Turkmenistan e-Visa 2026: How It Works, Step by Step

Short answer: yes, Turkmenistan now has an official e-visa. It launched on 1 October 2026, and for tourists (category e-TU) an invitation letter is no longer needed. In practice, though, travellers cannot apply on their own yet: the portal has a login page but no registration, and the State Migration Service gives access to tour operators, who submit applications for their travellers. The e-visa is single-entry, it is accepted at airports and land borders, and a guide is still required for tourist travel. Below we explain how the system works today and what is still not officially published.Last updated: 26 October 2026. This guide combines official announcements, news reports and our own experience as a tour operator in Turkmenistan working with the new system. Rules may change while the system is new, and we will update this page when they do.

What changed, and why it matters

For years a tourist visa started with one thing: an invitation letter (LOI) approved by the State Migration Service, usually arranged by a licensed local travel company. Only then could you collect a visa at an embassy or, with the printed LOI, on arrival at Ashgabat airport. Some embassy pages, such as that of the Embassy of Turkmenistan in the USA, still describe exactly this route.In April 2025 the migration law was amended to allow e-visas without an invitation. The service was presented to diplomats on 30 September 2026 and, according to RFE/RL's Azattyk service, started the next day together with a separate online registration platform for foreigners. At that moment the fee, processing times and full document list had not been made public. Some details have since become clear in practice, while others are still not officially published.

The three e-visa categories

e-TU: tourism. This is the one most readers of this guide need.
e-BS: business, for stays of up to 30 days. It requires an invitation from a company registered in Turkmenistan that states your position.
e-HM: humanitarian. It requires an official letter from a humanitarian organisation or a UN agency confirming your assignment.

The same three categories appear in VisasNews and in an advisory of South Korea's foreign ministry, as reported by Travel And Tour World.

Step by step: how an application works today

For now the e-visa application goes through a tour operator: the State Migration Service gives operators access to the system, while travellers cannot register on the portal themselves. This is the flow in practice.

Plan your trip with a tour operator. Agree on the route and dates first: the application asks for your planned arrival and departure dates and your entry and exit points.
Send your documents to the operator: a passport scan, a photo and your email address (details below). Everything you provide must match your passport exactly.
The operator submits the application on the State Migration Service portal, in the e-TU category and at the processing speed you need. The form also asks for your home address, occupation and earlier visits to Turkmenistan.
The government fee is calculated during the application and charged in US dollars. Ask your operator how it is paid and whether it is included in the tour price.
Receive the approved e-visa. The approval comes as a document that the operator sends you. The portal also has a public status check that asks for at least two of these: last name, passport number, visa number. An approved e-visa can reportedly be transferred to a new passport.
Print it and travel with the same passport. Show the printed e-visa at the airport or land border, and the visa itself is issued there.

Documents you need

You send these to your tour operator, who uploads them with the application.

Passport scan. A colour scan of the page with your photo and personal data, with no cropped edges. The passport is reported to need at least six months of validity from your entry date. South Korea's advisory is stricter: six months beyond the expiry of the e-visa, plus two blank pages. If your passport is close to the limit, follow the stricter rule.
Photo. A recent colour photo on a white background that meets ICAO standards.
Email address. It must be valid: status updates and the approved e-visa are sent there.
Itinerary, booking and insurance. An itinerary or confirmed hotel booking and medical insurance are listed as optional for e-TU. On a tour, your operator already has the itinerary and hotel bookings, and insurance is worth having on any trip.

How long it takes and what it costs

Three processing speeds are reported: regular (up to 7 working days), urgent (up to 3 working days) and super urgent (24 hours). South Korea's advisory mentions the first two. The 24-hour option appears in several industry reports, for example from Belarus's Republican Union of Tourist Organizations, but we have not seen it in an official document. Treat these as targets, not promises: incomplete data or technical problems can add time.The fee is the biggest unknown. No fixed price list has been published. The system calculates the amount during the application, depending on the category and the processing speed, and takes payment in US dollars with bank charges on top. We cannot give you a single number, and you should be wary of any website that quotes an exact "official" price or offers to sell you a self-service e-visa. The old embassy route had its own table (the US embassy page lists $35 for a single-entry visa of up to 10 days and $55 for up to one month), but nothing shows that those figures carry over to the e-visa. Some guides also mention a separate migration fee at the border; the amounts they quote differ and we could not confirm any of them.

