Central Asia · UN member
Turkmenistan: Travel Guide & Requirements
· Туркменистан · Türkmenistan
Turkmenistan is a country in Central Asia with its capital in Ashgabat. It has a population of 7.6 million (#103 in the world) and covers 488,100 km². The official languages are Russian and Turkmen. The currency is the Turkmenistan manat (TMT, m).
Where is Turkmenistan? Map of Turkmenistan
Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan.
- Region
- Central Asia
- Coordinates
- 40° N, 60° E
- Neighbours
- 4 — see list
- Coastline
- Landlocked
- Turkmenistan
- Neighbours
- Capital
- Largest cities
Map of Turkmenistan showing Ashgabat (capital) and the largest cities: Türkmenabat, Daşoguz, Mary, Türkmenbaşy, Balkanabat, Tejen, Yolöten and Kaka.
Travel requirements
What you need to travel to Turkmenistan
- Passport
The UK Foreign Office says your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the date you plan to leave Turkmenistan; Canada's travel advice says at least 6 months beyond the date on your letter of invitation.
- Visa or eTA
Depends on your passport: of 198 passports, 1 needs an eVisa, 197 need a visa from an embassy. Check yours or see Turkmenistan entry requirements for every passport.
- Return or onward ticket
No official requirement.
- Proof of funds
No official requirement.
- Travel insurance
No official requirement. The UK Foreign Office advises making sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation.
- Arrival card
Turkmenistan's State Migration Service says foreign citizens and stateless persons arriving in or transiting Turkmenistan pay a registration fee of USD 10 for their stay; children aged 7 to 16 pay 50% and children under…
- Customs allowance
Turkmenistan's customs service says foreign cash may be brought in without limit if it is declared to customs, and that you may take out up to USD 10,000 (or the equivalent), plus foreign cash you brought in and declare…
- Travel advice
Safe to visit — US and UK advice.
Entry rules: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset (CC BY 4.0), each rule cited to an official government source. Always confirm with the airline and the official source before you travel.
Before you go
9 things to know before you travel to Turkmenistan
- Safety: Yes — Turkmenistan is generally safe to visit: the US State Department rates Turkmenistan Level 1 (“Exercise Normal Precautions”), and the UK Foreign Office has no warnings against travel there.
- Best time to go: April to May and September to October — when daytime highs in Ashgabat are around 22–28°C.
- Money: the Turkmenistan manat (TMT) — 1 US dollar is about 3.5079 TMT.
- Plugs: type B, C and F, 220 V, 50 Hz — standard 220–240 V: devices from the US or Japan (110–120 V) need a converter unless they are dual voltage (100–240 V).
- Emergency numbers: Police 02, Ambulance 03, Fire 01.
- Language: Russian and Turkmen are official.
- Driving: on the right — speed limits are 60 km/h in built-up areas and 90 km/h outside built-up areas.
- Time zone: UTC+5 in Ashgabat.
- Capital: Ashgabat. About 7.6 million people live in Turkmenistan.
