]
1996
  217,000[8]
1997
  257,000[8]
1998
  300,000[8]
1999
No data
2000
  3,256[9]
2001
  5,200[8]
2002
  10,800[8]
2003
  8,200[8]
2004
  14,800[8]
2005
  11,600[8]
2006
  5,600[8]
2007
  8,177[9]
2008
  9,777[9]
2009
  7,628[9]
2010
  9,631[9]
2011
  8,687[9]
2012—2013
No data
2014
  More 110,000[10]
2015
  More 110,000[10]
2016
  More 130,000[10]
2017
  More 130,000[10]
2018
  More 130,000[10]
Total (1995-1998, 2000-2011 and 2014-2018) More 1,700,000[10]
Country 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2011[9] 2010[9] 2009[9] 2008[9] 2007[9] 2000[9]
  Uzbekistan   108,288[11]   105,269[12]   98,176[13]   96,604[14] 77,387[15] No data No data No data No data No data No data
  Iran No data No data No data No data No data   3,874   3,397   2,391   2,355 2,133 122
  Germany No data No data No data No data No data   1,143   1,277   1,392   1,576 1,338 270
  United States No data No data No data No data No data   531   660   535   663 566 430
  Italy No data No data No data No data No data   277   392   412   595 600 340
  Japan No data No data No data No data No data   253   388   344   508 537 282
  Netherlands No data No data No data No data No data   245   238   296   439 160 95
  France No data No data No data No data No data   212   230   315   232 682 650
  Other No data No data No data No data No data   2,080   2,799   1,803   3,313 2,081 999
Total No data No data No data No data No data   8,697   9,631   7,628   9,777 8,177 3,256

Citizens of the Russian Federation edit

Country 2021[16] 2020[16] 2019[16] 2018[16] 2017[16] 2016[16] 2015[16] 2014[16] 2013[16] 2012[16] 2011[16] 2010[16]
  Russia   6,096   11,322   30,504   28,127   27,490   29,047   28,470   29,530   34,494   36,387   42,664 45,052

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Visa information".
  2. ^ a b c "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  3. ^ "The President of Turkmenistan has simplified the visa regime for UN staff | Politics". 8 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Turkmenistan opens visa-free regime for UN staff". March 2021.
  5. ^ "Официальному представителю ООН вручена вербальная нота о безвизовом въезде в Туркменистан | Политика". 8 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-03-14. Retrieved 2016-01-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^ "В Туркмении сейчас диктатура? А как там живут люди? Можно ли приехать в Ашхабад туристом? Стыдные вопросы про одну из самых закрытых стран в мире". Meduza.io. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "International tourism, number of arrivals: Turkmenistan". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Statistical Yearbook of Turkmenistan (Page 280)" (PDF). stat.gov.tm. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Approximate numbers
  11. ^ "Распределение по странам числа граждан Республики Узбекистан, выехавших из Республики Узбекистан в 2018 году". stat.uz. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  12. ^ "Распределение по странам числа граждан Республики Узбекистан, выехавших из Республики Узбекистан в 2017 году". stat.uz. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  13. ^ "Распределение по странам числа граждан Республики Узбекистан, выехавших из Республики Узбекистан в 2016 году". stat.uz. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  14. ^ "Распределение по странам числа граждан Республики Узбекистан, выехавших из Республики Узбекистан в 2015 году". stat.uz. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  15. ^ "Распределение по странам числа граждан Республики Узбекистан, выехавших из Республики Узбекистан в 2014 году". stat.uz. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "fedstat.ru".

Links edit