Turkmenistan says it has introduced an online visa system that will streamline travel for foreign citizens, though there is some uncertainty about the new procedures for visiting one of the world’s most closed countries.
The State Migration Service briefed foreign diplomats and representatives of international organizations about its system of processing and issuing electronic visas as well as an online system to register foreign citizens staying in Turkmenistan, along with “individuals and legal entities” hosting them.
“New digital services will allow foreign citizens arriving in the country to save time, transfer documents to electronic management, and carry out all work in a short time and in a simplified manner,” the migration service said on September 30. “These systems will also increase the efficiency of the work of the migration service and ensure that services are organized in accordance with modern requirements.”
State media said the new system was in line with Turkmenistan’s growing interaction with the rest of the world and comes as “the number of foreign citizens coming to our country and people traveling from our country to foreign countries is constantly increasing.”
Traditionally, foreign tourists traveling to Turkmenistan have had to obtain an invitation letter from a local tour agency or other host, and preparation for a trip can take weeks or months. Additionally, movement within Turkmenistan is tightly monitored, with escorts assigned to visitors in some parts of the country. While Turkmen authorities say the new online system will make the entry process more efficient and cut wait times, one tour operator said it is still unclear how the process will work.
Saiga Tours, which has experience working in Turkmenistan, said in an early assessment that the announcement of the e-visa system is significant but that key details are still lacking, including who can use it and whether the invitation letter process for tourists will be replaced altogether.
“Currently on the website there is a log in page, but there is still nowhere yet for you to sign up and information on the site is limited at best,” Saiga Tours said.
There are separate requirements for business and humanitarian e-visas. Turkmenistan’s portal for online visa applications is https://evisa.migration.gov.tm/web/
