Turkmenistan
The information below is provided by Lonely Planet readers and is not verified by Lonely Planet. For the official lowdown, contact your nearest embassy or check out our Travel Links.
Visas, Embassies & Border Crossings
It seems that there is no rule at all. Some Turkmenistan Embassies don't release any kind of visa, while some others say, at first, that there is no possibility, but if you insist, they suddenly say that they can give you a visa valid one month, in only one day, if you have an invitation letter (this happens with the Turkmenistan Embassy in Delhi)!!! Our advice is to try and try. If you are unlucky in one place, try another Embassy. And insist and insist. Getting an invitation letter is quite easy. As for all of the other Central Asia countries, you can get one contacting some Turkmenistan agency on Internet. There are quite a lot of them, and for a reasonable price they will send you a regular invitation letter, registered at the Turkmenistan Foreign Affair Minister, also without booking any hotel! Then, with your invitation letter, you can apply for the visa. Best places seem to be the Embassies in Central Asia. Notice that in Kyrgyzstan there is NOT any Turkmenistan Embassy. Once the invitation letter is delivered, it generally takes only few hours to get your visa. This seems true everywhere in any Turkmenistan Embassy that *says* that you can have a visa. In Delhi it works...
Carlo & Emanuela Paschetto, Italy (Sep 02)
In Tashkent we arranged the transit visa for Turkmenistan. This embassy is located right next to the United Nations building (number 106 instead of number 107). Opening hours are from 10 am till noon, so be there early. When we arrived at around 10 we were number 28 on the list which meant a lot of waiting. As we learned from some businessmen it is a good idea to bribe the guards with US$5 to make sure you are the first on the list. A cheaper option is to go with a lady and let her do the queuing. The guards will let them go inside before noon (even if there is a long queue left). We had to pay US$41 for a three-day transit visa. This would be ready within 6 or 7 days. Most important we had to say exactly which date we would cross into Turkmenistan. The date of entry is fixed. So this makes it hard to plan it long before. Once again they didn't need our passport, only a copy of it.
Lucia Kadijk and Bram Hulzebos, The Netherlands (Nov 01)
Travel Tips
The first class train to Ashgabat was great except for the truckload of people who continually opened the door throughout the night trying to sleep in my compartment with me. The security is slack and if you want to avoid the disturbances i suggest you bring a little rope with you because none of the doors close properly and the locks are suspect.
Ryan Pyle, Canada (Jan 03)
Moving About
If you're taking a vehicle into Turkmenistan its bloody expensive. It cost us US$103 to take our Land Rover through the country for 5 days! They only issue permits for 15 days even if you're there for less time. It's all very official and you will be asked for this permit on exit. If you're transiting with a vehicle you don't need a separate customs declaration form (and, by the way, for transit visas you don't need to register at all). It cost US$124 for this document for the return journey through Turkmenistan. Drivers will be asked to produce this document at all police checkpoints and on exit so you can't get by without it.
Tanya Paterson, UK (Feb 03)
Scams & Warnings
We were hassled several times a day in Ashgabat, by policemen and secret service people. Mostly they appeared to be bored and wanted to chat. After one passport check, we enlisted a secret service agent to help us flag a car to take us to Nissa! Outside of Ashgabat, officials were very unpredictable and unpleasant (and often drunk). People are very weary of criticizing the government, and can get in trouble if found doing so.
Vio Barco and Andrew Dier, Colombia (Feb 02)
Gems, Highlights & Attractions
As soon as we crossed the border from Turkmenistan into Uzbekistan, I was struck by the difference in attitude towards farming. Here we had found another Turkish style country where every inchof land was put to good use. Golden wheat, in the course of being harvested, had been planted in every conceivable nook and cranny, even in bursting fruit orchards. Turkmenistan by contrast, just looked like it couldnā??t be bothered, or maybe itā??s because they canā??t fit in any work between the tight schedules of 19 public holidays ā?? classic titles of which are "Drop of Water is a Grain of Gold Holiday", "Holiday of Poetry of Magtymguli", "Carpet Day", "Melon Holiday", "Turkmenbashi Holiday" (obviously) and "Good Neighbourliness".
Simon & Georgie, UK (Sep 02)
Yarns, Fables & Anecdotes
We have recently completed a trip to Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran. The unexpected thing about it was the attitude of the local people, who seemed very welcoming, genuinely pleased to see us, who would try to talk, and allow themselves to be photographed, almost invariably with no question of baksheesh. It made it all so much more pleasant and easier.
John Hardy, UK (May 02)
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