Validity, entry points and who can apply

Single entry. The tourist e-visa is valid for one entry. Its validity dates are stated on the visa itself, so check them as soon as you receive it.
Entry points. The e-visa is accepted at Turkmenistan's international airports and at all its land border crossings. You show the printed e-visa, and the visa is issued on the spot. The application still lists your planned entry and exit points, so settle your route before the operator applies.
Who can apply. There is no restricted list of nationalities: citizens of any country can get the e-visa. A visa is still required, though: the e-visa is a remote way to get one, not visa-free entry.

Is the portal actually working?

Not for travellers, at least not yet. As of late October 2026 the portal has a login form but no registration page, so a traveller cannot create an account or submit an application. We checked this both from inside Turkmenistan and through a foreign connection, with the same result. The State Migration Service gives access to the system to tour operators, and they submit applications on behalf of their travellers.This matches what other sources reported in October. Early reviews found only a login page, The Times of Central Asia quoted an operator who saw the same, and turkmen.news reported that applications and registration were closed. If a website offers to process your Turkmenistan e-visa as a self-service product, ask exactly who submits it.The system is new and may open to individual travellers later; we will update this guide when that happens. Questions about the portal can go straight to the State Migration Service: the e-visa support line is listed as +993 12 380050, and the email as visa@migration.gov.tm.

Do you still need a tour operator and a guide?

Yes. A guide is required for tourist travel in Turkmenistan, and the new e-visa does not change that. Under the current system the e-visa application is also submitted by a tour operator. In practice this means planning your trip with a local operator, who arranges the guide, the route and the e-visa.Before you pay anyone, ask: who submits the e-visa application, whether the government fee is included, what happens if the application is refused, and whether the money is refundable.

After you arrive: registration

The e-visa and registration are two separate things. Since April 2026, registration of foreigners has been moving online at rgstr.migration.gov.tm. According to Belarus's Republican Union of Tourist Organizations, quoted by BelTA, it applies if you stay more than three working days, and either the host or the tourist can submit the details. Hotels and operators usually handle it. Some border crossings reportedly offer instant biometric registration. In early October some reports said the registration site was not working yet, and sources differ on how the three days are counted (working or calendar days, arrival day included or not), so ask your hotel or operator and do not leave it to the last day.

Before you book: a short checklist

Plan your trip with a tour operator: they submit the e-visa application and arrange the guide.
Do not buy non-refundable flights until you hold an approved e-visa.
Start early. Regular processing is up to 7 working days, but a new system can add delays.
Check your passport: validity and at least two blank pages.
Be wary of websites that sell a "self-service" e-visa or quote an exact official price.
Print the e-visa, keep a digital copy and carry the same passport you applied with.
If you already hold an approved LOI, ask your operator whether the old route still applies to you.

FAQ

Do I still need a letter of invitation for Turkmenistan?

Not for the e-TU tourist e-visa. Older guides and embassy pages still describe the LOI process, which was the route before October 2026. The business category (e-BS) does require an invitation from a company in Turkmenistan.

Can I apply for the e-visa myself?

Not at the moment. The portal has no registration page for travellers, and applications are submitted by tour operators with access to the system.

How much does the Turkmenistan e-visa cost?

There is no published price list. The fee is calculated during the application, depends on the category and processing speed, and is paid in US dollars plus bank charges. Be careful with any exact figure you see elsewhere.

How long does it take to get the e-visa?

Up to 7 working days for regular processing, up to 3 working days for urgent, and 24 hours for super urgent, which so far comes from industry reports rather than an official document. Allow extra time while the system is new.

Can I get a visa on arrival at Ashgabat airport?

Only with approval in advance. With an approved e-visa, you show the printout at the airport or at a land border, and the visa is issued there. Do not travel without approval.

How long can I stay on an e-visa?

The tourist e-visa is single-entry, and its validity dates are stated on the visa itself.

Which border crossings accept the e-visa?

Turkmenistan's international airports and all its land border crossings.

Is registration the same as the e-visa?

No. The e-visa is your permission to enter, applied for before the trip. Registration is the notification of where you are staying, done after arrival if you stay more than three working days.

Planning your trip

Since the e-visa application now goes through a tour operator and a guide is required anyway, the easiest way to start is to choose a tour. A first trip often combines the capital, the Darvaza gas crater and ancient Merv, and you can compare several options in the tours below. For our travellers, we submit the e-visa application ourselves.