Turkmenistan Visa
Turkmenistan is a country in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north and east, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest, and the Caspian Sea to the west.
In accordance with the law, citizens of all countries require a visa to visit Turkmenistan. To obtain a tourist visa for Turkmenistan, all foreign nationals must supply an invitation letter issued by a travel agency licensed in Turkmenistan.
Holders of a letter of invitation issued by a company registered in Turkmenistan with a prior approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can obtain a visa on arrival valid for 10 days, and extendable for another 10 days.
Citizens of all countries have the right to visa-free transit through the international transit area of the Ashgabat Airport.
TYPES OF TURKMENISTAN VISA
There are many types of Turkmenistan visas, below are 2 the most common types:
The only visa that allows unaccompanied travel for tourists is the transit visa. They are normally valid for three to five days, but are becoming increasingly difficult to acquire, with travellers reporting a rejection rate of over 50%. Allow between two and four weeks for your visa to be processed.
Tourist visas are a mixed blessing in Turkmenistan. While they allow the visitor to spend a decent amount of time in the country (up to three weeks as a rule), they require accompaniment by an accredited tour guide, who will meet you at the border and remain with you throughout your trip.
REQUIREMENTS OF TURKMENISTAN VISA
Tourist visa requirements:
- Written request. Explain in free form why you’re applying for the visa.
- Filled Visa application form. Can be found on Embassy websites.
- 1 colored photos of the applicant (3x4cm).
- Passport and copies of other IDs.
Transit visa requirements:
- Application for invitation letter. As far as I can ascertain, this form will be forwarded by the Embassy or Consulate to the Ministry of Immigration, who will issue a Letter of Invitation. The LOI/approval will be sent to the Embassy or Consulate.
- Visa Application Form. This is the form for applying for the visa itself, and different from the first form.
- 1 3x4cm photograph
- A free form letter to the Embassy which details the following: type of visa that is being requested, the purpose of crossing the country, period of stay, the route of the traveller during his stay in Turkmenistan, the entry and exit points in Turkmenistan.
TURKMENISTAN VISA PROCESSING TIME
Normal processing time is three to seven working days depending on the embassy, but most Turkmen embassies offer an express service for a hefty surcharge, reducing processing time to between 24 hours and three days.
TURKMENISTAN VISA APPLICATION FORM
All applicants must download the visa application form, fill in the required details and submit it with mandatory documents to start the process for a Turkmenistan visa.
You can download Turkmenistan visa application form from internet or get directly from the embassy or consulate. It is recommended to contact nearest Turkmenistan embassy or consulate before starting prepare all required documents for application process.