Key facts
Turkmenistan at a glance
Languages spoken: Turkmen (official) 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%
Geography & history
About Turkmenistan
Present-day Turkmenistan has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. Various Persian empires ruled the area in antiquity, and Alexander the Great, Muslim armies, the Mongols, Turkic warriors, and eventually the Russians conquered it. In medieval times, Merv (located in present-day Mary province) was one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road. Annexed by Russia in the late 1800s, Turkmen territories later figured prominently in the anti-Bolshevik resistance in Central Asia. In 1924, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic; it achieved independence when the USSR dissolved in 1991. President for Life Saparmurat NIYAZOV died in 2006, and Gur…
Read the full history
Present-day Turkmenistan has been at the crossroads of civilizations for centuries. Various Persian empires ruled the area in antiquity, and Alexander the Great, Muslim armies, the Mongols, Turkic warriors, and eventually the Russians conquered it. In medieval times, Merv (located in present-day Mary province) was one of the great cities of the Islamic world and an important stop on the Silk Road. Annexed by Russia in the late 1800s, Turkmen territories later figured prominently in the anti-Bolshevik resistance in Central Asia. In 1924, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic; it achieved independence when the USSR dissolved in 1991. President for Life Saparmurat NIYAZOV died in 2006, and Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV, a deputy chairman under NIYAZOW, emerged as the country's new president. BERDIMUHAMEDOV won Turkmenistan's first multi-candidate presidential election in 2007, and again in 2012 and 2017 with over 97% of the vote in elections widely regarded as undemocratic. In 2022, BERDIMUHAMEDOV announced that he would step down from the presidency and called for an election to replace him. His son, Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV, won the ensuing election with 73% of the vote. Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV, although no longer head of state, maintains an influential political position as head of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) and as National Leader of the Turkmen People, a title that provides additional privileges and immunity for him and his family. Since Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV stepped down from the presidency, state-controlled media upgraded his honorific from Arkadag (protector) to Hero-Arkadag, and began referring to Serdar BERDIMUHAMEDOV as Arkadagly Serdar, which can be translated as "Serdar who has a protector to support him." Turkmenistan has sought new export markets for its extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves, which have yet to be fully exploited. Turkmenistan's reliance on gas exports has made the economy vulnerable to fluctuations in the global energy market, and economic hardships since the drop in energy prices in 2014 have led many citizens of Turkmenistan to emigrate, mostly to Turkey.
Location
Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan
Climate
subtropical desert
Terrain
flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in west
Highest point
Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt
Natural hazards
earthquakes; mudslides; droughts; dust storms; floods
National symbols
Akhal-Teke horse
Driving
Speed limits & road rules in Turkmenistan
The default speed limits in Turkmenistan are 60 km/h in built-up areas and 90 km/h outside built-up areas. The legal alcohol limit for drivers is 0.5‰. Posted signs always take priority over these defaults.
- 6060 km/hBuilt-up areasTowns and citiesWHO data (2017)
- 9090 km/hOutside built-up areasCountry roadsWHO data (2017)
- International Driving PermitRecognised: 1968 ViennaCarry the IDP together with your national licence
- Driving sideDrive on the rightOvertake on the left
- Alcohol limit0.5‰ blood alcohol (0.05% BAC)
- Seat beltsRequired by law
- Child seatsNo national child-restraint law
- Motorcycle helmetsRequired for riders
- Road deaths (2021)8.0 per 100,000 peopleSafer than most countries (median 12.4)
Speed limits: OpenStreetMap wiki — Default speed limits (CC BY-SA 2.0) and WHO. Road-safety laws: WHO Global Health Observatory. Compare speed limits and alcohol limits by country. Defaults for cars; local signs, weather and vehicle type can lower them.
Safety
Is Turkmenistan safe to visit?
Yes — Turkmenistan is generally safe to visit: the US State Department rates Turkmenistan Level 1 (“Exercise Normal Precautions”), and the UK Foreign Office has no warnings against travel there.
US State Department
UK Foreign Office (FCDO)Latest update: Updated information about COVID-19 rules, applying for visas, transit visas and taking cash into Turkmenistan (‘Entry requirements’ page).
Updated 21 Oct 2026 · Full travel advice
Sources: US Department of State travel advisories (public domain) and UK FCDO foreign travel advice (contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0). Checked daily. Advice can change quickly — always read the official page before you travel.
Weather
Best time to visit Turkmenistan
The best time to visit Turkmenistan is April to May and September to October, when daytime highs in Ashgabat are around 22–28°C. July is the warmest month (35°C by day), January the coldest (-3°C at night).
- Jan8°C-3°C
- Feb10°C-2°C
- Mar16°C3°C
- Apr22°C8°C
- May28°C15°C
- Jun33°C20°C
- Jul35°C22°C
- Aug33°C21°C
- Sep28°C15°C
- Oct22°C9°C
- Nov14°C2°C
- Dec9°C-2°C
Best time Good Less ideal
Before you go
Plugs, voltage & emergency numbers in Turkmenistan
Plugs & sockets
- Type Btwo flat parallel pins and a round earth pin
- Type C (Europlug)two round pins
- Type F (Schuko)two round pins with earth clips on the sides
220 V, 50 Hz · Standard 220–240 V: devices from the US or Japan (110–120 V) need a converter unless they are dual voltage (100–240 V).
