Every way into Turkmenistan.

The tourist visa (category TU) is the standard route for leisure visitors and requires, like almost every Turkmen visa, a Letter of Invitation (LOI) approved in advance by the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan (SMST). For tourist visas only a Turkmenistan national tour operator may act as the inviting Counterpart and file the LOI request; the certified LOI is valid 3 months. Tourist visas normally stipulate that the visitor be accompanied by a registered, state-licensed guide for most of the trip, and a solo traveller must still engage a licensed Turkmen travel agency. The visa is stamped at a Turkmen embassy/consulate or, with a valid LOI, on arrival at Ashgabat airport; the consular fee depends on validity and entries (e.g. USD 55 single-entry up to 1 month). Travellers must register with the SMS within 3 working days of arrival.

Government fee

$55

The transit visa (categories TR1 single / TR2 double) is the one notable Turkmen visa that does NOT require a Letter of Invitation, making it the main route for independent travellers crossing the country (typically on the trans-Caspian or Central Asia overland circuit). It permits a transit stay of up to 5 days and is applied for in advance at a Turkmen embassy or consulate, not at the airport or land borders. Applicants must hold valid visas for both the country of entry and the onward country of departure and submit a detailed route. The fee is USD 10; approval is discretionary and refusals without stated reason are common. It does not authorise tourism beyond transit, work or study.

Government fee

$10

Processing time

21 days

Max stay

5 days

The business visa (categories BS1/BS2) is for meetings, negotiations, conferences and commercial activity and requires a Letter of Invitation approved by the State Migration Service, requested by the inviting Turkmen company or organisation; the certified LOI is valid 3 months. Standard LOI processing is about 10 business days, with paid expedited options. Validity and entries vary by request, and the consular fee follows the validity-based scale (e.g. USD 55 single-entry up to 1 month, up to USD 515 for a 12-month multiple-entry visa). It permits business activity but not local employment, and the holder must register with the SMS within 3 working days of arrival.

Government fee

$55

Processing time

10 days

Turkmenistan issues a distinct health visa (category HL) for foreigners travelling for medical treatment. Like nearly every Turkmen category it requires a Letter of Invitation approved by the State Migration Service, requested by the Turkmen medical institution or sponsoring counterpart; the certified LOI is valid 3 months. Standard LOI processing is about 10 business days. The visa is tied to the treatment purpose and does not authorise work or study, and the holder must register with the SMS within 3 working days of arrival. Published fees and durations follow the general validity-based scale and are not separately specified for this category.

Processing time

10 days

The student visa (category ST) is for foreigners admitted to a Turkmen educational institution and requires a Letter of Invitation approved by the State Migration Service, requested by the inviting institution; the certified LOI is valid 3 months. Standard LOI processing is about 10 business days, with paid expedited options. The visa is tied to enrolment, and the student must register with the SMS within 3 working days of arrival. Validity typically matches the academic period and is renewable; the consular fee follows the validity-based scale. Official published fees, durations and work-rights details for students are limited.

• Study: Valid for enrolment at the admitting institution.

Processing time

10 days

Employment in Turkmenistan is a two-stage process: a Turkmen employer first obtains permission to hire a foreign worker (subject to labour quotas and a justification that no local candidate is available) and a work permit, then the State Migration Service issues a Letter of Invitation that lets the worker apply for the WP work visa at an embassy/consulate. The certified LOI is valid 3 months and the visa is tied to the sponsoring employer. On arrival the worker must register with the SMS within 3 working days. Published fees, validity and quota figures are not officially specified; the consular fee follows the validity-based scale. Time on lawful residence can lead toward a residence permit only via the separate long residence route.

• Work: Employment authorised only for the sponsoring employer named in the permit.
• Residency after 7 years
• Family: Spouse and minor children may obtain dependent visas if the worker shows sufficient means; dependents cannot work without their own permits.

Turkmenistan issues a distinct investment visa (category IN) for foreign investors, which like other categories requires a Letter of Invitation approved by the State Migration Service, requested by the Turkmen counterpart entity tied to the investment project; the certified LOI is valid 3 months. There is no passive golden-visa, residence-by-property or citizenship-by-investment programme, and no published minimum-investment threshold — the route is project-specific and discretionary. Standard LOI processing is about 10 business days with paid expedited options, and the consular fee follows the validity-based scale. The investor must register with the SMS within 3 working days of arrival.

Processing time

10 days

Visiting relatives or friends in Turkmenistan uses the private (PR1/PR2) or family (FM) visa categories, each requiring a Letter of Invitation approved by the State Migration Service and requested by the resident host; the certified LOI is valid 3 months. For family visas the Turkmen citizen or resident sponsor must submit their residence permit and passport pages, plus birth and marriage certificates evidencing the relationship. Standard LOI processing is about 10 business days. The visa is tied to the host and does not authorise work; the visitor must register with the SMS within 3 working days of arrival. The consular fee follows the validity-based scale.

• Family: Designed for visiting/joining a spouse or relative; each visitor is invited individually by the host.

Government fee

$55

Processing time

10 days

Turkmenistan lists a distinct humanitarian visa category (HM), used for humanitarian, charitable, religious or aid-related missions invited by a Turkmen counterpart organisation. Like the other categories it requires a Letter of Invitation approved by the State Migration Service; the certified LOI is valid 3 months and standard processing is about 10 business days. The visa is tied to the stated humanitarian purpose and does not confer general work rights; the holder must register with the SMS within 3 working days of arrival. Official fees and durations follow the general validity-based scale and are not separately published for this category.

Processing time

10 days

The diplomatic (DP) and service/official (OF) visa categories are for holders of diplomatic or service passports travelling on official government, mission or international-organisation business. Applications are typically processed on the basis of a note verbale from the sending government or organisation and, where required, an LOI/clearance via the Turkmen Ministry of Foreign Affairs and State Migration Service; diplomatic and service-passport holders may in some cases apply directly at the embassy without a tour-operator LOI. Fees are generally waived or set under bilateral reciprocity, so no standard consular fee applies. The visa does not confer commercial work or study rights.

• Family: Accompanying family of accredited staff may receive corresponding visas via the mission.

Turkmenistan's residence permit (vid na zhitelstvo) is a rare, long and discretionary route handled by the State Migration Service. In practice a foreigner must have lived lawfully in the country for around 2 years before applying, after which the permit is issued for 5 years and is renewable; permanent residence and naturalisation effectively follow roughly 7 years of total residence (Turkmenistan is generally a single-nationality state with no citizenship-by-investment). Applicants must show a stable source of income, knowledge of Turkmen language and culture, and a clean criminal record, and must be at least 18. Official published fees are not specified. Most spouse-of-citizen and long-resident cases run through this permit rather than any fast-track programme.

• Work: Residence-permit holders may live and work in Turkmenistan subject to general rules.
• Study: May study while resident.
• Residency after 7 years
• Family: Spouse and minor children may be included or apply on the same basis, subject to SMS assessment.

Validity

1,825 days