Navigating Turkmenistan’s visa process is an adventure in itself. The first hint of nerves hit when it was the day I was flying to Central Asia and the LOI hadn’t come through yet. Second was in Dubai when the Gate Agent asked his colleague if he had ever seen my document before, receiving only a puzzled shrug in response. Overall, though, the process was pretty straightforward, the adventure came in navigating the process and payment at the airport. If you’re looking for more info on my trip to Turkmenistan, the full article can be found here.
To obtain a Visa to Turkmenstan, you will need to do so as a tourist. The only way to do this is through a tour agency (sorry solo-travelers, can’t just roam around on your own). They will submit the paperwork for you to receive a Letter of Invitation (LOI). This takes about two weeks, but is not guaranteed. I saw MANY accounts online of people who were rejected. Luckily, mine came though in about 10 days.
You’ll need to print and bring that with you to the visa counter upon arrival in Ashgabat. After that, it’s a back-and-forth game that nobody really explains. They take your passport, check the LOI, and place a sticker in your passport (takes up an entire page). Then give you a pice of paper. What you’re supposed to know (I didn’t at first) was that you walk to the window next door and pay for your visa. They will hold onto your passport until you do. There will be a crowd of people. This is your first lesson in Central Asia – PUSH YOUR WAY THROUGH – or you’ll be waiting forever. Once you pay the ticket ($130), they will stamp your paper and you go back to the Visa guy to get your passport stamped and returned. Then you can walk through passport control. You’ll end up showing your paperwork more times than you ever thought possible before finally leaving the airport – so always keep your passport at the ready.
Read the full trip: The 5 Stans guide →
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