How do I get a tourist visa for Turkmenistan?
Short answer
Apply for a tourist e-visa (e-TU) on the State Migration Service's new portal, evisa.migration.gov.tm. It asks for a passport scan and a photo, and does not list a letter of invitation. Processing time: 7 working days, 3 working days (urgent) or 24 hours (super urgent). The system is new and much is still unclear, so check with the portal or a Turkmen embassy before you book anything.
Sources for this answer (1)
E-visa processing time
7 working days, 3 working days (urgent) or 24 hours (super urgent)
What the tourist e-visa needs
- Types of e-visa: Tourist (e-TU), business (e-BS, up to 30 days) and humanitarian (e-HM).
- Documents: A scan of your passport (valid at least 6 months from entry) and an ICAO-standard photo. A hotel booking or itinerary and medical insurance are optional.
- Fee: Shown only during the application, in US dollars.
- Processing time: 7 working days, 3 working days (urgent) or 24 hours (super urgent).
The portal is evisa.migration.gov.tm, run by Turkmenistan’s State Migration Service. For questions, the portal lists the phone number +993 12 38 00 50 and the email visa@migration.gov.tm.
Sources for this section (4)
Types of e-visa
Tourist (e-TU), business (e-BS, up to 30 days) and humanitarian (e-HM)
Documents for a tourist e-visa
A scan of your passport (valid at least 6 months from entry) and an ICAO-standard photo. A hotel booking or itinerary and medical insurance are optional
The portal does not list a letter of invitation for the tourist e-visa.
E-visa fee
Shown only during the application, in US dollars
The amount depends on the details of your application. Bank charges for the payment are not included.
E-visa processing time
7 working days, 3 working days (urgent) or 24 hours (super urgent)
What changed
Until now, tourists generally needed a letter of invitation, arranged through a licensed Turkmen travel agency, before they could get a visa. Outside Ashgabat, they also had to travel with a guide. The new portal does not list a letter of invitation for the tourist e-visa and says nothing about guides. Reported launch date of the portal: 1 October 2026 Unverified.
Turkmen travel agencies still offer the letter-of-invitation route. Until the new system has been tested by travellers, booking through an agency is the safer choice.
Sources for this section (1)
E-visa portal launched
1 October 2026Unverified
What we could not verify
- Whether tourists on the new e-visa must book with a travel agency or travel with a guide outside Ashgabat, as was required before.
- Whether Turkmenistan is issuing transit visas. Reports conflict.
- Which border crossings accept the e-visa.
- How to create an account on the portal. A news report found no sign-up option.
This is an independent guide, not a government website. Rules change often. Before you travel, check the official source linked next to each fact.