Emergency numbers
Save the local numbers before you travel — 112 or 911 may not connect here. All countries →
Sources: Wikipedia — Mains electricity by country and List of emergency telephone numbers (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Currency · 26 October 2026
Turkmenistan manat exchange rates today
Turkmenistan uses the Turkmenistan manat (TMT, m). One US dollar buys 3.5079 TMT; over the last 30 days the TMT has lost 2.2% against the dollar.
What other currencies cost in TMT
Currency converter
Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0), 26 Oct 2026. Banks and exchange offices add a margin.
World rankings
Where Turkmenistan ranks
How Turkmenistan compares with the rest of the world — open any card for the full ranking.
Airports
Airports in Turkmenistan
55 airports and airfields — 3 large, 5 medium and 15 small, plus 32 heliports. 6 have scheduled passenger flights.
Borders
Neighbouring countries
Turkmenistan borders 4 countries along 4,158 km of land borders. It is landlocked.
Military
Turkmenistani armed forces
Turkmenistan ranks #82 of 145 in the Global Firepower military strength ranking.
People
Population & society
Religion
Largest cities: Ashgabat (902,000)
Economy
Economy
Main industries
natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing
Export partners
China 63%, Turkey 11%, Greece 7%, Uzbekistan 6%, Azerbaijan 4% (2023)
Top exports
natural gas, refined petroleum, fertilizers, crude petroleum, electricity (2023)
Travel tools
Handy before every trip to Turkmenistan
Next public holiday
International Neutrality Day — Saturday, 12 December 2026. Then New Year's Day (1 Jan).
Turkmenistani passport
Ranked #184: 14 countries visa-free, 34 with visa on arrival, 3 with an eTA and 47 with an eVisa.
Turkmenistani passport photo
Exact size, head position and background for Turkmenistan's passport and visa photos — make one free with AI checks.
Calling Turkmenistan
Dial +993 before the local number. Internet domain .tm.
Climate footprint
81.0 million tonnes of CO₂ in 2024 — 10.81 t per person.
Entry requirements
Visa rules for every passport visiting Turkmenistan: visa-free stays, eVisas, visas on arrival and documents to bring.
News
Latest travel news about Turkmenistan
Sao Tome and Principe travellers: 59 countries visa-free, joint 81st in index
Kyrgyzstan has fallen six places since the start of 2026 to 81st in the Henley Passport Index, sharing the position with Sao Tome and Principe. Kyrgy…
Herat Governor Asks Turkey and Turkmenistan for Easier Visa Access
Herat's governor has urged easier visa access for citizens of Afghanistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan, alongside health and infrastructure projects, in …
Turkmenistan Entry Means $85 Visa, $35 Test and Cash Only
Travellers crossing from Uzbekistan into Turkmenistan report an $85 visa fee, a $35 Covid swab and long waits at the border. Inside the country, paym…
Frequently asked questions about Turkmenistan
What do I need to travel to Turkmenistan?
How long must my passport be valid for Turkmenistan?
Where is Turkmenistan?
What is the capital of Turkmenistan?
What language is spoken in Turkmenistan?
What currency does Turkmenistan use?
What is the calling code of Turkmenistan?
Which countries border Turkmenistan?
How strong is the Turkmenistani passport?
What is the speed limit in Turkmenistan?
Is Turkmenistan safe to visit?
When is the best time to visit Turkmenistan?
What plug type does Turkmenistan use?
How many airports does Turkmenistan have?
Sources: CIA World Factbook (public domain); World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0); names, languages and currencies: mledoze/countries (ODbL); flag: flag-icons (MIT); coat of arms: Wikimedia Commons (file page); exchange rates: Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0); airports: OurAirports.